France is a heavenly place. France is a bazaar place. We agreed early on that bazaar was the most ideal word for it. The country is immersed in itself, its people and its random yet welcoming culture. Words cannot describe some of the things I witnessed while within its borders. I can't be sure about the east or south but the north and west of France is nothing short of fascinating. There were quite a few things to learn and sort of get used to. Lets just say travel books and movies didn't assist. There is a sort of reverse preparation you need to handle France beyond the duration of a few days. Honestly, there is a refinement you go into France expecting and you may even hold yourself accountable to simple etiquette. However, just pure manners are all you need. You'll rely upon everyday manners way more than where to put your napkin.
First and foremost, the Bakery/Boullangerie is your best friend. It is the place that carries the block where you may temporarily reside. The bakers have been there a long time and they know everyone and everything. They are the providers of all of your daily bread. There is no supermarket or corner store deli that can compete. When and if you are hungry, the boullangerie is your only choice. You must go to the boullangerie with the utmost manners and greet your baker. It is imperative that you build a rapport. I learned this before leaving the states and I'm so glad I did. Let's just say I became a regular visitor at the local macaron shop and not just for the pistachio flavor. On most days in France, I woke to the bakery. I lunched on its faire. Then right before they closed I got my dinner. I will say at first the bread was too hard on me but now that I am away I long for it. Yes, a crusty baguette will knick your upper lip and draw blood from the roof of your mouth. However, simple bagged bread or soft rolls will not do. The best thing about a French bakery is choice. There will always be sweet and savory options. There will be sandwiches as well as baguettes with toppings. Some of the more modern ones will have options of traditional and non-tranditional (softer) breads. Many will offer other things like bonbons, drinks, quiche, pizza and hot options like the Croque Monsieur - my personal fave. I also highly recommend croissant amande, chasson pomme and anything aux raisins. And of course there are beignets, eclairs, (real) macarons and the most phenomenal little cakes that look glazed in sugar. There are no low fat or carb free options just bear in mind you will walk absolutely everything off!
Coffee is not for take away. Coffee is a ritual and you must sit to enjoy it. In most places there are no Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. If you would like coffee you must stop at a sit down cafe. Someone will take your coffee order, use a machine or press and serve you. There will be no rush to serve you coffee. Nonetheless, your coffee will be hot, good and properly done. The attention to detail or lack thereoff begins after you have received your cup. There are no automatic refills or dishes of sugar. You are typically served the tiniest portion of sucre and a second cup is just that. Some cafes will offer a madeline or financier - a lovely little dipping cookie. Other cafes may just serve you as requested without a single frill. I found that the older the machine the better the coffee is. Also, coffee is not brewed per se it is expresso that is pressed and served as you wish. You may request American style coffee but that is not what you will get. The same goes with teas and hot chocolate. Most hot chocolate is thick like pudding and not served with whipped cream. Tea has variety and are often found in "the" shoppes. Just don't get sloppy and show up for coffee too late because after a certain hour cafes and the houses no longer serve hot drinks. There are instant options sold at grocery stores. Europeans do love Neopresso at home but that is a far cry from auto drip or the Keurig we have at home. I will say little instant packs of Cafe Viennas put International Coffee Delights to absolute shame. My suitcase was filled with the little packs of instant joy. They even foam like the real thing. If I could have only smuggled our chosen cafes homemade financiers.
