Friday, February 9, 2018

Doggy bags and DUIs


If you've visited France over the years you've noticed some cultural changes. If you're coming here for the first time, you should be aware of what's  changed and what's stayed the same.

What's different:
 McDonald's has been here for years but Starbucks is a recent addition of  American cuisine. Neither is as good as in the U.S.

Salad is now served at the beginning of a meal. It was always reserved for after the main course and before the cheese and/or dessert.

A 2016 law said restaurants must provide doggy bags because restaurants threw away 7 million tons of food a year. One critic said the French would never do it because it seemed crude and "American." We asked for one when Paulita had a cold and couldn't finish her meal. The server seemed happy to oblige.

Plastic bags were outlawed in 2016. You must carry your own bag into a grocery (Super U, Intermarche, Casino) buy one there, or carry your purchase out in your hands.

More joggers and they're wearing luminescent clothing. People used to look askance at joggers like they were running from police. French drivers generally are courteous to pedestrians but still be alert at crossings.

We were walking. No driving involved here Monsieur Officer.
Speaking of police, France lowered its DUI limit to .05 a few years ago. And French cops do random roadside checks. If you blow a .025 to .04, or have a blood alcohol of .05 to .08 the penalty is a three-year license suspension and a 135 euro fine for the first offense. Above .08 in your blood, you face up to 2 years in prison, a 4,500 euro fine and three-year license suspension.

What's  the same::
Businesses close between noon and 2:00 so workers can spend time with family and friends at lunch. They work longer hours to make up for it. A friend said workers on her house finished lunch in 20 minutes but sat around to talk for another hour and 40 minutes to smoke cigarettes and talk when they could have gone back to work and gone home early.

Restaurants close after the lunch seating and reopen around 7 or later for dinner. However there are brasseries, bars and street food vendors (actually storefront stalls) that serve food. There's also are a emporter places selling pizza and other foods to go.

Always check beforehand whether an office is open. We found out that the tourism office in Cognac is closed Tuesday afternoons. No idea why that particular time.

Tipping at restaurants. Leave a one or two euro tip for good service if you want, but servers are paid a living wage, unlike in the U.S. They don't expect a tip but appreciate it. Don't  put the tip on your credit card; tipping is cash only. You can also compliment the owner or manager for exceptional food and service, or the chef if you see him/her, but don't  hunt them down.

You won't get coffee or tea until after dessert, unless you order the gourmand sampler, which gives you a small espresso with dessert.

You must go to the pharmacie (marked by green, often flashing, neon crosses) for any common health or medical need such as vitamins or Advil.

Buy bread daily.  The French don't usually have packaged slice bread that will keep for a week or longer.

And don't look for milk in the cooler. It's on a nonrefrigerated shelf. The ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is heated to 275 degrees and sold in sterile cartons that don't need refrigeration. It can keep for six months and tastes fine.

Feel free to add to either category, or correct any error you see. Thanks!

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