Centre Parcs - Les Bois-Franc

Just arrived home from a week in Les Bois-Franc Centre Parcs in France.
Interesting week - the bathroom was invaded by a swarm of flying ants, the
chalet got visited by four different cats, one of whom chased a mouse (or
possibly a vole) onto the patio and then jumped on it and ate its head off
right under our nose. Also had a duck pay a nightly visit to the patio
(after the cats had gone) which we refused to feed until the last night when
we gave in an offered it some oat cake biscuits (no added sugar or
preservatives!).

Of the park itself, everything is written in French unlike most other
(non-French) Centre Parcs where most things are written in French, English,
Dutch, German, etc. Thought the pool was either too small for the number of
people who wanted to use it or there wasn't enough activities going on
outside the pool to keep people away and go and enjoy something else.
Caught a stinking cold! And the hotdogs from the pool cafe gave me really
bad wind!!

On a day trip to Chartres (about 55KM from Les Bois-Francs) tried to
exchange some Czech money into Euro and was refused by four banks, until the
last one said go to the Bank of France. The Bank of France refused to even
to let us get past the front gate to the courtyard of the bank. Eventually
gave up and still the proud owner of 10,000 Czech Koruna! Why can't French
banks be more like British ones. And they even close for lunch between
12.00pm and 1.30pm! Outrageous!

On the way home, getting close to Calais and spotted on the motorway three
blacks dots on the carriageway. As I got close, another three dots
appeared. As I got even closer, realised I was on collision cause with a
family of ducks. Typically for an animal loving Englishman, slammed on
breaks at 130KPH, car slowed to 80KPH, managed to swerve a little and then
went by. Looked into mirror and saw then all still waddling across the
carriageway. Didn't look again just in case the other cars following me
weren't as fortunate to have another creature loving occupant inside.

"D.A.L." a écrit dans le message de
news:7r%Cc.46$T_1.30@newsfe4-gui...
Just arrived home from a week in Les Bois-Franc Centre Parcs in France.
Interesting week - the bathroom was invaded by a swarm of flying ants, the
chalet got visited by four different cats, one of whom chased a mouse (or
possibly a vole) onto the patio and then jumped on it and ate its head off
right under our nose.

What a country... Even cats are rude :-)

Also had a duck pay a nightly visit to the patio
(after the cats had gone) which we refused to feed until the last night
when
we gave in an offered it some oat cake biscuits (no added sugar or
preservatives!).

You did great. There should be no sugar or preservative in duck liver pâté.

Of the park itself, everything is written in French unlike most other
(non-French) Centre Parcs where most things are written in French,
English,
Dutch, German, etc.

Sure. If only everything had been in writen French, Japanese, Urdu, German
and Russian...

On a day trip to Chartres (about 55KM from Les Bois-Francs) tried to
exchange some Czech money into Euro and was refused by four banks, until
the
last one said go to the Bank of France. The Bank of France refused to
even
to let us get past the front gate to the courtyard of the bank.
Eventually
gave up and still the proud owner of 10,000 Czech Koruna! Why can't
French
banks be more like British ones.

They try. This is how they took lessons of capitalism and learnt that they
had to make _profit_. And that's probably why they don't buy currencies they
won't be able to sell.

More seriously the Banque de France is not a commercial bank, and it stopped
many activities that it did previously for the public, when the introduction
of the euro made it a bit redundant, to say the least. The person who tipped
you probably wasn't aware of that, which is a shame for a bank employee.

And they even close for lunch between
12.00pm and 1.30pm! Outrageous!

Not to mention they open around 10am and close around 5pm...
"La Poste", which is not only a Post Office but also a (state-owned) bank,
is usually opened non-stop from 8am to 7pm.
BTW why do British pubs close so early? Do barmen and waiters have the
impudence to sleep at night? :-)

BTW why do British pubs close so early? Do barmen and waiters have the
impudence to sleep at night? :-)


Because otherwise, the lower IQ'd English man would be drunk all of the day,
rather than between the hours of 11am and 12pm.

D.A.L. wrote:

Just arrived home from a week in Les Bois-Franc Centre Parcs in France.
Interesting week - the bathroom was invaded by a swarm of flying ants, the
chalet got visited by four different cats, one of whom chased a mouse (or
possibly a vole) onto the patio and then jumped on it and ate its head off
right under our nose. Also had a duck pay a nightly visit to the patio
(after the cats had gone) which we refused to feed until the last night when
we gave in an offered it some oat cake biscuits (no added sugar or
preservatives!).

Plenty of nature then, just as advertised.

Of the park itself, everything is written in French unlike most other
(non-French) Centre Parcs where most things are written in French, English,
Dutch, German, etc. Thought the pool was either too small for the number of
I wondered about that. Do staff members speak anything else besides
french?

people who wanted to use it or there wasn't enough activities going on
outside the pool to keep people away and go and enjoy something else.
Caught a stinking cold! And the hotdogs from the pool cafe gave me really
bad wind!!

Well, let's face it, it's not a gourmet vacation is it.

On a day trip to Chartres (about 55KM from Les Bois-Francs) tried to
exchange some Czech money into Euro and was refused by four banks, until the
last one said go to the Bank of France. The Bank of France refused to even
to let us get past the front gate to the courtyard of the bank. Eventually
gave up and still the proud owner of 10,000 Czech Koruna! Why can't French
banks be more like British ones. And they even close for lunch between
12.00pm and 1.30pm! Outrageous!

And that's the only thing to tell about your trip to Chartres?


--
Groeten/Regards
Jeroen Wijnands
jeroen at wijnands punt xs4all punt nl