I think I have mentioned how we live on one side of the river and the nearest large town and kids’ school is on the other side. So we regularly take the ferry. It’s a fun experience as you line up, drive on, wait the few minutes to cross and then drive off. Sometimes you can wait a while in line and you don’t want to arrive at lunchtime when the ferry has a break!

There are eight ferry crossings near us and ours at Duclair is one of the biggest and can take buses and large trucks. Every year these ferries carry 3 million vehicles across the River. They are an important source of transport in the region and we rely heavily on them.

It was therefore quite surprising and inconvenient that when the school called me today as Louis was unwell, that there happened to be a strike on the ferries. I have not been able to find the reason for the strike or how long it will last. (Apparently the ferry has started again tonight).

France is known as a champion striking country. From revolutions to May 68 to the ‘gilet jaune’period that we lived in, it is a common feature. Already several of Lavinia’s school teachers have been absent on ‘grève’, with her being allowed to go home early. I also heard of some flights being delayed at the airport due to a ‘go-slow’.

France is a very socialist country and some think this is the particular link between protesting and strikes and ensuring elected representatives respond to the people. Protests and strikes are certainly covered and even regulated in law. When a big protest is called, people do come out in large numbers. Strikes in France are often across multiple sectors and can easily become generalized. The gilet jaune movement started out as a protest against fuel prices and ended up including a huge range of complaints, complicating the Government’s ability to respond.

The Figaro said that since 1789 there have been 16 constitutional breakdowns, always following a civil war or military defeat.

Other articles suggest that protesting and striking is more than a right but is a tradition.

I vividly remember my first mass protest in Paris. We flew back from Australia as the Charlie Hebdo attacks occurred in 2015. Days later I attended an enormous free speech rally with my friend Estelle. It was an amazing experience! Literally thousands of people standing and walking together with a feeling of true solidarity. It was very uplifting!

So anyway, today I had to go the long way around and got to experience the grandeur of the Pont de Brotonne! It is pretty high to allow the big ships to go underneath.