What time do you go to bed in rural France ?

[alittlebitfrench]

Just spent the week in rural France.

It was......ummm.......quite boring. Not a lot to do after 9pm.

We did not have UK TV..... not that could be any consolation to be fair.

So what time do you go to bed in rural France ?

[woolybanana]

0200 hrs-ish . But then I have tv, books, things to do, empires to build, camels to castrate, mullahs to stone, and spleen to vent!?

I love the silence of the late night here, broken only by the chumping of the rhinos or the odd bull hippo at the bottom of the garden.

[alittlebitfrench]

I have noticed that a lot of long term British living the dream on this and other forums often tend to post after midnight. Sometimes at 3AM in the morning. GO TO BED BRITS !!!! LOL.

Well, most houses around us had closed down by 8:30 pm so it was just us, the sky and mosquitoes.....oooh ....and the sound of loud frogs/insects.....have no idea what they were.

Can't see the point myself.

P.S We did have the local annual fête for one night. It was not exactly Glastonbury to be fair. lol.

[EuroTrash]

Well what did you expect there to be to do in the evenings out in the sticks, ALBF? If you need nightlife and entertainment, don't go to rural France, surely you don't need to be told that!

When I go to bed varies from not at all if I'm badly behind with deadlines, to 6pm on the dot if I've delivered everything that needs delivering and I need to catch up on my sleep. I guess being self employed follows the same pattern wherever you live. But if work is ticking over nicely, usually around 11 - finish work at 6, dinner around 8.30, clear up, catch up with personal emails and stuff or read or listen to music for a couple of hours, then make my Ovaltine and off to bed. I don't have a TV (didn't have one in the UK either) but sometimes at weekends I watch a DVD or a film on youtube in the evening. I'm a right little raver aren't I! but I got tired of city living many decades ago and these days I enjoy a quiet life.

My brother was like you, when he used to come and stay he couldn't believe there was nowhere to go of an evening. I had to drive him round for ages, past closed bar after closed bar, before he gave up and believed me. And when I used to visit him I had to pretend I enjoyed going out every evening doing things I didn't particularly want to do and talking to people I didn't particularly want to talk to about things that mostly didn't interest me much. "Can't see the point myself", to me it seemed like he just went out for the sake of it because he didn't want to be at home. Me, I like being at home.

[Patf]

That's the whole point of rural living - get away from all the pressures of city life.

In the summer I used to take the dogs for a walk after 8-9pm - the wildlife starts to wake up then, plenty of activity.

Or sit outside and watch the bats swooping around.

You're just a jaded toonie ALBF.

[andyh4]

Once all the chores are done, I go to bed when I am tired - and will often lie in bed and read for half an hour before turning the light off. Sometimes 23:00 and sometimes as late as 02:00

I am retired, why would I want to be tied to a clock any more?

[mint]

Same here, usually around midnight to 1 am but, if I am reading a good book, might read on until I finish it or my eyes close of their own accord.  Could be 3 or 4 am.

If I have to go somewhere earlyish the following morning, then I go about 23.00 and sleep by midnight.

We often have les marches nocturne in the summer months, so after food and drink, home just after midnight and then bed by 1 - 2 am.

ALBF, it's called chacun à son rhythme.

[YCCMB]

Midnight, one-ish, whatever. Sometimes I wake at 3 or 4 am and that's it. I get up and do stuff.

What time do I go to bed in the UK? Same.

I wish my sleeping habits were governed by where I am, but they aren't.

I'm not bothered if the bar in the village is shut as I'd no more go there than I would to the pub if I was in the UK.

[Théière]

Remember the insomniacs thread from a few years back?

When we were (I was) preparing for the start of the rental season bed, what's that then?  Up until my eyes dried to a point I couldn't see to paint/plaster/clean etc. two hours kip and warm water to the eyes and back to work. I really enjoyed my "holidays" now no more of that nonsense but other more leisurely pursuits to do and that could be any hour.

[alittlebitfrench]

People go to bed at midnight-1AM. Eeeek.

There is nothing on French telly......we know that.

You can't have an endless supply of books.

So what do people do ?

Please don't say UK telly !!! LOL.

Astronomy was the only thing that kept me sane during our week away.

It is nice to see all the stars/planets without light pollution.

