This was a very interesting time to come and explore the exquisite city of Bayeux, in France’s Normandie region. This is all on me, by the way, and I love being here at these hours. I am not complaining, just observing.
Sometimes the weather promises simply cloudy skies then it rains spontaneously as if to say, just kidding! This is tricky for me because in my other life I live in SoCal, land of eternal sunshine and I’m not used to this … although my time in Paris helped acclimate me, come to think of it.
My French has had to improve because here in the city center, there are sometimes signs on merchants’ doors that offer hours of business, and sometimes there are not. I’ve been here two weeks and I am going to just guess that some stores are just closed all day every day, for right now.
Other stores are closed on weekends, including bakeries and maybe some restaurants. I noticed that certain restaurants in Paris were closed on weekends. Bravo! How fabulous that some Chefs and other professionals have a life and are not living at work on weekends.
Most restaurants are open at 12, closed between 2pm and 7pm, then they are open evenings until 9:30. Bravo again! Some are closed Sunday through Tuesday, others Tuesday and Wednesday, one in particular on Thursdays, etc. I don’t know if this is a seasonal thing; I hope it is a year-round thing, for the grace of their health and well-being.
Most boutique shops are open at 10am, and closed for lunch usually between 12 and 2pm. They may stay open until 6pm, maybe later.
Again, perhaps for the season, there are also fermetures exceptionelles – closures for exceptions. These are fun. They might just happen on days when you had your heart set on something or it was the best time/day for you to visit. You might be met with a very apologetic sign on the door. Desole’ (Sorry).
Maybe the trickiest is that the three museums in Bayeux are closed for the month of January. Now that it’s February, I think I can finally visit although … I saw a sign with hours that started on 15.2, which is February 15 - the day I leave Bayeux.
Let’s see what happens. Ferme’ for them just means being creative about time, for me. Time to write, time to walk, time to commune with the beautiful nature that graces this city.
Again, not complaining.
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