Comments on: Coiffeurs, grooming and stuff http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/ A New Zealander with one foot firmly in central France, the other frequently in his mouth writes of life, the beloved French, property transactions and how to run a successful B n B and Gite business Mon, 21 May 2012 08:00:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Cees van Halderen http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-761 Cees van Halderen Wed, 19 May 2010 12:58:44 +0000 http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-761 Nice piece, Bruce. And I do not mean Karine. The hairdressers I can do without. If you knew me personally you would know why... Agences d'Immobilier, well, where there is demand for properties, you more or less need these sharks, don't you? As for bakers, I totally disagree. The more proper bakers, the merrier. We treat ourselves often to a baguette from one of our two bakers (on 503 inhabitants), and they are superb à €0.80 compared to the stuff the spermarket churns out à €0.35. In the Netherlands my wife always wondered what Dutch housewives did with the tons of leeks they seemed to buy throughout winter, day after day. I still do not know the answer. But what really puzzled us in France is the fetish of the French with "matelas". No matter where you go, there always seems to be a display of mattresses on the village square in any old village. One mattras in a lifetime is perhaps Dutch stinginess, but how many mattresses does a French family go through per year to justify the amount for sale? Nice piece, Bruce. And I do not mean Karine. The hairdressers I can do without. If you knew me personally you would know why…
Agences d’Immobilier, well, where there is demand for properties, you more or less need these sharks, don’t you?
As for bakers, I totally disagree. The more proper bakers, the merrier. We treat ourselves often to a baguette from one of our two bakers (on 503 inhabitants), and they are superb à €0.80 compared to the stuff the spermarket churns out à €0.35.
In the Netherlands my wife always wondered what Dutch housewives did with the tons of leeks they seemed to buy throughout winter, day after day. I still do not know the answer.
But what really puzzled us in France is the fetish of the French with “matelas”. No matter where you go, there always seems to be a display of mattresses on the village square in any old village. One mattras in a lifetime is perhaps Dutch stinginess, but how many mattresses does a French family go through per year to justify the amount for sale?

]]> By: bruce http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-769 bruce Thu, 20 May 2010 07:33:27 +0000 http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-769 Hi Cees, enjoyed your retort! I'm envious, we have 1000 residents in Chaudenay but not one boulangerie. But I enjoy the 30 mins bike ride to/from Chagny each morning. And I kid myself it is good exercise! The only bread I ever buy at Intermarche, and then only occasionally, is something called a polka longue - crusty, but a thick doughy density- très tasty! Hadn't really noticed the matelas 'syndrome'! Bed linen out windows yes, but not the mattress! We must say French do make excellent quality mattresses, we use 'epdea' brand which ar eoften praised by our guests. You floored me about the leeks - us Kiwis always associate leeks with Wales! Our images of the Netherlands are tulips, cheese, diamonds and beer - not to forget clogs and dykes. We learnt at primary school the sotor yof Peter putting his finge rin the dyke! So what is your wife's theory about the leeks??! A Bientot, Bruce. Hi Cees, enjoyed your retort!
I’m envious, we have 1000 residents in Chaudenay but not one boulangerie. But I enjoy the 30 mins bike ride to/from Chagny each morning. And I kid myself it is good exercise! The only bread I ever buy at Intermarche, and then only occasionally, is something called a polka longue - crusty, but a thick doughy density- très tasty!
Hadn’t really noticed the matelas ’syndrome’! Bed linen out windows yes, but not the mattress! We must say French do make excellent quality mattresses, we use ‘epdea’ brand which ar eoften praised by our guests.
You floored me about the leeks - us Kiwis always associate leeks with Wales! Our images of the Netherlands are tulips, cheese, diamonds and beer - not to forget clogs and dykes. We learnt at primary school the sotor yof Peter putting his finge rin the dyke!
So what is your wife’s theory about the leeks??! A Bientot, Bruce.

]]> By: Cees van Halderen http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-770 Cees van Halderen Thu, 20 May 2010 10:04:17 +0000 http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-770 Hi, Bruce. The leeks are a riddle to me as well. They are always in abundance in the shops in NL. The only time I have used them or seen them used was in a soup, small quantity in rings, or in the "nassi groenten" (vegetables to be mixed with fried rice = nassi goreng, Malay dish), also in small quantities. Sue never dared ask a Dutch lady in the shop what she was going to do with those things. British shyness, I assume. I often offered to help her out, but "oh, no, that is soooooo embarrassing!". Hi, Bruce.
The leeks are a riddle to me as well. They are always in abundance in the shops in NL. The only time I have used them or seen them used was in a soup, small quantity in rings, or in the “nassi groenten” (vegetables to be mixed with fried rice = nassi goreng, Malay dish), also in small quantities. Sue never dared ask a Dutch lady in the shop what she was going to do with those things. British shyness, I assume. I often offered to help her out, but “oh, no, that is soooooo embarrassing!”.

]]> By: bruce http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-773 bruce Fri, 21 May 2010 08:18:40 +0000 http://purelyfrance.com/2010/05/19/coiffeurs-grooming-and-stuff/#comment-773 Along with the bermuda triangle, the leeks of the Netherlands will remain as one of life's great mysteries!! There is a Dutch couple who own a decor shop (a very good one too) in Chagny, I'll see what they have to say! Along with the bermuda triangle, the leeks of the Netherlands will remain as one of life’s great mysteries!!

There is a Dutch couple who own a decor shop (a very good one too) in Chagny, I’ll see what they have to say!

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