Mr. Bricolage

If you want something for your home repair in France, odds are you'll find it at Mr. Bricolage. French for 'Mr. Do-It-Yourself', this gallic Home Depot has more things in one place than just about any other business around. The French have a frustrating history of artisans and fine craftmanship, which is great if you're buying a stained glass window or vanity cheese, frustrating as all hell if you're buying filters, nails, industrial paper towels and plastic buckets. But now, every town of moderate size will have one of these in their 'industrial zone' (usually just outside of town. follow the white signs to 'zone industrielle'):

This is how they all look and they work pretty much like a home depot in that you shop and grab and basically wander aimlessly from lighting to hardware to gardening to plumbing looking at a number of shiny things you have no use for. But if you need a shovel, chaux, masonry, trowels, big garbage bags and power tools, this is your place. But bear in mind this is still France, so this place is closed from 12-2 for 'lunch'. Another way that they differ markedly from American big box hardware shops is in the service: They are very helpful. Take this exchange, where yours truly tries to buy a pair of work gloves:

Me: (In broken French): Hello sir. I would like... no, no... I have need of... things.

Mr. Bricolage: (In French, so I didn't understand but I bet it was this:)Lucky for you then, this place is full of things.

Me: My French is terrible.

Mr. Bricolage: Yes it is.

Me: I need, for my house, things to work with. You put them around your hands.

Mr. Bricolage: Around your hands? Or ON?

Me: On.

Mr. Bricolage: (In English) Then why didn't you just say 'gloves'?

The word for gloves is 'gants', by the way.

-L'H