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| Bon Jour - Welcome to France! The French buy their baguette everyday. |
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#2. you didn't spend thousands of dollars and travel half way around the world to experience something that's exactly the same as it is in your hometown!
You've come to France to truly experience the uniqueness, beauty & charm of the French way of life ~ The Old World... And they do things differently... and it's actually pretty cool once you get used to it...
But there are things that take some getting use too... If you want water with your meal in a restaurant, often you will have to buy bottled water... For many first timers, this is surprising, as most of us don't often buy bottled water with our restaurant meals here in the US... But this is the norm throughout much of Europe... Some places will make tap water available if you ask (une carafe d’eau s’il vous plait), but many places will not... Over the years, we've gotten use to it, and now we actually enjoy ordering the bottled waters... both still & sparkling... If the idea bothers you, we tell our guests to think of it this way; If you order a large (1 liter) bottle of mineral water for your table at maybe 2 euro, you'll be less likely to take it for granted like we do water at our table here in the US...You'll likely drink it, as you've paid for it, and easily save the cost over what you'd pay for a couple additional glasses of wine...
Another difference first timers to Europe often notice; Ice in drinks is usually sparse... usually just one or two cubes. This is because they're just not used to drinks as cold as we typically enjoy them... and, electricity in France is typically several times what you pay here in the US... and massive amounts of refrigeration is rare... they also feel ice cold drinks are not good for digestion... (if it's really hot, and you really need a drink poured over a whole glass of ice, find a McDonalds)
In their cafes (in cities) they often have different pricing structures for coffee... one for standing at the bar, and another for sitting at an inside table with waiter service and in cities and large tourist areas, even a third for an outside table... and of course the prices rise as you go toward the outside table... We suggest you do one or the other... Often, a frequent American faux pas is that we order at the counter and then carry our drinks to the table... If the establishment has waiter service, this is considered a no-no... and in France the waiter will tell you in no uncertain terms! (this issue is much more casual & relaxed in smaller villages, but still often if they have waiter service, they'll expect you to do one or the other).
At their outdoor markets, you shouldn't touch the fruit... Tell the vendor what you want, and they'll often ask you: quand voulez-vous le manger? (when do you want to eat it) and then they'll pick the appropriate fruit for you based on it's ripeness...
In a larger grocery store, you can handle the fruit and produce yourself, but usually only with the disposable plastic gloves that will be on a roll near the end of isles... if you don't use the gloves, you'll get nasty looks from everyone around... and you'll need to note the id# to weigh it and price it yourself on the little scales at the end of the isles. Both the gloves and the scales have gradually worked their way into the US market, but it's been this way forever in France...
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| be careful - it's easy to fall in love in France! |
If you've been following along on the BLOG, you might remember that tipping in restaurants is a lot less in France... Service charge is always included. Many French don't tip at all... Leave a small tip if you've received some outstanding or special service. (refer to the full post on tipping).
Life is just slower and more relaxed in France... In the US, when we sit down at a table in a restaurant, we expect immediate service... Not so much in most of Europe... Dining out is considered a magnificent event, not to be rushed... You may be shown to a table and given a menu, but it may be ten minutes till someone comes to ask for your drink order... They don't want to rush you and they're just much more casual... And the table? It's your's until you decide to leave... Here in the US, they're trained to turn the table as often as possible, and they typically ask us, is there anything else, and then give us the check... This is often the signal that they want you to leave so they can give the table to the next party... This will almost never happen in France.. You always have to ask for your check; L'addition, s'il vous plaît = the check please... It's not at all unusual for a French family to occupy a table for over 3 hours... Also, if you're with a group, they likely will not give you separate checks... this is very rare in France; one table one check, - splitting it up is up to you.
We could go on & on... but you get the idea... these are just a few examples, you'll experience many more... The cultures are different! And unlike a lot of mass market Tours, your Adventures to Provence Tour is designed to deeply immerse into the authentic culture, not shield you from it... Again, be patient, slow down, and embrace the differences... It will make for a much better vacation experience, and you want the memories to be positive! If you follow along with the blog, by the time you get there, you'll have a much deeper understanding of France than most people do when they leave!
"La Mer" is a Classic & Traditional French Folk Song about "The Sea"
