Kitty: MIA... but now FOUND!

So hopefully some of you are asking yourselves, "Where the hell has she been?" Well, my Gentle and Lovely Readers, I must apologise for my absence and beg forgiveness. Life has been just incredibly too much to even consider allowing myself the pleasure of communication. However, now that I find myself finally feeling fairly calm and in control of what is going on around me, I shall make up for lost time.

So, what's with the alcofrolic display, you may ask? Has this something to do with the BAR? It has! After much to-ing and fro-ing and falderall, the bar finally opened mid-June.

It HAD to open before the 30th June or I lost my Class IV Liquor Licence, not an inexpensive thing, either. And once lost, can never be regained since no new Class IVs can be created here in France, you have to find one in another town or Département, clear moving it with both the originating Mairie and the Mairie where it will be used, buy the blasted thing, do a 'Mutation' and transfer, wait 15 days to two months for the transfer to take place, schlep down to the Douanes, do a three-day course with the Union des Métiers et des Industries de l'Hôtellerie (and pay 847€ for the privilege) which consisted of spending three D A Y S sitting in a room in Saint-Brieuc reading and understanding French Law, prevention of Public drunkenness, not selling to Minors, how to spot drunkenness, what bumpf you have to have up on display, yada-yada, and an exam on same. (Deep breath.) THEN... finally, you get your licence.

Plus the local Gendermes come and pay you a call and check everything.

Oh, and the Pompiers. ("Look! TWO fire extinguishers! AND... they are signed! AND... wait for it! ...Alors! They are in date!" Hot damn they were impressed.)

And if anyone thinks I wanted to go through THAT lark again... just... non.

So, it's open, the clientèle is about 98% French, which is rather what we hoped for since we most certainly did NOT want another dire 'Ex-Pat Joint' frequented only by 'Les Anglais', there are enough of those around in Central Brittany, and I personally see no reason to add to that number. The bar is, frankly, still quite rough around the edges, however, as work continues on the room next door with the wood-burning stove in the fireplace and the polished wood floors, where the bar will eventually be located, I think it will be very cosy and attractive when finished.
At the moment, it is serving it's purpose: saved the licence and provides an evenings only place to go here in Ploug.