So as I was heading out this morning, I saw that the bakery near my place was closed, which was unusual. Moreover, duct-taped on the side window was a menacing-looking official sign. Did the landlord lock them out for non-payment of rent, I thought? Has the building been re-zoned and expropriated? Were they closed for a health violation, or has the place been cordoned off by the police as a crime scene?
As I got closer, I realized: No! They're on vacation!
I guess this sign is from the bakery syndicate, informing (enforcing?) the annual time off, even helpfully informing customers of other fellow syndicated bakeries nearby.
Although the contrast between my North American assumptions and the French reality was funny enough, I was still a bit puzzled. All the time I hear about how French standards and regulations are meant to uphold quality of life, whether it be delicious bread baked according to tradition or plenty of annual vacation for the employed. I certainly don't oppose either, but shouldn't a syndicate run by the most aesthetically-minded of bakers (this shop was where I first saw and then purchased my delicious pig, after all) provide notices informing of the staff's rest and recuperation that are a little less, um, scary?
That wasn't the only scary thing I saw in a shop window this morning:
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