A magnum bottle of Veuve Clicquot in front of La Cave, Juan-les-Pins
Given that I have my favorite watering holes in the South of France, the only missing ingredient to ensure my comfort may be considered something of a quirk with me--the opening hours of stores. Growing up in the States, one of our guiding principles is that at least one convenience store is open from 7 a.m. till 11 p.m.
In contrast, among the guiding principles that underlie French society (in addition to the culinary exigencies) have been that the journée continue was the rule rather than the exception, and dogs were admitted anywhere. Corporations close for a month in the summer. And restaurants and pastry shops generally close for a month in the late fall or early winter when tourism dropped and the weather turned dreary.
Some things have changed. Today, most of the larger supermarkets like Carrefour, Casino or LeClerc remain open at lunch. Some service stations have minimarkets.
La Cave is closed. . . exceptionally!
Although most stores remain open Monday through Saturday until about 8 p.m., Sunday morning remains the wild card—whether a store opens may depend on the town and season. In smaller towns like Vallauris, schedules varied for the library, grocery, the dry cleaner, museums and the post office (oui, on ferme à midi).
I arrived too many times to find the shop closed, and the hands of a little clock in the window indicating it would reopen at 14h. I kept a digital folder of opening hours that I consulted for various merchants. For example, I knew my wine merchant across from the Square Dulys in Juan-les-Pins would be open that evening when I planned to stock up on that wonderful dry white wine to use for my kir. But when I arrived at La Cave, the metal shutter was closed tight and carried a sign, Fermeture exceptionnelle. The store was closed. It was an unscheduled closure. I would have to check the wine selection at the corner gas station, Agip. Already that morning I had found the bakery across the street closed (fermeture annuelle).
Fortunately, the French feeling about dogs remains relatively unchanged. Or so I thought.
Dogs seem to be admitted nearly everywhere except in supermarkets. Pets remain outside, attached in pet-designated areas. Supermarkets, soit! But the bookmobile had a small sign indicating, “Les chiens ne sont pas admis.” Although pets can no longer check out books, at least they can travel. Mass transit still allows pets to accompany their owners, usually for half fare.
Dogs are not allowed in the book mobile
A dog awaits an owner at the Centre LeClerc in Antibes-les-Pins
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