French youth unemployment

[Wendy]

GG are you kidding...where in France do you live? what is a French village that has no elderly men sitting around in groups from dawn to dusk?.

I hope there is plenty of woodwork that needs doing in your area. I only personally know of one B&B in France that has near full occupancy pretty much all year round and that one is right near to Disneyland Paris. They only close at Xmas for a couple of days.

I will be interested to read your posts in 12 months time.

Scooby, I have noticed the women lean out their windows now and then but I always see the same male faces day in and day out sitting or standing around. I go in to the village to the boulangerie and there they are, at 6.30am, 7.am. Still there at midday too. The place is deserted between midday and two so they must have homes to go to. Afternoon, there they are all again. Obviously retired French women know how to keep themselves busy, albeit around the house, but when French men retire they seem to be at a loose end activity-wise. I have read that the same situation exists in most of Spain. And have I seen the same sights down there as here. Men - sitting.

Can it be that the women chase them out of the house?.

It must be pretty depressing for the young ones to look around them and see what lies ahead for them.

 

[Geordie girl]

Jura why are you being so rude to me? I havent done anything to you but i will treat your comments with the contempt they deserve. I did say we were not expecting to live on the b&b income alone hence my husband will go out to work. He has already been offered a job actually but cannot start till our house is finished and the guy is willing to wait for him to start in february. It is a french company who want to employ him by the way, because of the standard of his work in our house.

 

 

[memb]

[quote user="Jura"]

GG are you kidding...where in France do you live? what is a French village that has no elderly men sitting around in groups from dawn to dusk?.

I hope there is plenty of woodwork that needs doing in your area. I only personally know of one B&B in France that has near full occupancy pretty much all year round and that one is right near to Disneyland Paris. They only close at Xmas for a couple of days.

I will be interested to read your posts in 12 months time.

 

[/quote]

Well I've not seen men sitting around our village either Jura!   They must have all retired to your village!     Why on earth do you visit a boulangerie at 6.30am?    Carpenters are few and far between in our area and if GG's OH were to come to this area he'd get plenty of work!     Only one successful B&B in France?   Are you kidding?   Good Luck Geordie Girl (and your OH).

[Just Katie]

You are harping on about these old men sitting around the place.............It's called RETIREMENT !!  The old men in UK pace up and down the sitting room peering out of the window.  I am sure they would like a sunny bench to sit on to while the time away.  Our poor sods are stuck in the house with the wife while it is p issing down outside.

[Just Katie]

Geordie Girl,  dont take Jura to heart.  She is rude to everyone.  I sometimes wonder if she realises how rude she is[blink]

[Geordie girl]

Yes i have noticed she has a bad attitude  Katie but those types i try to ignore.

[Cendrillon]

[quote user="Just Katie"]You are harping on about these old men sitting around the place.............It's called RETIREMENT !!  The old men in UK pace up and down the sitting room peeing out of the window.  I am sure they would like a sunny bench to sit on to while the time away.  Our poor sods are stuck in the house with the wife while it is p issing down outside.[/quote]

 

Katie

Do they really do this? [8-)][:$]

or was it a typo?[Www]

[Bugsy]

I think you,re all missing the point in regard to the old men in Juras village. They are not just sitting around doing nothing.................

they are preparing a highly detailed plan, timed to perfection to be executed with total precision.

The plan, and "I will say this only once" started with a casual question some time back, namely;

 

 

 

 

 

"How do we get rid of that gobby australian" ?

[:)]

[Wendy]

47AJM (what a pain that is to type in) the reason I visit a boulangerie at 6.30 am is because I run a hotel just outside a village in verrry rural France. My guests like to eat early. There is your question answered[:)].

There are many successful B&B's in France, many of them owned and operated by British expats...most of them would be in at the boulangerie pretty much the same time as I am if they like to serve their guests freshly made pastries and bread for their brekkie. However, those that are fully occupied pretty much 360 days a year would not be in the majority. We personally know of  many who have packed it in and sold up to say such is the norm. Anyone on this forum in the B&B business will tell you that. Running a B&B here in France earns you pocket money, really good pocket money if you are in the right area, a nice living if you get it right. But you only have to read the posts in the B&B forum to see just how much hard work and how damn competitive it is. If GG has shifted into an area where the guests will be bashing down her door 52 weeks a year then good luck to her!. I suggest she keeps her location a secret though[;-)].

