Can this be the Brexit effect? (1 Viewer)

[stevec]

We have holidayed in France for several years, the last three in our motorhome. We have generally found the French to be amenable to our approaches and greetings but during our September holiday we found them to be a bit stand-off-ish and not wanting to make eye contact. When we have been on aires it seems they try to avoid parking next to us as if there is an exclusion zone around our van. Some friends who had been there a couple of weeks earlier commented on the same thing. No problems with the Dutch though. We are wondering if this is the Brexit effect.

 

[PhilandMena]

Have you washed recently !

 

[Zepp]

I'm parked next to 3 French vans and they speak to us ok

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[chaser]

Have you got a sog?

 

[chaser]

On our last trip , I found the British the most unsociable.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

We've come full circle.

From complaining about the French parking too close on aires to complaining about them not parking close enough

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[Badknee]

When we have been on aires it seems they try to avoid parking next to us as if there is an exclusion zone around our van. We are wondering if this is the Brexit effect.

Yes your quite right in your thinking, that's the biggest Brexit benefit so far.

 

[Steve101uk]

Always found the French to be polite and friendly. I think in some ways they are a little reserved in coming forward and I think Brits can be to in certain circumstances. Then we have the language difficulties, but the French always say Bonjour and strike me as very polite. Was last in France about 3 weeks ago and was all fine. I was also there for a few weeks just after the Brexit vote. Had a conversation using google translate with some French people who were of the same opinion as me that Brexit is disastrous for all of us, so we decided to drink more wine instead.

I find the Dutch and Belgiums seem to speak more fluent English and are less reserved than the French.

ps..I did have a feeling that I should have made a sign or something similar saying sorry, it wasn't me...In all seriousness though, I did carry a feeling of sadness realising that I may soon lose my right to live work travel and move freely in France as I kinda treat it like a second home these days. sad times.

 

[Chris]

They were all very pleasant when I was there yesterday I must say.

I have had mixed experiences in the past.

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[Badknee]

I'm with Steve on this, Dutch, German, Belgian people all seem to speak very good English, the coolness maybe because they don't speak any English? After bonjour I'm buggered unless I'm buying bread or beer so we can't blame others for not speaking English. Just do what I do, speak loudly and slowly, works every time.......... Not!

 

[Steve101uk]

I'm with Steve on this, Dutch, German, Belgian people all seem to speak very good English, the coolness maybe because they don't speak any English? After bonjour I'm buggered unless I'm buying bread or beer so we can't blame others for not speaking English. Just do what I do, speak loudly and slowly, works every time.......... Not!

Or do what my Dad does and wave his hands about. he gets on with them fantastically well and doesn't speak a word of French.

 

[Steve101uk]

They were all very pleasant when I was there yesterday I must say.

I have had mixed experiences in the past.

I think there are nice people and then there are arseholes where ever you go to be honest.

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[stevec]

Have you washed recently !

We had our last night at Wissant before catching the shuttle back first thing in the morning. A van parked right next to us, stayed a few minutes then moved to a bay 20 feet away. And they were British! So you may have hit on the reason.

 

[Tykatem]

The impression I got from talking to a few French holiday makers I met in Germany/Italy this last month, is that they'd love to have the opportunity of voting for a Frogxit

Pete

 

[FIDGET]

I had the nicest of experiences from a french moho owner,
While in Mortagne sur Gironde aire ( we found the last nice spot next to another funster @marpool ) ,
Unfortunately we found that during the night the wind got up & a branch was scraping on our roof ( going scroop-scroop all night)
So come the morning I went round to the drivers side of the van & was looking up at the top of moho & offending branch ,
The french man next door looked puzzled at what I was staring at , so with a lot of hand gestures & me making scroop scroop noise's ,I think he under stood .
So during the morning & early afternoon I kept looking to see if they had gone out as I was going to break the branch off with a rope & pull it down.
Nope they didn't leave !!so mid afternoon, I said to the wife ,whether they are there or not I'm gonna do it.
Too my surprise on turning the corner of my moho, there was the good old french man,adjusting his fishing rod & attaching a small garden saw to it,
He was pointing to his brain to say he had worked out how to do it.
No sooner said than done ,he'd sawn 2 large branches down .
Nice guy I gave him a couple of beers ,he looked pleased.
All done with out a either of us speaking a word of the others language.

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[iandsm]

I'm France now and have been since 3 Sept. I haven't experienced anything like this, the French people I have met have been their usual friendly helpful selves.

 

[Hollyberry]

British friends living in France say they've not been treated any differently. Some French people have commented on how they wish France would leave the EU.

 

[jumartoo]

Painted on a French road.

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[Chris]

Painted on a French road.

View attachment 128216

It will happen too and that loser Hollande will be out with the bath water.

