Let me give you a small piece of advice if you plan on visiting France in May. Pay attention to when the national "free" days are. There are..count 'em...FOUR holidays in May that the French government and companies give their employees the day off. This means of course that man shops, restaurants and tourist attractions (i.e. museums) are closed for business. Not exactly convenient if visiting one of the lovely cities in this amazing country. I'll give you a brief rundown of the days and their purpose. (courtesy wikipedia)
May 1 - Labor Day...same as in the states, except in May instead of September, and it is always on May 1, which coincidentally is May Day. This day is to "celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers".
May 8 - "Victory in Europe Day" This is the day that the WWII Allies officially accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany and ended Hitler's reign. I'd say that's worth some definite celebration!
These last two days move around due to the Catholic calendar, but one day is taken off for the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. This day is 39 days after Easter.
The second is the Monday after the Pentecost, which is the day that the Holy Spririt descended on the apostles of Christ. This day once again moves depending on when Easter is, but always falls in May. It is called Whit Monday and falls 10 days after Ascension Thursday and 50 days after Easter Sunday.
Now you are properly warned, determine your travel plans before visiting this fine country in the month of May.
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