At Home in Brittany

The Bureaucratic Nightmare that is France

On arrival in France it is not long before you become consumed in the bureaucracy that is embedded in the fabric of life, in a society that demands every transaction and communication is recorded in paper format. Despite having a high level of Internet access and computer literacy the French authorities require citizens to retain a paper copy of every household and personnel transaction they undertake. 

Every office, private, local administrative, regional or central government, maintain manual records in the old manila files, sometimes from floor to ceiling. Visit any office to commence a transaction and immediately, somewhere in the background a small but perfectly formed administrative clerk will start a paper file.

Yes but surely they use computers, you ask? Oh yes they have computers and they will record your details on the PC and will use it to complete any associated documentation. Once entered on the system the very same document will be printed out, one copy for your paper file at home and one for their paper file in the office. A good example is a visit to the insurance brokers where you ask for an amendment of your policy. The agent first proceeds to the racks of paper files and pulls out your file with name emblazoned on the spine. Having checked the contents the agent starts to obtain a quote on the computer for the amended insurance required. Having mutually agreed the policy amendment the agent then prints out the policy in duplicate, both copies are signed and you go away to file your copy at home and another tree is added to our file in the office.

I asked the agent why do you maintain paper files when you have the same documents on the PC and presumably backed up onto a server? " Yes we do have them on computer but the Government legislation requires us to maintain paper copies regardless "

It is very strange that this is the same government which is introducing a Carbon Tax and yet every day in France tons of paper is being used to duplicate the processes recorded on computer networks.

The other day I visited the bank to ask the manager if I could stop the paper statements being sent to my home as I accessed the account on PC regularly and found the statements surplus to requirements. Shock and Horror! But you must retain the paper statements they may be required by the 'Tax de Impot' (Inland Revenue). Yes but I can print some off when they are needed. "NO,NO, you must retain the hard-copy in the special file we gave you".

Yes reader, this is the 21st century but clearly someone has forgotten to tell the French Bureaucrats that computers can be very reliable especially when information is backed up!

Those expats who have lived in France for a few years will no doubt have resigned themselves to the paper chase and have draws full of photocopies of every personal document they have ever owned. Why you may ask? well every time you have to renew an official French document or complete an annual registration you will be asked for hard copîes of everything that you gave them the previous year. Perhaps their filing system doesn,t work? or they imagine that we are all going to change our names each year, move house, get married again or have a sex change.

Sorry, can you tell that the bureaucracy's is starting to annoy me!

In truth I think that France is suffering from the Us and Them politics of central government  versus the local regions with no one having the will or the bravery to take this issue on board. An enormous number of people are employed in national, local and regional government and if you were to attempt to stop the bureaucracy jobs would inevitably be at risk. One might say the savings from a review of  administration can only be good for the economics of the country. In reality any attempt to streamline the administration, especially in this recession, would be met with an outcry from the French unions.

So I am going to have to keep repeating, 'ça c'est la vie' and taking another glass of wine until eventually I no longer care how many trees have been felled on my behalf.

Highs & Lows of Garden Maintenance in Brittany

When we decided to come to France we were determined to buy a house with some land, not something that many can afford in the UK. Not surprisingly; land is something there is plenty of  on this side of the Channel and most rural houses come with a good  size plot in which to develop your own version of the English estate in France.

The whole idea of being able to wander at leisure around your domain without any restrictions or  observation by close neighbours, presents the ideal home location for those wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.  Furthest from the mind of many prospective purchasers is the consideration of just what is involved in maintaining these rolling square kilometres. This is particularly relevant if the purchaser is looking for the ideal haven in which to relax in their well earned retirement.

In the UK most people have their front lawn and that small area of privacy, the back  garden, where all the pent up emotions of work, travel and British life are unleashed by way of the flower borders, lawn and if your lucky; a small area for growing your own vegetables. This little haven keeps you busy on the few days of good weather and is easily maintained with the minimum of tools and equipment.  On this basis something a little bigger and more private would be ideal in our retirement and we could expand our gardening prowess and who knows perhaps a few chicken or a goat!

Le Yaudet - The Site of a Roman Fort

Le Yaudet is situated at the mouth of the river Léguer which winds its way into the ancient port of Lannion on the North Coast of Brittany. It is a small hamlet built around a granite promontory which commands views across the the centre of the Pink Granite Coastal approaches. It is not surprising therefore that the Romans built a fort at le Yaudet where they could defend the access to one of their most important strongholds on this coast.