Speaking of Take Away - that isn't a thing. There is no real form of take out or even the doggy bag. My first experience was eating a punchbowl sized Spaghetti Bolognese. I couldn't finish it, it was so incredibly good so I asked for a box or cardre. The server was utterly confused. Not only is Nantes very green so takeaway is a wasteful concept but France is generally not into you taking food from a decent eatery. This poor guy took my pasta, shoveled it into a used creme fraiche tub from his kitchen and returned to the table. I looked at the tub and wondered why would he give me this. My friend elaborated that it was my pasta and that asking for a styofoam tray was not tres chic. Later I microwaved and ate out of the tub and felt guilty. He probably had to look for something re-usable, wash it etc. From that point on it was eat when you are incredibly hungry and eat all on your plate. Otherwise if in need of a quick bite or in a rush there is "French fast food". The sandwich or baguette is France's answer to food on the go. International cuisine like pizza, Chinese, Turkish kebab and sushi is also offered to go. There are places like this that specialize in "take away". However, some places offer it so you can eat and walk. So you may not get the packaging you are used to but you will be able to eat, fast. So sandwiches may be in a wrap or tub for you to walk and eat. You will also find salads and pastas in shallow bowls to travel with. However, the concept of eating a burger and fries while driving isn't there yet. Even McDonalds is an experience versus a get it and go. In fact, McDonanld's was the only place with fountain drinks and those weren't even self serve. Most places serve soda in small glass bottles and don't allow for refills when dining in. If you gulp down your Coke you will typically be offered still water that is poured not in a plastic bottle.
There is no traditional Dinner schedule or etiquette in France. People eat when their day is started and have dinner as late as possible. People explained this "big breakfast" obsession but to a Frenchmen that could mean a bowl of hot chocolate and an entire baguette. They do have many options for breakfast like fruit, cheese, bread, yogurt etc but one typically doesn't have eggs & bacon. Savory options like a quiche or ham are typically lunch options. Lunch appears to be very heavy on the streets with most people eating steak, frites and salad. Dinner was the one strange option because most places aren't open until 6 or 7 PM. So when an American is ready to eat around 5 PM or so nothing is open. Most people are drinking and socializing before dinner at that hour. So they don't typically dine until 9 or 10 PM. Bare in mind there is no real drinking age. It is perfectly normal to see children in a bar or young teens having a beer or wine. Drinks are also rather large and cheap. You can buy hard liquor for 2 euros at the grocery store, wine is offered in bottles for the individual and it isn't unusual for people to appear drunk in public. The code of eating isn't the same either. There is no flatware or napkin placement. There is no appetizer first and then an entree. There are prix fix items, a la menu and plat du jour options but things may not flow. In essence, French cuisine may be hard to get used to. I feel like main dishes were too rich and smaller plates like just cheese or frites weren't filling. The best thing to do is get a few "appetizers" actually called entrees and share. I never had a cheese plate, frites or canape I didn't enjoy. Salmon fume, foie gras and pain cereals never disappointed. I also made sure to have the rare steak, roast chicken avec potatoes and an improvisational burger or two. Just know that most meat is cooked rare and options like tartare and carpaccio are usually doubled in portion gratis. I have iron issues so I never passed on these.
Everything Is Better in France. Just understand you may be without some things like corn on the cob, The Gap and $20 pedicures but there is always a great substitute. Shopping in France can be difficult for someone who has had access to almost everything. Stores, shops and resturants close at the most random times. Most everything throughout Europe is closed on Sunday and Monday including the bakery, grocery store, pharmacy etc. There aren't huge monopolies on services like dry cleaning, nails salons or prescription filling. Most variety stores offer everything you may need and things/services outside of that are compartmentalized. You will go to a small non-chain pharmacy for things like lotion or vitamins. You will go to an open market for fruit and delicacies. Clothing is varied between boutiques and staple stores like H & M. Clothing is also arranged more for function than fashion. It is rare you find all of the above in one place. The great thing about this is choice. If you want to taste oranges all over Nantes until you find the right one you can. The beauty is everything tastes awesome. The trick is it being in season and at a decent price. As tasty as tomatoes are in France they were like 23 euros a bunch. Clothes and shoes do go on sale but ahead of season. So June 26th marked the first day of soldes/sales - serious markdowns on clothing for Fall. These soldes are markdowned additional times over the summer. However, stores go slightly mad during these times holding items for sales and crowds can be unruly. I personally liked the open air market experience and would suggest doing as you would at the boullangerie. You find certain dealers who have better reputations than others and can easily leave the market with the best deals on prepared foods, produce and clothing/shoe items. My only advice is BYOB - bring your own bag and do so daily. Most shops including big boxes do not offer plastic or paper bags. Some do offer bags at cost that are sturdier for loads of things. Of course, higher end places and department stores will gladly offer traditional shopping bags without hesitation.