We could do with a good carpenter in this area. The locals don't want the work[8-)].

She ain't so gobby when it comes to speaking French Bugbear sweetie[:P]

 

[Just Katie]

[quote user="Cendrillon"]

[quote user="Just Katie"]You are harping on about these old men sitting around the place.............It's called RETIREMENT !!  The old men in UK pace up and down the sitting room peeing out of the window.  I am sure they would like a sunny bench to sit on to while the time away.  Our poor sods are stuck in the house with the wife while it is p issing down outside.[/quote]

 

Katie

Do they really do this? [8-)][:$]

or was it a typo?[Www]

[/quote]

There's always one isnt there? [:D]

Actually, I have only just noticed it myself.  I did end the para saying it is p issing down outside though did I not?

[Wendy]

I take it as a compliment when KK calls me 'rude'[:)]

Here my little welsh leek...have one on me[B]

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Jura"]

She ain't so gobby when it comes to speaking French Bugbear sweetie[:P]

[/quote]

[:D][:D]..................................[kiss]

[Just Katie]

Nah, I dont trust you Wen, bet you got that [B] from the old Welshman peeing out of his window.

[Panda]

Have you never visited Greece or Spain Jura, there you get not just the old men but the old ladies all in black too, they sit watching the world go by, it's what they do!  As for France I have lived in two very different places and I've never seen old men sitting about anywhere, isn't it too hot in the summer and too damn cold in the winter for a start!

And Scooby, I am an active young(ish) woman and I live in deepest rural France, I walk daily, go to the gym, go horse riding, and with my son I go to weekly handball training and matches, drama club and karate,  as well as athletics meetings there is lots of 'active' things to do.  Now at night there is not a great deal going on granted, but I prefer the tranquillity to the herds of drunks I used to see go by in my old home in England.

I am confused by both Jura's hatred of all things French (and Welsh) and Scooby's obsession with telling us we are bored, if you don't like something then don't do it but please don;t insist we all shouldn't like it or that we are disillusioned, as I've said before it's weird!

[memb]

[quote user="Jura"]

47AJM (what a pain that is to type in) the reason I visit a boulangerie at 6.30 am is because I run a hotel just outside a village in verrry rural France. My guests like to eat early. There is your question answered[:)].

[/quote]

Gawd Almighty!    you even have to make a comment about a pseudo - 5 taps on the keyboard, thats 1 more than your's.     So your hotel is not so busy that you notice all these men sitting around the village varying times of the day?   That might explain why you want to spend a lot of your time being curt, you are not a member of the Fat Club are you - I truly hope not!

[Wendy]

Actually there is one Welshman, a very ancient one, living in the next village. He cornered us last year at one of those 'do's' that the Maire likes to hold now and then. The wine was laid on abundantly and he had obviously got stuck in. He spoke to me at very close range for about 20 minutes about...well...I honestly cannot tell you. Never understood a word. But you could have lit a match off his breath. Never seen him since.

Than ks for that tip though, I'll remember to take the brolly in the morning[:D]

[Panda]

[quote user="Panda "]

Have you never visited Greece or Spain Jura, there you get not just the old men but the old ladies all in black too, they sit watching the world go by, it's what they do!  As for France I have lived in two very different places and I've never seen old men sitting about anywhere, isn't it too hot in the summer and too damn cold in the winter for a start!

And Scooby, I am an active young(ish) woman and I live in deepest rural France, I walk daily, go to the gym, go horse riding, and with my son I go to weekly handball training and matches, drama club and karate,  as well as athletics meetings there is lots of 'active' things to do.  Now at night there is not a great deal going on granted, but I prefer the tranquillity to the herds of drunks I used to see go by in my old home in England.

I am confused by both Jura's hatred of all things French (and Welsh) and Scooby's obsession with telling us we are bored, if you don't like something then don't do it but please don;t insist we all shouldn't like it or that we are disillusioned, as I've said before it's weird!

[/quote]

Forgot to say I do of course work as well, when I can fit it in!

EDIT, just realised my list of activities reads like an old tampax advert, remember those...

