Vacation Time

Vacation is sacred above much else in France.  First, a brief review:

Number of vacation days received on average:

US: 14
Great Britain: 26
Germany: 27
Netherlands: 28
Austria: 28
Spain: 31
Italy: 33
France: 37

Assuming a directionally correct source, France has far surpassed the rest of the world in terms of time away from work.  As an attestation, visit a Parisian office in August.  Behold the legendary summer exodus.

One might call this complaining.  It is not.  It is unabashed envy.  How can a nation afford to spend so much time away from the daily grind?  What is the secret?

Part of the truth is that the hours worked here are little different than other parts of the developed world.  Believe it or not, even though it is technically (so I hear) illegal, people do work overtime.  My suspicion is that sole proprietors and those that work for them hustle more than is thought of from the outside world.

Another piece of the puzzle is a trade off.  In general, there are fewer conveniences.  Most stores are not open on Sunday, 24 hour anything is a myth, and services like dry cleaning are astronomically expensive.

One could mention that there is more productivity here.  But keep in mind, there is rational suspicion that people work more than reported.  An understated denominator works wonders in boosting this figure.

Whatever the reasons for the extra vacation days, though, this author is certainly looking forward to more than 12 per year.

McDo

France has a great culinary heritage.  So long as you are not picky, your visit here will be full of tasty treats and satisfying meals.  Suffice is to say the food here tastes good.

So why is McDonald’s packed?

The restaurant does not represent the best of what American food has to offer.  While it is a marvel of production and efficiency, it is not high on quality.  For a country concerned with the quality of food, this type of restaurant would surely make an instant failure.

But McDonald’s is packed in Paris.  All the time.

Until recently, it was difficult to fathom.  Was it the cheap price in a sea of expensive options?  Was it the quantity of tourists in Paris?

No.  It just tastes better here.

So it seems that even with the marketing and familiarity, even McDonald’s has picked up a small piece of French culture.

Now what would Paris do for Taco Bell?
 

The Bank

This week a note arrived:

Bad news, the bank branch near me has closed.

Good news, there is another one nearby.

Better news, it is open on Saturday.

You read right. The bank is open on Saturday.

Let me back up.

Paris has a lot of bank branches. This particular bank has three within a two minute walk from my apartment. This is the same company. There are then at least 3 others within the same radius.

However, as a general rule, banks operate between nine and five. Some have extended hours, but even then you can have difficulty deciphering what “extended” means.

Hence, while it is convenient to get to the bank, it is inconvenient to do it during their normal hours.

So, to have a bank open on Saturday is exciting. Do you remember hearing that when you get something in Paris you really appreciate it?

And like a beautiful epilogue, the post office by me now offers the same hours on Saturday as well.

Pretty soon, Monoprix could be open on Sunday.