So what are these shots typical of?

These shots are classic examples of what confronts you in most locations outside of Paris and Lyon should you be foolish enough to think you can go shopping on either 1) A late Saturday afternoon 2) A Sunday 3) A Monday 4) On any one of the thirteen French public holidays and 5) More likely than not this will be the sight before you if a public holiday falls on  Tuesday or Thursday in which case the shop owner may well chose to make the Faire Le Pont , or in layman's language simply shift into high gear and go for a four day weekend. Here is another stat which I'm not sure is a winner. The working week is 35hrs. The Employer has the right to ask you to work 40hrs however he must make that request well in advance and if the employee accepts they get paid triple penal rates  for those extra hours. Apparently the French value their time off and as a rule decline the offer of extending their working week.
It's a very cruisy life the further south we go. Right down in the Pyrenees every moves at glacial pace , except for road traffic