Traffic jams

On my list of things I never, ever want to do, right up there with appearing on Fear Factor, bungee jumping and hari kari, is traveling in France on July 1st. Half the country goes on holiday for their annual four-weeks and traffic jams miles and miles or kilometers and kilometers long clog the roads. The French call them bucherons.

The only day that is worse is August 1st when the half that weren’t on holiday in July also take to the road changing places almost doubling the lines waiting at tool booths and cars filled with youngsters. Est-ce que nous sommes là déjà the French version of are we there yet is no more pleasant in French than English. Meanwhile I can smugly sit anywhere in my village knowing I am already here. Not nice maybe...but certainly sincere.