Shopping in a foreign language

[Sharon the Cat]

They eat everything from a duck bar it’s quack in the dordogne a common dish is perigord salad typically described as a salad avec noix et gesiers ,,, sounds ok until you discover gesiers is the ducks gizzard ....as for stuff in a tin odds are fois gras

Looked like sausages, smelt like something that had been dead for a week.

 

[izwozral]

Many years ago, I was renovating an old farm in the Loire valley, working with the family that had bought it. During the build we had to visit the family who had sold it, the daughter of the family was extremely attractive but was unable to speak English, nor I French. She noticed I was wearing a Pink Floyd t.shirt so she started singing Arnold Layne perfectly, an early Floyd track about a transvestite, I joined in then we started to do charade type things pertinent to the words. This carried on for about two hours, singing different tracks from various rock bands.
Very funny and such a happy memory.

 

[andyjanet]

Just get pissed with whoever you are trying to communicate with, it all suddenly makes sense!

Managed that Sunday afternoon after repairing a french mans Hymer water pump that had flooded his garage thankyou Bernard for the pastis, beer, and rose

 

[jagmanx]

Pastis is French for Pissed As Tomorrow Is Saturday

 

[jeffmossy]

In France I asked for chicken curry and got stuffed squird in red sauce and it smelt discusting

 

[Robmac]

Many years ago, I was renovating an old farm in the Loire valley, working with the family that had bought it. During the build we had to visit the family who had sold it, the daughter of the family was extremely attractive but was unable to speak English, nor I French. She noticed I was wearing a Pink Floyd t.shirt so she started singing Arnold Layne perfectly, an early Floyd track about a transvestite, I joined in then we started to do charade type things pertinent to the words. This carried on for about two hours, singing different tracks from various rock bands.
Very funny and such a happy memory.

Linky

 

[runnach]

Pastis is French for Pissed As Tomorrow Is Saturday

Richard 51 the offending tipple , when I stopped with jean and fabrics at les domaines a private foc aire in monbazillac , I helped with the Vidange manually cutting the grapes,Jean knocked on the door one morning with one of his own wine bottles “ for you” he said looking furtive ....” don’t tell the wife nor have you seen me sort of look” what is it said I ,a big smile and proudly pronounced “ Ricard 51 , tres bien “

I drank it neat he didn’t tell me you add water, pissed as a newt after lunchtime ! He found it all very funny but had a obsession and wry habit of getting folk tipsy

If you get near Bergerac pay a visit ,lovely family lad plays more of a part nowadays , but when an old french bloke appears and says “ degustation pour les camping charistas “ there is fun to be had

Domaine de La Lande

Accueil > Les vignerons > Domaine de La Lande

maisondesvins-monbazillac.jimdofree.com

They are also part of the France passion scheme ...open all year, camping is free and water dump no ehu no limit to time worth buying a bottle of decent wine for the experience

 

[jagmanx]

Richard 51 the offending tipple , when I stopped with jean and fabrics at les domaines a private foc aire in monbazillac , I helped with the Vidange manually cutting the grapes,Jean knocked on the door one morning with one of his own wine bottles “ for you” he said looking furtive ....” don’t tell the wife nor have you seen me sort of look” what is it said I ,a big smile and proudly pronounced “ Ricard 51 , tres bien “

I drank it neat he didn’t tell me you add water, pissed as a newt after lunchtime ! He found it all very funny but had a obsession and wry habit of getting folk tipsy

If you get near Bergerac pay a visit ,lovely family lad plays more of a part nowadays , but when an old french bloke appears and says “ degustation pour les camping charistas “ there is fun to be had

Domaine de La Lande

Accueil > Les vignerons > Domaine de La Lande

maisondesvins-monbazillac.jimdofree.com

They are also part of the France passion scheme ...open all year, camping is free and water dump no ehu no limit to time worth buying a bottle of decent wine for the experience

Stayed there in 2013 !

 

[Pauljenny]

Do you not think this a part of the adventure? Assume no shop will sell food that will actually cause you harm. Look up the few items you really don’t like in the local language then go for it and expand your horizons. You can always fall back on a phrase book, that’s one of those paper things with words in it...... In Spain and the only word embedded in my memory to avoid is “callos”. Look it up, then again I am from the south.....

