As we have discussed before St Jean de Luz is almost up there with Bond Street and Fifth Avenue when it comes to shopping (above Paris but not quite Rome). We have pretty much taken up shopping as a full time vocation as it is a little more fun than the City, particularly at the moment. However, there is one big plus with all this credit crunchy-ness, fabulous sales ensue. One buys three times more than one needs but only spends double what one expected to spend so despite spending too much one returns home and still feels like one got a bargain... or something like that.
The main problem with shopping in St Jean de Luz, in fact in France as a whole, is the opening hours. I now realise and appreciate the sanctity of luncheon but closing for two and a half hours when people are on a break seems ludicrous, particularly as times become tougher. On more than one occassion I have found myself arms weighed down with potential purchases being asked to come back after lunch if I want to try anything for size. Of course I never return and that retail outlet misses out. Imagine my astonishment when I found not one but two shops that had changed to open all day. I do hate being happy at this, lunch is lunch after all, but other than enabling hassle-free shopping it also demonstrated a newly found commercial flexibility.
By the time I got home grumpy was awake and happy. That made two of us.
Basque of the day:- shopping :: eroste