[Wendy]

Maybe we should get some tampax to the old guys in my village and then they can lead such an active a life as you do?.

By the way, my Grandad was Welsh. Haven't found anything to knock about 'em yet.

[Panda]

[quote user="Jura"]

Maybe we should get some tampax to the old guys in my village and then they can lead such an active a life as you do?.

By the way, my Grandad was Welsh. Haven't found anything to knock about 'em yet.

[/quote]

HA, yeah that might work! 

My Granny was welsh too, perhaps if we looked into it we would find we all orignate from the same welsh village where they all sat around and dreamed of living in France!!!!

[Geordie girl]

 

 

 

 

 

Jura i thought you said the only successful b&b was near disneyland? Now you`re saying there are lots.

I would like to add that i don`t wish to work 360 days a year............. do you?

You don`t even know where i live so how can you comment on my business prospects?

I am not a fool, i ran a b&b in uk for 3 years so i know it will be hard work if we`re busy but then if we`re busy then that is a good thing isn`t it? I will say though that if you`re as nasty to your guests as you are to people on here, who you don`t even know, then can you tell me "do they ever come back?"

 

[Just Katie]

[quote user="Panda "][quote user="Jura"]

Maybe we should get some tampax to the old guys in my village and then they can lead such an active a life as you do?.

By the way, my Grandad was Welsh. Haven't found anything to knock about 'em yet.

[/quote]

HA, yeah that might work! 

My Granny was welsh too, perhaps if we looked into it we would find we all orignate from the same welsh village where they all sat around and dreamed of living in France!!!!

[/quote]

Come on then, what villages did you both originate from.  I never realised the Welsh put it about so much, they are normally too drunk to get up to any mischief.

[woolybanana]

Llanfairfechan

[Scooby]

[quote user="Panda "]

And Scooby, I am an active young(ish) woman and I live in deepest rural France, I walk daily, go to the gym, go horse riding, and with my son I go to weekly handball training and matches, drama club and karate,  as well as athletics meetings there is lots of 'active' things to do.  Now at night there is not a great deal going on granted, but I prefer the tranquillity to the herds of drunks I used to see go by in my old home in England.

[/quote]

I have not accused you of being bored.  I stated that my french neighbour frequently tells me that she is bored and that one of the reasons I wouldn't wish to live in France permanently is that I, personally, would be bored.  Life in rural France is not a whirl of excitement and anyone contemplating a move to rural France should be aware of that.  You are very fortunate to have so many things to do in your area - though if you are in deepest rural France I would be interested to know how long it takes you to travel to participate in some of these activities? As an aside you are probably aware from my previous posts that I would be unable to do most of the things you mentioned as I am disabled.

Edit: I don't think I've ever seen any drunken youths near our home in the UK.  One of the villagers did, however, lose their son to a heroin overdose.  Apparently he died in the downstairs bedroom of our house in France at a time when the house was unoccupied.  There are drunks, drug addicts and violence in a lot of countries - including France.

[Wendy]

Geordie Gal, my word you certainly have misconstrued what has been written. Just read back my dear. I wrote that I knew of only ONE B&B  that operated all year round, and that particular B&B is situated near DisneyLand Paris. We do not operate B&B strictly, we are a hotel. And we ain't nowhere NEAR Le Mickey...never said we were!. Please quote here, verbatim, where I stated WE were the ONLY successful B&B near DisneyLand? I think you will find I did not[:)]

We work pretty much close to 360 days a year, I do not always wish we did but we do all the same. Although we have closed for the entire Xmas period this year for the first time. One whole week to ourselves!!.

And yes, 'they' do come back, not everyone though and you cannot expect all to as people visit different regions each time[:)]

No, I do not know where you live, but anyone here on this forum,in this business, will tell you just how competitive the Chambres d'hote/B&B industry is here in France. Yes, there are many successful Brit-run B&B's here in France, of course there are!. I hope you are in an area where you have the monopoly and are nice and busy...honestly!.

Forgive me for saying this, but you really do come across as being very wet behind the ears with regards to this trade. Running B&B/hotel tends to toughen one up a bit...you seem quite 'sensitive'. It worries me to think how you would cope with difficult/complaining guest/s if you think that I am 'nasty'[blink].

Don't take everything so personally!.

[Clair]

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