With A Holiday Coming...

April and May have a lot of holidays in France.  How much a holiday messes with my life depends on the holiday itself and the day of the week that it falls on.

We've just suffered through two weeks of "vacances scolaires" in the Paris region.  These are school holidays which happen for two weeks, three times a year, not including the Summer.  The result of these holidays is that there aren't a bunch of teenagers smoking and talking, hanging out in the street in front of all the schools.  Many French people, even if they don't have school-age children, leave Paris during this time.

Now for the real holidays.  We also just had Easter (Sunday so that's easy, most things are closed anyway) and Easter Monday (less and less people get this holiday).

Next Tuesday is May 1 -- a biggie.  It's Labor Day.  I notice that most museums in Paris are closed, I bet the grocery stores and restaurants are closed, so I better prepare for this day.  I can use the day to do some clean out.   We have now marked 10 years of life in Paris.  At the beginning of our life here, I was terrified to be without American products.  So, I imported almost everything -- even things I "might" need.  So, these things are now 10 years old and have to go.  I have a box of medicines in this category; never-used Pepto-Bismol, Ny-Quill, Tylenol.  Vitamins that are past their prime.  It's not that we don't get sick, it's that we can find what we need here without a problem.  The one thing we can't replicate is Excedrin.  It doesn't exist here so we buy and bring a huge jar for Terry every time we come. 

The following Tuesday is May 8 -- don't remember what it is, but I think that there will be less disruption.  Then the following Thursday is also a holiday, again no real idea what it is.

Since all these holidays are on weekdays, French people try to extend the weekend by taking the "pont" or bridge.  For the Tuesday and Thursday holidays a four-day weekend can be realized by taking only one day off.  I'd do it too.

I'm always glad when this holiday period is over.  June is pretty calm and then everyone leaves again for the Summer.