Do the French struggle with the bureaucracy as much as we do?

Excellent... dossier complete for our cartes d'identite. I have photos, extracts of our birth certificates, proof of our French nationality and proof of address.

For the second time I go to the mayors office with all my papers in a neat plastic wallet.

'Bien Nicole,' says the mayors' secretary. 'Now, you need to fill in these forms', she passes me four HUGE forms each four pages long,' and then you need to go the Mayors' office in Malestroit for another document. When you have all of these papers come back and we will go through it together.'

This is French bureaucracy at its best, there is ALWAYS one more piece of paper required!. At this rate I am in serious danger of the birth certificate extracts expiring, they only have a three month validity and I'll have to start all over again....

Just one more form....