Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 3 September 2015 | Page 25

WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE

Gone Shopping in France
An Article by Doreen Porter
What can’t the Germans and Belgians do, the British are discouraged to do, yet the
French seem to do as much as ever? The answer is, pay by cheque. There are no
guarantee cards, but cheques are almost as good as cash in France, simply because
it is illegal to go overdrawn at your bank without authorisation. If you do, you could be
banned from the banking system for several years, which might be a tad inconvenient.
So it’s not unusual to stand behind someone paying for three apples at a market stall
by cheque. A friend once gave me a cheque for the six Euros she owed me. Having
said that, there are some garages that won’t accept cheques, but I suspect that is
because no one is ever on the till. It seems we always end up getting our fuel
dispensed automatically after inserting a credit card and trying to follow instructions
that are about as complex as those that come with a self-assembly IKEA wardrobe.
High streets here still boast a range of small, independent shops. Hypermarkets and
larger supermarkets are found out-of-town, alongside DIY stores and furniture
superstores; everyone seems to co-exist in reasonable harmony. Of course, you can
never be sure anything will be open. It’s not unusual to drive 50km to a shop only to
be greeted with a well-worn sign that reads “fermature exceptionelle”. The cause of
the exceptional closure will never be discovered.
Whatever town or large village you visit, you can be sure to find at least one of all the
following: a boulangerie, a pharmacie, a bar, a tabac and a ladies’ hairdresser. The
bar invariably doubles as a PMU (betting shop), and the ladies’ hairdresser also caters
for those men who aren’t put off venturing inside an establishment with a name like
Chez Virginie. The pharmacie is easily recognisable by a flashing green cross
outside—and the stream of people exiting laden with bulging carrier bags crammed
full of a few days’ supply of pills and potions.
When you visit smaller shops especially, it is polite to say “bonjour” to everyone
already there. Invariably, you will be asked whether you want your purchase—be it a
biro, a box of chocolates or a tube of haemorrhoid cream—gift-wrapped. Say yes, and
the assistant will parcel it up with a flourish, embellish it with a pretty bow and present
it to you at no extra cost. The queue of people waiting patiently behind you will nod
with approval and urge you to have a bonne journée and to enjoy your biro as you
leave.
Hypermarkets and supermarkets sell local produce as much as possible, so your fruit,
vegetables and meat has probably had a shorter journey than you. Hypermarkets are
very big and sell anything and everything; you get used to standing at the checkout
behind families with a patio table and four chairs or a fridge-freezer in their trolleys.
Then there are the markets. Fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, jam, meat, fish, local
specialities, cheese, wine, clothes, bags, tablecloths, flowers… you name it, you can
find it at the local marché. Plan well and it’s possible to visit a different one every day
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