The French take their summer vacation seriously. I know this. I learned about it in French class and heard about it from other travelers, but I had never experienced it myself until now. It's a two-to-four-week all-out affair, where restaurants, stores, pharmacies and offices shut down. Walking through Lyon in August gives the impression that locals have been hard hit by the recession and lots of places went out of business. In reality, the owners are just sun bathing in St. Tropez or visiting the ruins in Rome.Those who have stayed seem surprised when they meet other Lyonnais around town; e.g. while standing in line at the pharmacy, all three people in line ahead of me asked the pharmacist why she wasn't on vacation (answer: she went on vacation in June). In all, visiting France in August isn't that bad - all the tourist attractions are open, and lots of cities (such as Lyon) are actually less crowded than usual since so many locals are out of town. And even with so many places closed I was always able find what I needed - sometimes I just had to search a little longer, and walk a bit farther.
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