The locals we met during the trip have dispelled the famous myth that they are snobs and speak only French. In our experience, whether at a restaurant or asking for directions on the streets, they were polite and spoke good English. Of course, we did always start with a bonjour and end with merci.
We noticed when we were on the road that whenever we stopped at a pedestrian crossing, most would mouth a merci and raise a grateful hand. They didn’t take it for granted that a vehicle stopped at the zebra crossing. Yeah, how could I tell if any of them are French.. I would assume, at least, the well dressed little old lady with her walking stick and grocery bag to be one. If you’ve driven in South France, you would know there is a roundabout and pedestrian crossings at almost every turn. It was a refreshing experience.
It was also the first time a pickpocket tried his luck on us – I shouted so loud that I shocked myself, thankfully nothing actually happened so we let the person leave. He was just as scared as us at that moment.
First time for me, :) , to drive on the other side of the road.. I have to say, it takes A LOT more concentration as literally everything is on the other side, from the gearbox, signalling to maneuvring the roundabout. But, it was nice to share the driving load with the Mister albeit a small percentage, :p
May all of us be safe, healthy and at peace..
ABE