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Well, that’s it, France has shut down apart from food shops and pharmacies. Now we wait, but for what and how long? And they dont want us driving between towns either.

But then, the weather seems to be clearing up a bit and the garden needs love and affection, so it is an ill wind.

Social life is ruggered, so are a lot of peoples’ jobs.

Norman, no restaurants so what ya gonna do for food, who is gonna get you chow for you.

We all got bog paper?

By the way, use paracetamol, not ibuprofen or aspirin if you are unfortunate enough to get ill.
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Did anyone hear Eduard Philippe talking about shutting down everything other than ....a list of establishments providing essential services including....tobacconists!!!

I thought my hearing was really getting worse and I had to listen again on a later news bulletin!

Still, I suppose you can't make people stay in their homes without tobacco as they might go completely mad and perhaps start a revolution à la française?

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I agree, mint, bizarre about tobacconists!

But I guess they sell newspapers, magazines and stamps, and are there still those expensive stamps that are a sort of tax you have to affix to certain official documents? (Maybe I am a few decades behind the times here.)

They haven’t mentioned if post offices are to close, have they?
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I have a supply of basic foodstuffs but will have to find out what to so with them. The same is true of loo paper[:D]
More importantly I have a couple of months worth of the most important 3 medicines, though medium term might be a worry as many of  active principles come from China via India, even if under French names.

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On either sky or bbc news today, they were interviewing a journalist in Paris, I think, and he said that people seemed to have been ignoring some of the recommendations that have been made thus far. Cannot remember the term he used, but it was along the lines of them being 'very naughty' about it.

So we shall all see.

Frankly this is all so odd, I keep thinking that I am actually dreaming and shall wake up and all will be as it was.

Nothing will be though will it.

I was out today, had a wander round two local towns and did a little shopping, apart from pasta, well bog standard pasta, spinach pasta was easily available though[Www]. All the other shelves were as full as usual.

We ate out tonight. There were plenty of people  out and about today and tonight.

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The Sunday papers turned up OK, although they’re pretty thin.

The general store that sells everything from pot plants to elastic bands clearly feels that the shutdown doesn’t apply to them, and the same for one of the bars!

Biggest problem for us is the local VW dealership. As many of you know, our car was stolen 10 days ago. We were going to the dealership this morning to settle on a car that the salesman had identified that fits our needs. I got an email from him at 23.00 last night saying that the meeting was cancelled and he’d let us know what happens next. The hire car provided by our insurance has just 20 days to run. We could be in big trouble!

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We are in the UK at the moment and had planned to return by car to our house near Narbonne, leaving the UK next Friday.  We are now 73 years old, not awfully fit with one of us in a wheelchair, and this journey takes us three days via Caen and Bordeaux with two hotel stops in France on the way.
We are concerned that the hotels may be closed by the time we get to them, that the restaurants in the hotels may be closed, and we also wonder what facilities may be open on the autoroutes.
We are worried that we may have left it too late, and that we may be trapped in UK for the summer or the forseeable future.

I cannot find any answers about hotels or autoroute facilities on line, and any advice would be gratefully received.
Thank you in anticipation.

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I am wondering if, as is their wont, in about a fortnight, give and take a few days, people will get fed up and life will slowly return to normal ... once the virus is in the community there is, in fact, little you can do to stop it spreading, particularly in these touchy feeley countries .. obviously it is sensible to stop non-essential meetings, but I feel for the small restaurants, shops and such, as there are more things essential in life than the very basics.  Gardian has just given us a good example with his car.

And I must go to the pharmacy tomorrow for my repeat meds, hope they have not run out in the panic.  Places have been much quieter even before this shut down, and  I think much could have done without total shut down, it's going to put a few businesses out action .. cash flow and all.

And transport is being kept going - another absolute incubator of germs!

It's all mad!

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Perfect timing, I ripped out the upstairs bath and shower, went to Leroy ordered all the necessary new equipment to build a walk-in shower, ordered new taps, sink unit etc. They said most will be available in a weeks time the shower glass a little longer. The tiler visited yesterday to work out the work to be done, we planned to choose tiles tomorrow. Turned on the Tele to be told all the shops etc. closed. Luckily we still have another shower room. The good news is the tobacconists are still open, so maybe I should take up smoking? LOL
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This link will tell ypu what is open and what shut down.

