ira

Sometimes it is difficult to know what to do.

At a pastry shop in Paris, I patiently waited until a clerk was ready to wait on me, and asked for some croissants. She pointed out the tongs sitting next to the croissants and told me to serve myself, which I did.

However, when I began to pick up other goodies with the tongs, another clerk came out from behind the counter to inform me that she would choose these items for me.

What's a poor tourist to do?

Travelnut

This one is different, but still gives you the 'drift' of the mindset...

We ate at Flunch, a salad-bar kind of setup. There was an island with salad veggies, and a different island with fruit, and other foods... The salad bar had small plates and the fruit bar had 'compotes' (goblets) - I wanted to spread my foods out, so I used the salad bar plate. The 'cafeteria matron' came over, took the plate out of my hand, dumped contents into the goblet and handed it back to me, turned around and left. I didn't want the food piled up that way, so I ungraciously left it sitting on the bar. so... expect to be expected to do things 'their' way!

crefloors

I've had some similar experiences Travelnut but, I'm not that set on what I must have, and figure once I know "what the Romans do", I'll try to do it while visiting. Why some of these things are so important is beyond me, like plate or goblet, but if they are, then I'll try to be accommodating. I think sometimes we Americans get a bad rap and we try to be accommodating when we can. I can't imagine MOST waitresses having a hissy fit because someone from Europe asks for Mayo with the fries, rather than our customary ketchup. As far as handling the produce? Well, I can see the reasoning behind that and I'm happy to do what is customary. I found the best thing to do, after being chastised a couple of times, was ask when in doubt. It seemed to work.

derrinraw

I disagree wtih most of the statements made: I go to France several times a year and have never had any problems handling produce in either a supermarket or a street market. The plastic gloves available in supermarkets are to keep your hands clean when hanling root vegtables. Go ahead: touch, smell the fruit before you buy.

Jocelyn_P

derrinraw, I guess you've been lucky, lol! I, too, have been scolded for touching the fruit. It seems the best thing to do is ask.

Zeus

I guess taking a pair of undies I'm interested in to the changing room is out of the question...

Jocelyn_P

Zeus, if you are going to try that, let me know when and where so I can come watch.

PatrickLondon

In a UK supermarket, my2cents, you serve yourself, even for soft fruits like peaches (since they almost certainly won't be ripe at the time they're on the shelves, precisely to allow for a bit of shelf-life and customer handling). An open stall street market would be different - I'd expect the stallholder to serve: if you wanted to try something, or if you wanted it to be ripe for a given time (see the thread about smelly Camembert!), you'd ask.

Mind, I got caught out in the Netherlands, where the supermarket expected the customer to weigh the fruti selected and get a price ticket to take to the check-out.

dachsund

My wife's mom was slapped on her hand when she picked up a orange in Paris. 3 strikes your out?

PBProvence

Pretty funny stories, but I have to tell you that I shop at many markets here in Provence (usually two or three a week because the produce is better than what is available in a supermarket) and I touch everything I buy. I ALWAYS pick the fruits and vegetables I want... ALWAYS put back the bruised pieces that I don't want.

I've never seen a tourist harangued around here by a vendor for touching before buying.

PB

mebe

This has been one of the most informative threads I have read yet! I am going to Italy this fall and I am sure I would have been scolded and shoved out many stores for touching fruit, veggies, purses, ectera.

In France we learned the hard way about properly bagging and tagging produce. We were gathering supplies for our road trip the following day, bagged some fruit and veggies and headed towards the check out to stand in the very, very long lines. Once we reached our wonderfully formal checker, she looked at our "tag-less" bags, made a polite sigh, called someone on the loud speaker, gave our produce to him, and then we waited what felt like an eternity for him to return with the correctly tagged bags. Thankfully, we didn't understand the commentary coming from the many people behind us in line. Finally, we paid, said our Americanized "merci's" and giggled all the way to the car.

my2cents

Thanks, PatrickLondon -- I'll keep that in mind if going to an open air market (although will most likely wind up at local grocery store or supermarket unless we get lucky in the timing while there).

PatrickLondon

Come to think of it, the simple answer is - take your time to watch what everyone else is doing, and then follow suit.

crefloors

PatrickLondon: Now THERE'S a thought!!!!

Photobear

Any other things we should know about travel in France like this?...

I know I would just pick something up like I do here. This is very informative.

francophile03

I was at one of the fruit stands on rue de Buci last year. I had read about not touching the goods and waited, but the clerk handed me a paper bag so I could choose my own fruits. These were I think Moroccan clerks and not native French. I don't know if that's why. Well, at least I didn't get scolded there. Not sure about other marketplaces as we didn't buy any fruits at rue Mouffetard.

cybertraveler

Well, I'm certainly relieved to hear that I wasn't the only clueless American in Europe. These stories are so funny! Maybe this explains the unfriendly attitude of the Italian clerks (as opposed to our "Have a Nice Day" types)...the Italians are all just waiting for us to "ruin" their merchandise! The feeling is sort of like that of being a little kid in your great-aunt's parlor!

jdraper

Oh yes, the old reprimand for touching the fruit and vegatables. I made this mistake on my first trip to Italy when I picked up some grapes at a market in an attempt to buy them. The saleslady said something in Italian that I could not really understand but felt I would still be fairly able to interpret given the looks and the tone of voice she used. I then stood there in dismay while she waited on other customers so that I could buy the grapes. I had irritated her to the point that she would not even wait on me after all of the other customers were served but simply looked at me and walked to the other end of the stall. I had done my best to appoligize but she was not inclined to accept my appology and I ended up buying the grapes from a different vendor. My husband still laughs when he tells others of my being chewed out by the fruit vendor in Italy as he has always said I would be unable to shop if I lost my arms because I have to touch and examine everything that catches my attention. This was his sweet revenge for many hours of following me from store to store over the years.

dsm22

I am glad I read this! I would have never thought that doing some of these things was not acceptable.

We are so used to self service here, it is just second nature.

SeaUrchin

Oh yes, photobear, many more things, lol. At a coop we bought alot of groceries and watched them pile up after the cashier rang them. There was a girl standing there so we thought she was a bagger. Ha, no bagger and no bags unless you pay for them. Also we couldn't take advantage of any of the sale prices w/o a membership card.

If you buy produce you have to weigh it according to what it is (little pictures on a scale) and then print the label and put it on the plastic bag with your plastic gloved hands.

Say you want to buy a sweater and there is a stack of them on a counter, don't rifle through them, ask a salesgirl to do it for you and tell her your size in her language (the size will be different from the US size). Take a size table cheat sheet so you'll know.

Don't take alot of things in the dressing room, I have noticed that they will bring you what you need, if you can get it across to them.

If you don't know the words for their numbers, have the salesgirl put it on a hand calculator for you.

There is more but that is what comes to mind right now. I'm sure others will have more ideas.

Also I find I have a limit to being scolded. I used the wrong plate for an antipasti counter because I didn't want any hot food. A woman tried to snatch it out of my hands, I guess she was one of the owners. We had a little push and pull match. I guess I was in the wrong but she didn't have to be so mean about it and I wouldn't put up with that in a restaurant here. She was trying to humiliate me to the other customers, pointing to my plate and speaking in rapid Italian. IMHO there is no excuse for that much overkill on her part.

So be aware but don't dwell on it either.