Bordeaux to Paris, 30 April 2012

Today we returned from Bordeaux to Paris on the TGV.  No problems. These very fast trains, in France, each have a number (rather like a flight number) so even if you don't speak French or can't work out the signs, all you need to do is check your "flight" number.

With eight grandchildren we have often observed the differences in parenting and children's behaviour in France and Australia.  Virginia is reading "French Children Don't Throw Food" by Pamela Druckerman and this, she says, has put a framework around our observations. This is not as light-hearted as the title may suggest. We first ran across the book in Australia where the reviews were, if not savage, at least unbelieving.  We suspect that is because the reviewers had not had the opportunity to see what Druckerman talks about in context.

An example of this on the train was a mother with a boy about eight years of age.  As the train departed from the station, the mother had a short conversation with the boy insuring that he had a book and a drink.  Then she left him to his own devices while for an hour and a half she read her papers, magazines and did some texting.  Then they had lunch with the usual mother-child interaction after which the mother took a nap and the little boy amused himself until we arrived in Paris. We cannot imagine many Australian eight year olds able to do this (except, of course our wonderful grandchildren!).

Another difference which we noticed is the general interaction between adults and children.  It is not at all surprising to hear an adult address a child who is not being well mannered.  Parents accept this quite readily because, we think, they see this (consciously or otherwise) as a normal part of social interaction.  By the same token, adults are quite comfortable in helping children other than their own.  On our arrival back in Paris, for example, a child was having difficulty with a small bike on the escalator.  Virginia just took the bicycle so the child could proceed down to his mother.  The child became frightened on the moving stairs and started back into the station.  When another adult saw this he followed the child and signalled to the mother that he was watching out for the youngster.  In a matter of minutes the little boy was safely back with his mother, and more importantly, with his bicycle.

The torrential rains across Western Europe have been described as "the wettest draught on record."  Until they started much of this region had been in draught with severe water conditions.  Although technically the draught has not broken, on our train ride today we witnessed extensive flooding particularly in the famous vineyards of the Southwest.  Oh dear, there goes the price of wine.

It seems not unusual when travelling by train to take your cat with you.  We have become accustomed to seeing dogs on trains but this is the first time we have seen so many animals of the feline variety.  At the station the cats are walked on a lead then popped into a cat-box for the journey and walked again or worn or carried on either the shoulder or around the neck like a scarf - most peculiar.