David, I think you might have to scrap your trip as hotels will likely be closed.

Could someone make it live please.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/coronavirus-en-france-ce-qui-est-interdit-ce-qui-est-ferme-ce-qui-est-ouvert-20200315
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[quote user="Gardian"]The Sunday papers turned up OK, although they’re pretty thin.

The general store that sells everything from pot plants to elastic bands clearly feels that the shutdown doesn’t apply to them, and the same for one of the bars!  [/quote]

The shutdown takes effect from midnight tonight!  So it's a case of eat, drink and be merry because tomorrow and for an indefinite period in the future, you may feel too ill/disinclined/peed off to do otherwise[I]

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ALBF wrote: I CAN'T BELIEVE people are talking about travelling to France or building new showers.

FFS

Why the profanity plus why wouldn't I build a new shower? Maybe you don't bother to wash; after all you are a little bit french as you constantly tell us. If you'd like to discuss this I'd be very willing to meet you next time I'm in Tours to pick up my new bathroom LOL
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alittlebitfrench,

We had hoped to get back to our house in France where we would be much better suited to weather the virus storm.  In France everything is on the ground floor for the wheelchair, the garden is large, the neighbours are helpful, and there are walks along the seashore which are empty of people.  As opposed to a pokey place in UK which is quite unsuitable for long term incarceration and with no neighbours.

What is wrong with that?  And why the profanity?  As it is, we seem to have left it too late and we will be cooped up in UK unable to leave the place.

Thank you for your consideration.

David

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Wooleybanana,

Thank you very much for that - I very much fear that you are correct, and that we will have to scrap our trip and weather the storm in an unsuitable place in the UK.  Another problem is that our car insurance requires the car to return to France by mid April, and the car is due a Control Technique in mid May, so I don't what we are going to do about that.

Thanks for your help,

David

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David & Nick P - there's always one - just ignore !!

Sorry your plans might have to be put on 'hold' - it's really a case of wait and see.

I've read some reports which state that the number of cases peaks very quickly, and then falls back just as quickly.

Them in charge haven't got a clue - that's the way I look at things, and there's a lot of media induced and herd instinct panic going on.

It's the elderly most at risk - and I hope most of them have families to rally round and help.

Times like this I'm reminded of that Chinese 'curse' - 'May you live in interesting times';  well, they certainly have become interesting haven't they !!

Keep safe everyone; spring's here, summer's on its way - and in 4 or 5 months time we'll wonder why we all (or some) became so paranoid and panicky.   Didn't our grand-parents use cut-up squares of newspaper instead of toilet roll for years and years !!!!!!!   Sometimes the old ways.........!!

Regards to everyone - we'll all be fine.

Chessie 

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It seems hotels are not included so can remain open apart from their restaurants/bars.

However they are still allowed to deliver food as room service. Will that work for breakfast in a large hotel?

I'm also not sure hotels will be putting in place additional cleaning to ensure guests don't catch the virus from surfaces touched by previous occupants?

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David ........

I have read and re-read your posts and have concluded that you are resident in France and are simply seeking to return after a visit to the UK.

If that’s a correct assumption, then France is where you’re resident for healthcare purposes and you’d therefore be infinitely better there.

I’d make the trip, but I wouldn’t hang around - things are (as ALBF says) moving rapidly towards complete lockdown. I wouldn’t use a ferry (your mention of Caen implies Brittany Ferries) because there’s already talk of route closures / reduced frequencies. I’d use the Tunnel and trundle down on the Reims / Dijon / Lyon / Nimes routing.

Hotel situation is vague. Disgracefully, there’s no mention on neither the Accor nor Campanile websites, so you have to just assume that they’re operating ‘normally’. Try ringing them. Food is going to be a lottery, but take plenty of sandwiches from the UK and you’ll get by. Fuel will be OK on the motorway.

Having said all of this, if your residence is actually in the UK and this is a visit to your holiday home ............ then don’t even think about it.

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