We enjoyed a fairly rare excursion yesterday afternoon. We drove to a village about an hour southwest of Saint-Aignan to see some friends we hadn't seen in more than a year. It was a gorgeous day — bright and sunny with blue skies and a gentle breeze.
Along the way we saw this sign at least 10 or 12 times. It doesn't mean that your head is spinning, but that you're approaching a roundabout, also known in the U.S. as a traffic circle or, in Boston, a rotary. In France it's un carrefour giratoire. Negotiating traffic circles is second nature to us now, after living here for 15 years. There are fewer and fewer intersections with STOP signs in France, and more and more roundabouts.
The village we were driving to, Paulmy, is one that we've driven through two dozen times over the years. But we had never before turned off the main-south road through town to see the village center. It's much prettier than I knew before yesterday. We discovered a nice old church and a big château that we didn't know existed. More later...
We enjoyed seeing our friends again. They're English and are getting ready to go back to the U.K. for the winter. We left their house at about 5:30 to drive the 40 miles back to Saint-Aignan along winding roads with the sun behind us. We passed through several other villages, including Montrésor, above. And we drove the last mile on the dirt road that runs through the vineyard out behind our house.
How is Brexit affecting J and N? Will they have to choose between France and England or will they be able to share their time between the two as they do now?
ReplyDeleteThe short answer is: they don't know.
DeleteLOL! Who does?
DeleteEven Theresa May doesn't.
DeleteI'm always astonished at how many roundabouts we encounter when driving in France. And speaking of the terms roundabout and rotary, I read something recently that said there's a difference between a roundabout and a rotary. I don't know what it is, but having driven in the Boston area for a couple of decades, I call anything that looks like that a rotary.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I'm surprised that English people would leave the Loire Valley for England for the winter.
Evidently, there is some clause in our friends' U.K. home owners insurance policy specifying that one of the principal occupants must spend a night in the house at least once in every 60 day period to maintain coverage. So they, or at least one of them, must return to England often. Now they are wondering what the situation with visas and French residence permits will be after Brexit. And what the rules for transporting cats and dogs "backwards and forwards", as they say, between England and France will be. It all sounds pretty complicated, doesn't it.
DeleteWell that certainly explains it. I think homeowners' policies usually contain some type of occupancy provision.
DeleteBob, we have spent a lot of time in the Loire in winter and came to the conclusion that if we are only going to spend six months a year here, March to September is definitely the best time!
DeleteWe know of people who think they can get round the ninety day absence condition by sending a friend or relative to sleep in the house for a couple of nights. Our insurers insist that it has to be one of the legal owners of the property. You only find out if you have got away with it in the event of a claim and in my experience insurers are very adept at finding out if you have stuck to the rules of the policy.
…..sixty day absence, not ninety.....we can only be away from our UK house for two months for insurance reasons.
DeleteThere is rumour that after Brexit we will only be allowed to stay in France for ninety days (which is why the figure ninety is fixed in my brain) without applying for visas or whatever. Who knows. Nobody does.
Jean, I certainly understand the insurance issue, and not wanting to take a chance. When we bought our house in Maine, we had a major heating disaster between the time we closed on the purchase and the time we moved in. There was some kind of an occupancy clause in our insurance, but fortunately the incident occurred so soon after the purchase that we didn't have a problem and insurance paid it all. In the end, we didn't fully move in until 5 months after the purchase.
DeleteAs to the living in the Loire for 6 months a year, my wife and I, in less practical moments, have discussed how much time and when we'd live in France if we could. I think we came to the conclusion that we'd leave here (Maine) sometime in January, and return in early May. Of course, Winter in Maine is more severe than Winter in England. Plus, it was all wishful thinking.
Very nice!
ReplyDeleteThere have been quite a number of roundabouts installed in western North Carolina in the last few years. At first, people balk and get all fussed about who goes ahead when, but after a bit they get used to the new pattern. Reduces wait time and makes it easier for people whose streets empty into the traffic pattern to get out; before, they'd have to wait until it was clear in both directions.
ReplyDeleteAnd the ones in France are so well marked -- I like how they tell you which route number is at which spoke in the circle.
Somebody here in Saint-Aignan once said to me that there are almost never any fatal accidents in roundabouts. You can't say that about intersections with stop signs. And as you say, there's less waiting at roundabouts.
DeleteI wish I could say the same for UK roundabouts. The roads are so frantically busy that roundabouts are extremely dangerous. They are often so big that vehicles go round them really fast and you take your life in your hands pulling onto them. In our home town most of the big ones have had traffic lights added to them, which has slowed the traffic down and reduced the number of serious accidents.
DeleteHow wonderful it is to drive in rural France....as long as you are ready to dive towards the ditch when someone comes round a bend in the middle of a narrow road!
There are very few roundabouts/rotaries in Maine, but within the next year they are about to install a major one near me. It's an intersection where 5 roads come together, and it's controlled by traffic lights. Actually, I don't find it too much of a problem, but I don't use it during rush hour, nor do I make 2 of the very problematic turns. I have a feeling it will be a disaster at first, but hopefully things will improve. But I don't know how pedestrians will be able to cross. Right now, there is a button to activate pedestrian crossings, and you can also figure out which cars have to stop when if you're familiar with the intersection.
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