French Cafés Fewer and Fewer

Wandering through the village of Galargues yesterday, in the Hérault (34) dept, Languedoc-Roussillon region [map], we talked to a local man about the lack of a café in his village, and in many of the other nearby villages.

Precisely, he said. That very day the midday television news had a program about the disappearing cafés in France. The wonderful French café is apparently disappearing at the rate of 4000 a year.

(The above photo is of a very small café with "terrace" in the town of Sommieres; the real terrace is actually across the street overlooking the river.)

This man's opinion is that people can't afford them any more. With a café at over 3 euros (25 francs in his mind) and rising prices to get food to the table and raise families, he thinks people don't have money left over for the café.

Very sad, whatever the reason. The village café, or neighborhood café, is pretty much the soul of the village or neighborhood. It's where the locals gather to swap news and gossip and rumor. Where you get a simple plat-du-jour lunch and hang out in the evening with a ballon de rouge or a pastis.

(At this café, the passanger was left waiting in the e the driver popped in for "one for the road").

In wandering Beyond and discovering new villages, the first thing we do is find the cafés, settle in with the first grand creme of the day and plan the rest of the day's itinerary. And often ask the other café patrons advice about where to go, how to find places, and what to see.

We've noticed the lack of cafés, with many of the villages having none at all now. In Galargues, our helpful friend said there had been three cafés there at one time, pointing beside us to the location of the last one to have disappeared.