Christmas in France

I just celebrated my fourth Christmas in France. This last one, like all the others except the one I spent in Paris, was with my in-laws in Burgundy on a farm near the town of Tournus. It was a rare white Christmas and very cold. Like most celebrations in France this one was spent around the table with excellent food. We started off with a salmon appetizer followed by foie gras(duck liver) and pâté, with montbazillac wine. Then for the main course we had turkey with chest nuts and endive, with red côte du rhone wine. Our meal concluded with cheese, followed by buche de Nöel, the traditional Christmas Cake that looks like a log. The best part of having a meal like that is eating the leftovers the next day as we did. In between servings we had entertainment from different family members, then when the meal was finished we opened presents. The French open their Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, not on Christmas day as in the states.

Strike me

Striking is the national pastime in France. Last month Parisian lawyers, general practitioners, medical interns, assorted train and transport workers struck. Bank tellers and police are threatening to strike. With presidential and legislative elections coming up workers are demanding increased pay and better working conditions. Workers in public sector government supported industries are demanding higher pay and better working conditions. General practitioners, want the government to increase the amount paid for house calls and consultations. Medical interns want shorter hours and better working conditions too.

The Euro has arrived!

Now the French can go shopping in eleven different countries and not have to change money. Charly Hedbo , a satirical newspaper pointed out now the French can their daily baguettes in Finland. The currency change has so far gone very smoothly in France. A French newscaster proudly noted, that France is one of the leaders in percentage of transactions in Euros. I must say that I was some what disappointed not to have been able to get Euros just after midnight on January 1st. But not to worry I was able to get twenty Euros in the afternoon. All countries bordering France, except for Switzerland, are using Euros. Sorry, I don't agree with my wife that France and the United Kingdom border each other, Channel or not.

35 hours

Along with the Euro France is ushering in a 35 hour work week for all that work in companies with more than 19 employees. The idea of the 35 week is that it will create jobs as new workers will need to hire to make up for shorter work week. This might or might not happen, only the future will tell. For the moment the main worry is from small companies, like bakeries that are worried that they will be forced to put their workers on 35 work weeks so as not to lose them to bigger companies. If this does happen then production will be cut back as most bakeries say they can’t afford to hire new workers.