Today there is little evidence of the structure other than several level plateaux surrounded by the remains of stone walls and earthworks however it is still possible to stand on the fort site and admire the surrounding coastal vista. In the 50's and 60's several excavations were carried out on the site resulting in several finds of Roman coins and other indications of Roman occupation.

A new programme of research excavations began in 1991 and continued annually until 2002. The work was a Franco-British collaboration involving the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford and the Centre de recherche bretonne et celtique, Université de Bretagne. Excavations uncovered evidence of Iron Age occupation and it appeared the romans had built much of their fortifications on the original defence platforms. Due to the location of the fort several Roman villas were built in the surrounding countryside many of which may still remain undiscovered.

The original village developed around the fort and some of the houses in occupation today are said to date from the 16th century. Le Yaudet is now a popular tourist site and provides a pleasant location for a weekend walk along one of its many paths leading from and to the two small beaches nestled at the foot of the promontory.

The main beach can be reached by a steep road descending from the village down to a small inlet surrounded by small houses clinging to the surrounding slopes. This is one of the many beautiful areas to explore on this stretch of the coast.

Strange Bugs in the Garden

At this time of year all sorts of bugs appear in the gardens of Brittany sending us scurrying for the reference books to look up the species. It is possibly due to the large number of shrubs and flowers in the garden.  In the UK we were used to seeing moths of various types, especially at dusk. In Brittany the months seem to be subject to a growth hormone which appears to double their size making them easily visible 24 hours a day. In our garden we get quite a variety but the most spectacular is the Spotted moths of which there are many, a picture of one specimen is shown here. I think this one was Platyprepia virginalis - Ranchman's Tiger Moth although I think exact identification is best left to the experts as the similarity between species can be deceptive. According to the reference books I consulted this moth should be in North America, must have been some strong winds lately! Just to make matters worse they apparently feed on herbaceous plants.

By now you will have determined that I am not an expert on bugs, but I do enjoy seeing the various types passing through the garden, passing being the operative word. Our house sits on a hill bordered on both sides by two streams flowing through ancient woodland. This seems to ensure a ready supply of dragon flies passing through the garden some of which are spectacular. It is difficult to comprehend that the colours of some of them can exist in nature. As a novice in the area of bugs it came as a surprise to me that dragon flies come in two main groups, those with four wings and those with two. Examples of both types passed through recently and I managed to get the photos seen here.

Until I came to France I had never seen a glow-worm but in the summer months they seem to love the granite at the front of the house. They absorb all

the heat from the wall during the day and glow vividly at night; they must have incredible solar panels! I have tried to take photos of them at night without success, but I am determined to persivere

 

 

 

Where Have all the Tourists Gone?

Is it the weather? Is it the strong Euro, or is it that dammed Pimpernel, No sorry I mean recession.

No one can doubt that 2009 is going to be a record low year for tourism in France, the official records already showing a 30% drop over the average for the previous 5 years. As a Gite owner I can confirm that the bookings have been well down on last year, although it does appear that the cheaper basic accommodation is holding its own.

 

If you believe the news coverage both in France and the UK a combination of the  recession and the risk of catching Swine Flue are the main reasons for people deciding to forgo their annual holiday. Whatever the reason there is no doubt that some of the businesses that are reliant on summer tourism for their survival are going to be in trouble. Many French restaurants and tourist shops only open for the tourist season and rely on the income to fund the winter closure.

 

America to Brittany - The Challenges

We have recently been asked about some of the challenges which may face a family who are considering moving from America to Brittany. So Katrina and family this ones for you!We can obviously give a broad outline of some of the issues a family may have to face but I would recommend continuing your research in depth before making any decisions.

 

Firstly it is important to emphasise that France has not escaped the recession despite the lack of news coverage worldwide. Many companies have had to close resulting in large increases in unemployment and industrial unrest which takes on a whole new meaning in France. Recently a spate of companies closing due to the recession have been held to ransom by occupations and even threats of bombing in demand of increased payouts.

 

In Praise of “Le Vélo”

A recent visit by two extremely fit, health conscious and more importantly; young members of our family suddenly made my husband and I very aware of our lack of energy. They highlighted our deficiency in the “get-up-and-go” department; our desire to swim, play tennis and leap on our bikes was still there but our bodies needed more convincing.

 

How could this happen when we are lucky enough to live in the heart of the country surrounded by sea, inviting places to walk and empty roads to cruise along on our bikes? The question had to be addressed and this was the couple more than capable of dealing with it and the answer was simple; our problem was evidently laziness! A lazy lifestyle and too may trips to the boulangerie. (By car!)