And last but not least transportation. Public Transit is the lifeblood in France. Everyone commutes and most people do not own a car. For those that do have a vehicle most of them only use it for major shopping trips or staycations. You will see most drivers go to a point, park and then ride local area trains or trams. There is also a heavy following for riding a bicycle or skating in populated areas. Most public transit like trams have an honor system. The city expects you to research area stops and methods of paying for your trip. You can easily get on but may be approached for your billet and fined if you don't have one. Your ticket or billet should be appropriate for your trip and properly validated. Even Metro trains have tickets and most of the time they will work on every single train you ride within a day. However, be prepared for when your ticket bottoms out or if you are riding to an un-included "zone". I found the Metro system in Paris so easy to navigate but the tickets are small and transfers aren't very transparent. Also, the tickets have magnetic strips that actually demagnetize when exposed to metal. So we found ourselves stuck at the turnstile after putting our tickets in with coins. Thankfully, most locals understand and there is always someone to exchange the ticket but it may only be one-way. When walking be aware that France has some creepy roadways, plenty of cobblestone hills and some weird access to cars on sidewalks. Yes, vendors and delivery motorcycles often ride down pedestrian filled sidewalks and not at a discretionary speed. Locals are used to it but I found myself looking dumbfounded at headlights many times. Even after business hours, some vendors drive up to socialize and drinking and driving is quite legal. Just be careful and don't rent a bike unless you think you can handle all the different types of traffic.
These are some of the basics for temporary French living. Also, this is some of the minimal requirements. There are tons of strange factoids to make it through life in France. Some of the cultural differences are very hard to adjust to. It was hard for me to go out and see minors drinking and smoking. I'm also not comfortable with waiting to eat dinner at a time where I normally go to bed. Open market shopping with raw chickens and octopus on display took some getting used to. The same goes for eggs and milk being unrefrigerated in the grocery stores. Keep in mind some things are not modernized and then on the other hand Europe eliminated the use of hormones, preservatives and genetic splicing. So you don't have to worry about funny looking produce, or aspertame flavored drinks or keeping farm fresh eggs cold. Also, things like drying clothes in a dryer or getting ones nails done are just not there yet. I won't complain because life is a lot simpler without. One doesn't have to worry about weekly fill-ins or starting the load. French living is fuss free and uncomplicated. So goes the drinking, food, travel etc and you grow used to it very easily. At times you'll wake in the night wanting a Coke w ice, or some Taco Bell or to get a movie from the RedBox at 7-11. The reality is that kind of stuff only exists in the United States and weening ones self away from it is so easy to do in a place like France.
First and foremost, the Bakery/Boullangerie is your best friend. It is the place that carries the block where you may temporarily reside. The bakers have been there a long time and they know everyone and everything. They are the providers of all of your daily bread. There is no supermarket or corner store deli that can compete. When and if you are hungry, the boullangerie is your only choice. You must go to the boullangerie with the utmost manners and greet your baker. It is imperative that you build a rapport. I learned this before leaving the states and I'm so glad I did. Let's just say I became a regular visitor at the local macaron shop and not just for the pistachio flavor. On most days in France, I woke to the bakery. I lunched on its faire. Then right before they closed I got my dinner. I will say at first the bread was too hard on me but now that I am away I long for it. Yes, a crusty baguette will knick your upper lip and draw blood from the roof of your mouth. However, simple bagged bread or soft rolls will not do. The best thing about a French bakery is choice. There will always be sweet and savory options. There will be sandwiches as well as baguettes with toppings. Some of the more modern ones will have options of traditional and non-tranditional (softer) breads. Many will offer other things like bonbons, drinks, quiche, pizza and hot options like the Croque Monsieur - my personal fave. I also highly recommend croissant amande, chasson pomme and anything aux raisins. And of course there are beignets, eclairs, (real) macarons and the most phenomenal little cakes that look glazed in sugar. There are no low fat or carb free options just bear in mind you will walk absolutely everything off!
