To kiss or not to kiss - that is the question

A trip to Perigueux for some shopping today and such a dilemma as to which photo to blip ... this was not the best of the photos.. Mr A had another preference which I nearly went with ... but this one highlights a bit more about French culture particularly the kissing culture.. To kiss or not to kiss.. Everyone greets everyone, well certainly in rural France they do. It is unbelievably rude to walk into a shop or a bar and not say "Bonjour messieurs/dames" whether you know any one in there or not... And for people you know .. the dilemma, whether to shake hands or to kiss.. If you shake hands you only do so once in a day .. if you see that person again you do not shake hands again which is tough if you've got a bad memory... And if you are at a party with dozens of others it can take hours to get through the handshaking bit... we learnt this the hard way when we arrived first at a local celebration... I sympathised with the Queen after that!! Then the kissing.. well you can see from the photo there is a way to do it ... no body contact .. not even lip contact .. you purse your lips as if you were kissing and point your mouth away from the person.. and lean your body over like this so that there is no chance of bodily contact!! Quite an art.. then how many times.. this is the big question.. 2 times, one on either cheek for an acquaintance.. 3 for someone you know well and 4 well ... that's getting a bit intimate although the farmer who I hasten to add is 85 (but also a bit of a lad) always does 4 to me not to Mr A! I keep an eye on his wife while this is happening and she goes for 2 and maybe an arm hold... oh it is so easy to get it all so very wrong... and I am sure there will be someone who can correct my interpretation of what is right.. Then there is the whole issue of tutoying but that is for another day ... so if you are coming to France... good luck..

Bisous xxx