Vive la rentrée!

Did you know that most French people enjoy five weeks of annually mandated-by-law, paid vacation, which doesn't include all the official holidays and the extra days off associated with them? This a luxury most Americans can only dream of. La rentrée literally means 'the re-entry' and I'm guessing that they have been away from their jobs SO long that they feel like they are re-entering the planet WORK. For families with children, the contrast is even more poignant. I do love the fact that every single child in France returns to school on the same day, but it certainly is a shock to the system for the kiddos. The parents, on the other hand, were literally dancing in the streets after drop-off!