Callos... Oh yes. I was tempted when they were on a menu in Tordesillias.
My tourist Spanish is just
about adequate.
When I asked what it was, he replied that it was , " A local pigmeat delicacy "
Biggest load of tripe,v I've ever eaten.
Avoid the Dobrada, if in Portugal.

 

[Caz]

I learnt many years ago to avoid the Andouilette in French restaurants.

Dobrada nearly caught me out in Portugal last year - the picture on the can looked like bean stew but luckily I googled it on my phone.

 

[mjvw]

Good morning fellow campers, yesterday before leaving France I spied a Lidl and thought I’ll just top up our food before travelling as we are going into an area of Germany without close by supermarkets,
First thing I did was saw GOLD TOP MILKView attachment 76698
WRONG this is butter milk
Then whilst in the fridge section I saw FRENCH YOGURT View attachment 76699
WRONG this is Cottage cheese,
then in the cheap section I noticed CHARCOAL INSOLES for my smelly trainers
View attachment 76700
WRONG these are thermal heat insoles
I did manage to buy cheap beer and cheese and salami

This has reminded me of something i purchased in a french supermarket on a visit two years ago, i was desperate for a few tins of baked beans and sausages so I bought something that by the picture on the tin looked like porky beans and sausage.
In the end it was huge beans in a thick tomato sauce (ish) with lumps of fatty pork meat it was disgusting you live and learn never ever again!!!!!!! I later found out it was some kind of Cassoulet but it looked like porky beans and sausage on the tin.

 

[r4dent]

While staying with friends in Cuba I was sent out to food for the evening meal (four adults). In a bar I encounted a guy selling black market sea food. Using my fluent Spanish I negoiated for a Lobster and half a kilo of prawns. In the end we settled on 10 CUC (£7) plus an extra CUC for him to deliver them to the house, I thought I had done rather well. Imagine my wife's delight when he delivered two kilo of prawns and a dozen lobsters ! We dined well.

 

[QFour]

We use an IPad or phone to look things up. Also useful in Spanish Hospital. We all get caught out though. We bought some eggs and when SWMBO tried to break one over the side of a frying pan we realised they were hard boiled. Descriptions can be a bit different in France. Surprised you got fromage mixed up with yogurt though.

 

[runnach]

I learnt many years ago to avoid the Andouilette in French restaurants.

Dobrada nearly caught me out in Portugal last year - the picture on the can looked like bean stew but luckily I googled it on my phone.

Dobrada sounds so. Similar from memory to sobrasada which is a paprika spice infused sausage often using Ibérico cuts of meat...a few can get caught easy with that one. The french Spaniards and Portuguese seem keen on their offal

 

[n brown]

i agree, getting pissed with the natives is the best way to learn a foreign language. and learning a few phrases like 'lentement ,m'sieu grenouille ' or ' ou est le bleedin pissoir amigo ?'

 

[trevskoda]

Now i know why i stay at home,99% here speak english but with a few ulster scots infused,all understand each other except when pissed then i cannot understand one fecken word nor them from me either.

 

[silverweed]

Good morning fellow campers, yesterday before leaving France I spied a Lidl and thought I’ll just top up our food before travelling as we are going into an area of Germany without close by supermarkets,
First thing I did was saw GOLD TOP MILKView attachment 76698

I love this stuff. I can’t get enough

 

[Tezza33]

I was born and taught to speak in Barnsley, everywhere I shop is a foreign language

 

[Robmac]

While staying with friends in Cuba I was sent out to food for the evening meal (four adults). In a bar I encounted a guy selling black market sea food. Using my fluent Spanish I negoiated for a Lobster and half a kilo of prawns. In the end we settled on 10 CUC (£7) plus an extra CUC for him to deliver them to the house, I thought I had done rather well. Imagine my wife's delight when he delivered two kilo of prawns and a dozen lobsters ! We dined well.

Reminds me a bit of the old joke;

Mum "Nip down to the shop and get a loaf, oh and if they have eggs get a dozen"

Son returns home with a dozen loafs, Mum says "Why a dozen loafs!!"

Son "They had eggs"

(Well I did say it was old!)

 

[Wully]

I think the best one ever was me and Meduck totally bladdered at the New Years meet we had a great conversation for about an hour we understood each other but everybody else thought we were talking Klingon.