Now we blend

Someone I remember fondly used to say "a man needs a truck". This has a particular resonance in Ontario: rural living, handy work, etc. But it is equally true here in rural France, though the saying would translate to something like "a man needs a Partner/Kangoo/Berlingo".

These are the respective model names for the three main French car manufacturers' "utilitaires" (literally "utility vehicles"), the local equivalent to our good ol' North American pickup truck.

What is striking is that here, in the cradle of the free spirit (or so the French like to think), instead of vying for the most original or different approach, Peugeot, Citroen and Renault seem in fact to make a special effort to depart as little as possible from what has become the norm. Whether it's a Berlingo (Citroen), or a Kangoo (Renault), or a Partner (Peugeot), they are remarkably similar in style, shape and colour. They are all two-seater panel trucks approximately the size of a larger compact car (say a four-door Jetta, for example), sometimes with a sliding side door on the right. And they are almost invariably white.

In fact, most utility vehicles in France come in factory white, and many contractors don't even bother to paint them a different colour or even advertise their name. And if they do, the announcement is remarkably modest, usually a single sign on the side, about the size of a standard car window on average.

All that to say that we have taken a major step in becoming locals: we bought Peugeot Partner, with "24" licence plates (denoting the local department of the Dordogne).

And here is a photo of our new wheels, sitting proudly in our driveway ...

Isn't she beautiful?