 

[pyro]

All the French I have met have been fine, many saying they can wait to rid themselves of Hollande/Merkel relationship and hoping to see Sarkozy back

As Sarkozy said

The day after the result is announced in May, Mr Sarkozy said he would fly to Berlin to meet withGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to secure her support for a draft of the new EU treaty, and then the following day he would carry on to London.

“I would tell the British, you’ve gone out, but we have a new treaty on the table so you have an opportunity to vote again,” the FT reports Mr Sarkozy to have said.

“But this time not on the old Europe, on the new Europe."Do you want to stay? If yes, so much the better. Because I can’t accept to lose Europe’s second largest economy while we are negotiating with Turkey over its EU membership. And if it’s no, then it’s a real no."You’re in or you’re out.”

Mr Sarkozy is currently vying for the centre-right presidential nomination in November. If elected he has promised a grand overhaul of the EU.

• According to the FT, the former president said a new treaty would:
  
• Reform the Schengen passport-free movement zone.
  
• Restrict the European Commission's privileges.
  
• Integrate the eurozone further.
  
• Halt EU membership talks with Turkey.

Mr Sarkozy added: “Maybe it’s time to tell Turkey that its place is in Asia. I am a staunch European, I would never accept to leave the euro, but Europe doesn’t function, at all."

http://www.itv.com/news/2016-09-27/...erse-brexit-vote-if-elected-french-president/

 

[Russ Humphreys]

We had a conversation with a restaurant owner who spoke excellent English and was obviously a switched on guy, his assessment of farage and Johnson was spot on!
His words "we're really pi##ed off with you". Said in good humour but in all seriousness.

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[Larby]

I was in France just after vote to leave. Germans were put out and felt sorry for us? I explained best they should feel sorry for themselves when Angela comes around with the begging bowl.
The Dutch and Belgians were to watch carefully as they are pee'd off.
The French I met couldn't care less................

 

[frogijock]

We were parked next to a Dutch and French van at Bourton on Water and they both said that the UK had done the right thing in voting to leave the EU and are waiting for their General elections in 2017 to try to vote in a party who will give them a chance to vote leave

 

[oldosc]

Old OSC & Lady J (both 80) Weve been to France 3month twice a year,(only way to every where else.) My father was an Anarchist fought Franco,also Hitler (guards armored)so I guess I am a bit sort of leftwing.My first memory at 3 was watching the Fireworks (bristol blitz)when an incendary bomb dropped thro our skylight to the basement..Mum disappeared(she ran downstairs and dumped the ready sand bag over the bomb,followed by a dustbin lid) I am not in favour of Brexit.
Another thing to remember about France, in 1940 the British left the French to fight alone .
I guess I am trying to say we are linked by more than commerce (Blood shed is Blood owned ,viking proverb)..I travel as" un pays de galles "and with my french patois" (learned at school) and 20years as a Welsh farmer, I seem to have a different French experience to most Brits. I find the same attitude in all europe..my 50 words of Italian include "la bella regazza de Italia )
Learn some fun (funny) phrases,Laugh a lot (you are on Vacance) offer a glass of wine instead of beer.
ACT LIKE YOU DO AT HOME ,FRIENDLY,CARING,INTRESTING BRITS.

ps I don,t think a German would recognize eine Bettelschale.

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[Jim]

n 1940 the British left the French to fight alone

Only for 6 weeks

 

[simbadog]

I've just come back from Brittany & the natives were very friendly

 

[laneside]

We live amongst them and have noticed no difference whatsoever in fact our nearest French neighbour keeps saying roll on FREXIT. Many French still have an inbred hatred and mis trust of the Germans and they go out of their way to make them un welcome in some French villages

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[Viennese]

We were in France last July for Le Mans Classique and met some French men in their thirties who were extremely friendly and asked in apparent sincerity that we should not stop coming to France, and said Brexit didn't matter, they liked the British. We only had one man who said Brexit to us and laughed his head off, Not sure what that was about! Le Mans was full of Brits, so good business for the locals.

 

[iandsm]

We spend four months a year in France and have without exception found the French people friendly, helpful and welcoming. We are having a slight deviation at the moment through Belgium and the Netherlands and are now in Germany, all the people we have encountered have been friendly and helpful. I voted for brexit not because I want to be separated from our European neighbours. It because I want to be separated from an unelected bunch of pen pushers who appear to look after thier own interest first and those of member states second. I did think, and still do that membership of a common market with free trade is a good thing but what we signed up to all those years ago has simply become a political movement intent on controlling its members as opposed to ensuring that each gets the Benidorm of membership. So even though we are leaving the EU I will continue to enjoy visiting my European friends who I am sure will be just a welcoming as before.

 

[Steve101uk]

Quite funny reading back over this thread and all the cries of Frexit. considering the French went on to overwhelming vote for a centrist europhile in Emmanuel Macron 66% against the French fascist le Pens 34%.

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