 

The first appraisal of our stamina was observed during what is usually a gentle but pleasurable cruise into our nearest village to purchase the obligatory baguette; which on that day would also serve as a way of putting into practice the French phrases of our guests. From the outset my husband and I realised we would not score high marks for our efforts; lack of road awareness, unsuitable old badly maintained bone-shaker bikes, meandering in the middle of roads to gaze at cows, far too slow and just downright dangerous riders. Whereas the language exercises of our young erudite trainers was impressive. I believe the habitual “afternoon aperitif break” at our friendly neighbours on the return journey may have reduced our score; although the homemade cider got the thumbs-up from everyone.

 

History in Stone - Barnenez

What I find so remarkable is that the history we spend so much time looking for and digging for in the UK is so readily on view here in Brittany.  Scratch the surface of any field et voila your almost guaranteed to find evidence of a bygone time in the shape of a roof tile, a piece of pottery or even Roman tesserai.  

 

My dog and my husband often while away the time studying various corners of fields, their patience is sometimes rewarded. My dog is very successful at spotting old bones (mainly deposited circa two days ago by the farmer’s dog) but more often than not it is my husband who returns with a find!

 

These bits and bobs abandoned by communities living on this soil centuries ago are a handy nudge; because we can become too immersed in the ‘here and now’ and fail to reflect on how we got here.  But for a really loud wake-up call there is a place that positively shouts at you from 5000 years BC!

 

Ten kilometres from Morlaix at the top of a headland overlooking the sea rises the  Barnenez mausoleum; the oldest ancient monument built by man on the Armorican peninsula.  This funeral complex is 87 meters long by 20 meters wide and no less than 8 meters in height.  The exterior is built of dry stone and constructed in two phases, the second being established two or three hundred years after the first.

The English Tourist in Brittany

A lot has been written about the English tourist and their unusual traits which come to the fore when they are on holiday. As someone who provides holiday accommodation in Brittany it never ceases to amaze me how we the ‘ Brits’ are transformed from normal logical human beings into strange aliens that have suddenly found themselves on a mysterious planet. Until the last few years France was a holiday destination of the hardened Francophile who came for the culture, history and of course the food and wine. More recently we have seen an increase in tourists who would normally have gone to one of the many package holiday destinations but due to the continual travel agency failures and airline price increases have decided to try the French experience.

 

Upon arrival in this strange land the first thing is unload all the English food we brought with us, after all we don,t want to risk upset stomachs trying all that strange French food. Evidently it is necessary to bring lots of toilet rolls to France; I presume the French toilet paper is below par? (In fact English toilet paper is excellent for blocking the septic tank)

 

“Can you tell me where the nearest takeaway is as we did not have time to get something on the way” Well actually the French are not really into takeaways so the only one we know is a McDonald’s some distance away. There is a really good Crêperie in the village why not try that. “But that’s just pancakes isn’t it?” No, they have a varied menu at most crêperies but I am afraid they do not do takeaway.

 

Protesting – French Style

Here in Brittany emotions run high when an action carried out by one is regarded by another as unjust; and never more so than when it affects the agricultural community. The recent contention is the disparity of profit between the milk producers compared to those gained by retail outlets; predominantly supermarkets.

“Retailers are making big margins on basic foods such as milk, fruit and meat at a time when prices paid to producers are declining”, stated France's main farm union, the French National Federation of Farmers' Unions (FNSEA).

Farm minister Michel Barnier said this week a new committee charged with monitoring margins along the food chain is ready to publish its first findings -- relating to pork prices -- but the FNSEA says progress has been too slow.

 

“Les Paysans” the country people, are not reticent in making their views heard and the extent of their anger has been evident during the weekend. Plumes of black smoke ascended into the blue June sky emanating from strategically placed bonfires in supermarket car parks. Farmers blocked access to around 40 out of some 60 distribution centres that supply French supermarkets as part of a 48-hour protest. Traffic came to a halt at every roundabout, their route firmly barred by tractors, trailers trucks and other agricultural heavy duty machinery.

 

In general the protests are well organised and take the form of a well planned march culminating in the occasional short term road blockage where leaflets describing the groups grievances are handed out to the delayed traffic. However in recent years the protests in Brittany have to a large part involved the farming union which historically have a very strong base in Brittany. In the years we have lived here we have witnessed some astonishing protests by the farmers us ing any means they have to attract the government’s attention. This is the first of a round of demonstrations (manifestations) that take place in France every year, usually during the summer months to maximise the disruption and therefore initiate responsive action by the Government.