[YCCMB]

Well, yes, you can have an endless supply of books. You can also watch telly. There's more to life than both of those. I'm currently glazing pots ready to fire them. I might do that at night as long as my eyes aren't going squinty. If I'm up at silly o'clock, I've grouted tiles before now, or just got on with jobs that can be done any time. As long as there's no law about certain jobs or activities having to take place at fixed times (e.g. lunch in France! A law I break daily) then all is good.

[alittlebitfrench]

So what do the French do ?

Where we were, the whole village was is in darkness at 9:30 pm. All shutters drawn. Not a light to be seen.

What are they up to in their houses ?

French telly ? A bit of 'hows your father' ?

Anyway, one night I got woken up at 3AM when our bedroom turned into a disco. Blue lights flashing everywhere through the shutters.

I got up thinking the Gendarme's were outside and it was all kicking off in rural France. Got my mobile ready to film it all......but .......it was just an ambulance. I think the bloke opposite was having a cardiac moment. Bit of 'hows your father' I guess ? At your age !!

I am not sold on rural france.

[YCCMB]

But what do you do in the evenings when you're not in rural France? That's really the point. If you're out six nights a week, or at work all day, or you've got clubs to go to, friends to meet up with or whatever, you might not have all that "stuff" going on when you're on holiday. If you live somewhere all the time, your life is built around that environment. Can't stop. Off out to dinner. Same tomorrow. It's probably going to be behind closed shutters once it's dark, but there you go.

[idun]

I need at least seven hours sleep and cope badly with less.

Late to bed and late to rise for me.

My friends and I fall into two categories, like me, OR, early to bed and early to rise...... I hate mornings, so that wouldn't do for me at all.

[Alan Zoff]

I have usually done all I want to do, seen everyone I wish to see, during the day so am happy to flop down in front of the telly after my evening meal. The village bar has at least one late night a week (according to how the bar owner feels) which gives me a chance to catch up with the evening crowd and provides quite enough entertainment for me when combined with the various events laid on in the salle des fêtes.

But each to his/her own.

[richard51]

I am an early to bed, early to rise sort of person.

OH is a late to bed, late to rise sort of person.

Seems to work though.

[cajal]

[quote user="richard51"]I am an early to bed, early to rise sort of person.

OH is a late to bed, late to rise sort of person.

Seems to work though.[/quote]

Why am I not suprised?

[Théière]

[idun]

Lots of couples do exactly that. Means both get the sleep they need.

AND I know lots of couples, all FRENCH and they have slept in separate beds for years, for whatever the reason, usually snoring being cited as the cause, but who knows? So the hours they keep is rather irrelevant isn't it?

[Alan Zoff]

I sleep in France. She sleeps in UK. Also seems to work.

[richard51]

Yes,Idun totally irrelevant but I believe that there is also evidence that going to bed late and rising late suits/benefits some people.

As for the comment of Cajal and Theiere: I suspect it was a silly joke to appeal to silly lads playing silly macho games.

[alittlebitfrench]

@ richard51

Cajal's comment was very funny. And to be fair, we all thought the same. LOL.

[richard51]

We?

Do you speak for the whole board? Not me for one.

Funny how assuming or attacking characteristics of others is amusing - Going for something like the Lads Bible is more suited for those who find that funny.

[woolybanana]

It was very funny indeed.

[idun]

Maybe it is a 'man' thing as I don't get it either.

We aren't kids, we still sleep in the same bed, which quite a few of our friends don't at our age. And it is just nice as it is.

What appals me is that I know other couples, who, I might add, still sleep together ....... and one is not ready to sleep at whatever time, say 11 and they both go to bed and this person puts the light on and reads![:@] Frankly I find it appalling.  I would HATE, having a light on next to me as I was trying to sleep, even a kindle with it's night light would not be on.  In these couples the sleeper says that they are not bothered, but they have been together that long, that maybe they are just used to what I consider 'ignorance'.

 I am very quiet when I go to bed and slip into bed when I am ready. Having read or whatever in the living room. I cannot imagine getting to the bedroom and putting the light on, whilst he sleeps and then putting the night light on to read. No, I would never do that. Happiness is both getting the sleep we need, and consideration and kindness......... or at least it should be.