Coffee is not for take away. Coffee is a ritual and you must sit to enjoy it. In most places there are no Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. If you would like coffee you must stop at a sit down cafe. Someone will take your coffee order, use a machine or press and serve you. There will be no rush to serve you coffee. Nonetheless, your coffee will be hot, good and properly done. The attention to detail or lack thereoff begins after you have received your cup. There are no automatic refills or dishes of sugar. You are typically served the tiniest portion of sucre and a second cup is just that. Some cafes will offer a madeline or financier - a lovely little dipping cookie. Other cafes may just serve you as requested without a single frill. I found that the older the machine the better the coffee is. Also, coffee is not brewed per se it is expresso that is pressed and served as you wish. You may request American style coffee but that is not what you will get. The same goes with teas and hot chocolate. Most hot chocolate is thick like pudding and not served with whipped cream. Tea has variety and are often found in "the" shoppes. Just don't get sloppy and show up for coffee too late because after a certain hour cafes and the houses no longer serve hot drinks. There are instant options sold at grocery stores. Europeans do love Neopresso at home but that is a far cry from auto drip or the Keurig we have at home. I will say little instant packs of Cafe Viennas put International Coffee Delights to absolute shame. My suitcase was filled with the little packs of instant joy. They even foam like the real thing. If I could have only smuggled our chosen cafes homemade financiers.
Speaking of Take Away - that isn't a thing. There is no real form of take out or even the doggy bag. My first experience was eating a punchbowl sized Spaghetti Bolognese. I couldn't finish it, it was so incredibly good so I asked for a box or cardre. The server was utterly confused. Not only is Nantes very green so takeaway is a wasteful concept but France is generally not into you taking food from a decent eatery. This poor guy took my pasta, shoveled it into a used creme fraiche tub from his kitchen and returned to the table. I looked at the tub and wondered why would he give me this. My friend elaborated that it was my pasta and that asking for a styofoam tray was not tres chic. Later I microwaved and ate out of the tub and felt guilty. He probably had to look for something re-usable, wash it etc. From that point on it was eat when you are incredibly hungry and eat all on your plate. Otherwise if in need of a quick bite or in a rush there is "French fast food". The sandwich or baguette is France's answer to food on the go. International cuisine like pizza, Chinese, Turkish kebab and sushi is also offered to go. There are places like this that specialize in "take away". However, some places offer it so you can eat and walk. So you may not get the packaging you are used to but you will be able to eat, fast. So sandwiches may be in a wrap or tub for you to walk and eat. You will also find salads and pastas in shallow bowls to travel with. However, the concept of eating a burger and fries while driving isn't there yet. Even McDonalds is an experience versus a get it and go. In fact, McDonanld's was the only place with fountain drinks and those weren't even self serve. Most places serve soda in small glass bottles and don't allow for refills when dining in. If you gulp down your Coke you will typically be offered still water that is poured not in a plastic bottle.
