Lesson #2: Don't travel to France without knowing basic French
The myth that Parisians are arrogant is exactly that – a
myth. In fact, we found Parisians to be polite and helpful, going out of their way to give us helpful tips and assistance, many times without having to ask for it. But while Parisians can be the pictures of graciousness and hospitality, the regions outside of Paris are another matter entirely, especially if you don't speak French. Rewind to our first night in Alsace, when we followed
recommendations to dine at a "Winstub", which refers to a bistro that serves traditional meals at more reasonable prices than a fine dining restaurant. Walking into Winstub Le Chambard at Kaysersberg, its wood-panelled walls, checked tablecloths and open fireplace looked cozy, warm and inviting. Hearing us struggle with our French as we sat at the table and perused the menu, however, the attitude of the manager on duty plummeted to icy and indifferent. We were largely ignored by the waitresses until we virtually had to crash tackle one to get our order in. Recognising only a word here and there in the menu descriptions, we realised to our horror when our starters and mains arrived that we had grossly over-ordered. In the end, we paid a small fortune for good food that was largely left uneaten. This distinct lack of tolerance for non-French speakers
reared its ugly head in various degrees as we travelled to the French Riviera. Case in point: our visit to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Being a gorgeous day in May, we decided to park our car in nearby Beaulieu sur Mer, known as the millionaire's peninsula, to walk to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat after being told by a "helpful" local that it would be an easy 20 minute walk – it took us a laborious 45. And mammoth in size as the estate was, the locals who we met along the way seemed either ignorant of exactly where the estate was, or like one lady who held up her hands in front of her face and said an emphatic "Non!" before we had a chance to formulate our question, outrightly refused to help. It was enough to give us a complex, I tell you!
Some basic French terms you should know: English
Pronunciation
Do you speak English? Excuse me/sorry Glad to meet you Good-bye
How are you?
I don't understand I'm sorry
My name is
Please speak slowly Thank you
par-lay voo zon-glay ex-koo-zay mwah on-shohn-tay oh ruh-vwar
kom-mohn tah-lay voo jhuhn kom-prohn pah day-zoh-lay/pahr-dohn juh mah-pell
par-lay lehn-ta-mohn mare-see
French
Parlez-vous anglais? Excusez-moi Enchanté Au revoir
Comment allez-vous? Je ne comprends pas Desolé/Pardon Je m'appelle
Parlez lentement Merci
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