There is no traditional Dinner schedule or etiquette in France. People eat when their day is started and have dinner as late as possible. People explained this "big breakfast" obsession but to a Frenchmen that could mean a bowl of hot chocolate and an entire baguette. They do have many options for breakfast like fruit, cheese, bread, yogurt etc but one typically doesn't have eggs & bacon. Savory options like a quiche or ham are typically lunch options. Lunch appears to be very heavy on the streets with most people eating steak, frites and salad. Dinner was the one strange option because most places aren't open until 6 or 7 PM. So when an American is ready to eat around 5 PM or so nothing is open. Most people are drinking and socializing before dinner at that hour. So they don't typically dine until 9 or 10 PM. Bare in mind there is no real drinking age. It is perfectly normal to see children in a bar or young teens having a beer or wine. Drinks are also rather large and cheap. You can buy hard liquor for 2 euros at the grocery store, wine is offered in bottles for the individual and it isn't unusual for people to appear drunk in public. The code of eating isn't the same either. There is no flatware or napkin placement. There is no appetizer first and then an entree. There are prix fix items, a la menu and plat du jour options but things may not flow. In essence, French cuisine may be hard to get used to. I feel like main dishes were too rich and smaller plates like just cheese or frites weren't filling. The best thing to do is get a few "appetizers" actually called entrees and share. I never had a cheese plate, frites or canape I didn't enjoy. Salmon fume, foie gras and pain cereals never disappointed. I also made sure to have the rare steak, roast chicken avec potatoes and an improvisational burger or two. Just know that most meat is cooked rare and options like tartare and carpaccio are usually doubled in portion gratis. I have iron issues so I never passed on these.
Everything Is Better in France. Just understand you may be without some things like corn on the cob, The Gap and $20 pedicures but there is always a great substitute. Shopping in France can be difficult for someone who has had access to almost everything. Stores, shops and resturants close at the most random times. Most everything throughout Europe is closed on Sunday and Monday including the bakery, grocery store, pharmacy etc. There aren't huge monopolies on services like dry cleaning, nails salons or prescription filling. Most variety stores offer everything you may need and things/services outside of that are compartmentalized. You will go to a small non-chain pharmacy for things like lotion or vitamins. You will go to an open market for fruit and delicacies. Clothing is varied between boutiques and staple stores like H & M. Clothing is also arranged more for function than fashion. It is rare you find all of the above in one place. The great thing about this is choice. If you want to taste oranges all over Nantes until you find the right one you can. The beauty is everything tastes awesome. The trick is it being in season and at a decent price. As tasty as tomatoes are in France they were like 23 euros a bunch. Clothes and shoes do go on sale but ahead of season. So June 26th marked the first day of soldes/sales - serious markdowns on clothing for Fall. These soldes are markdowned additional times over the summer. However, stores go slightly mad during these times holding items for sales and crowds can be unruly. I personally liked the open air market experience and would suggest doing as you would at the boullangerie. You find certain dealers who have better reputations than others and can easily leave the market with the best deals on prepared foods, produce and clothing/shoe items. My only advice is BYOB - bring your own bag and do so daily. Most shops including big boxes do not offer plastic or paper bags. Some do offer bags at cost that are sturdier for loads of things. Of course, higher end places and department stores will gladly offer traditional shopping bags without hesitation.
These are some of the basics for temporary French living. Also, this is some of the minimal requirements. There are tons of strange factoids to make it through life in France. Some of the cultural differences are very hard to adjust to. It was hard for me to go out and see minors drinking and smoking. I'm also not comfortable with waiting to eat dinner at a time where I normally go to bed. Open market shopping with raw chickens and octopus on display took some getting used to. The same goes for eggs and milk being unrefrigerated in the grocery stores. Keep in mind some things are not modernized and then on the other hand Europe eliminated the use of hormones, preservatives and genetic splicing. So you don't have to worry about funny looking produce, or aspertame flavored drinks or keeping farm fresh eggs cold. Also, things like drying clothes in a dryer or getting ones nails done are just not there yet. I won't complain because life is a lot simpler without. One doesn't have to worry about weekly fill-ins or starting the load. French living is fuss free and uncomplicated. So goes the drinking, food, travel etc and you grow used to it very easily. At times you'll wake in the night wanting a Coke w ice, or some Taco Bell or to get a movie from the RedBox at 7-11. The reality is that kind of stuff only exists in the United States and weening ones self away from it is so easy to do in a place like France.
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