Jill<br><br>Jill (99) Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 An English woman spoke to me in a supermarket in the Dordogne today. She said they had retired to France and bought a house here, to which they moved 4 days ago. She said they are vegetarian and speak no French and all they had eaten in the last 4 days was cheese, cheese and more cheese. She was clearly fed up of cheese! I suggested they might cook something with chick peas. I'm not vegetarian, but I could certainly think of plenty of vegetarian things to eat that don't involve cheese or Quorn. They said the only cooking they had done was to heat up a tin of vegetable soup. I didn't think to ask her whether they had ever visited France previously or whether they knew anything about French cuisine. We just can't understand why anyone in their circumstances would move to France. I mean, if they had visited France, then surely they should know what to expect foodwise (although I expect that given time they will find food for vegetarians - if they can learn some French). But then, surely, as vegetarians, they should know something about vegetarian cuisine and be able to sort themselves out foodwise regardless. I find it difficult to believe that anyone could move to France and know so little. They might as well have moved to the Moon. I realise all people have different reasons for wanting to move to France and I certainly have many reasons for wanting to have a home in France - even though it will probably never happen. But even though I have spent a lot of time in France, with French families, in gites and camping, I do feel there is still a lot more research to be done. I daresay I will come in for some flac from people who have moved to France knowing nothing about France, but - oh well, we were just astonished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybananasbrother Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Might she have been winding you up? Mark you I have known a fair few round the places I've been who sound similar. Some survive. Most don't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I must confess, we were amazed at the lack of choice regarding vegetables here. It's very limited compared to what we were used to. Not that we're vegetarians, but we still like our veg.In fact for all base foods. For a country that's supposed to be the best at cooking in the world, the amount of basic ingredients is tiny. In France, you'd get 2 metres of base ingredients in the supermarkets. In Australia, you would have two aisles! However, to compensate, the amount of pre-packed crap, I mean food is enormous here. I don't get it.While we're talking about veg, can anyone tell me why on Monday's, a cauliflower will cost nearly €4 but two days later they come down to just over a euro for the rest of the week. Can't be anything to do with oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqui Too Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 [quote user="LyndaandRichard"]I must confess, we were amazed at the lack of choice regarding vegetables here. It's very limited compared to what we were used to. Not that we're vegetarians, but we still like our veg.In fact for all base foods. For a country that's supposed to be the best at cooking in the world, the amount of basic ingredients is tiny. In France, you'd get 2 metres of base ingredients in the supermarkets. In Australia, you would have two aisles! However, to compensate, the amount of pre-packed crap, I mean food is enormous here. I don't get it.While we're talking about veg, can anyone tell me why on Monday's, a cauliflower will cost nearly €4 but two days later they come down to just over a euro for the rest of the week. Can't be anything to do with oil.[/quote]I'm sorry but I don't agree with you about the lack of choice, I do my main shopping in E.Leclerc in Perigueux and they have a superb selection of veg, meat, fish and other cupboard foods.I look forward to shopping in the local markets for superb cheeses, meats, hams, sausages, fresh veg and I have a local Boulangerie that has bread and cakes to die for.So I'm not sure where you go shopping but food shopping for me in France is a delight[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Well all i can say is that they were not vegatarian. maybe practising? you do not need linda mc pies, pasties or anything else. sorry am i allowed to say that? and if they looked in the supermarkets they would have found loads. or cooked ther own meals? too difficullt? I have only been vegetarian for 6 months. and not beause i am anti, purely because i dont like meat anymore and havent enjoyed for years......mind you i will shoot anyone round here that eats horse meat!........... If you deciede not too eat meat, there are so many meals you can enjoy, and i am not preaching but my other half and son have also started to enjoy what i eat at lunch, and always eat what they want in the evening. i will get there! no, joking. individual taste. and as for quorn? does everybody think vegartarians eat it? i think it is disgusting, fresh veg and sorry if this offends but i eat fish as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 oops, sorry looks like i got lost a long way down on your replys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 suze, Shall I break it to you gently, you are not a vegetarian but a piscetarian, in the nicest possible way of course...[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 But as a country that is the best in the world in cooking they have all they need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 and what is that exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 no you got it wrong, i am a librarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybananasbrother Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 perhaps we should censor that admission Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 oh come on wb we not all bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybananasbrother Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Nah, true, I knew a lovely little librarian once, but dont for Frith's sake tell Randy as it was her best friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 TREAD CAREFULL HERE, HOW DID SHE TAKE IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suze Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 OOPS SORRY, SHE DIDENT KNOW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybananasbrother Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Well, she found out quite a bit later and just hit me very, very hard in a bad place.It is OK, she is out somewhere helping with bloke who cant sort his house. You know, putting up walls, roofing etc. They have arc lights to work by night.That is what she says but frankly I think she is lying. probably pissed and being ****** knowing her. I really hope we dont have to warn this one off. Last bloke was quitye insistent until I whispered in his ear that she had a STD. That got rid of him.Well, who is going to look after us if she gets hitched? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 People such as Jill describes, do exist. Some have been living in France for several years, even. A vegetarian I know only eats peanut butter sandwiches, and complains that you can't get proper rolled oats for porridge here. Mind you, initially the couple only wanted to retire somewhere in the sun, possibly Cyprus or Crete, they had never considered France. But searching for property on the web, they stumbled upon an attractive advert for a house. here in France where they had never been. Neither of them had any affinities or any interest in France, the history, the geography, the culture, or in Frenchness - it is only the house that drew them here. Anyway there was already some disagreement between them, one really wanting retire in Nottingham, (still does, actually).. As for eating, they both claim that all food in France is rubbish (although they have occasionally been seen in restaurants for an omelette). Nevertheless, 5 years on, they are still here...Why oh Why? It really does seem to me that sometimes, for some people, coming to live in France is just one of those life accidents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I would have thought anyone who goes to the trouble to be a vegetarian would enjoy experimenting with different types of foods that are not meat or fish based. No mention of pasta,fruit,grains,rice,salad or anything else. Sound like many brits now who think food is out of a packet and into the microwave. We don't have meat every day,are not vegetarians but always find something tasty to cook and eat and the selection of fruit and veg here in France is far superior in quality to what I have seen inthe UK recently. I think these people need to buy a good cookery book for vegetarians myself and stop acting so pathetically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote user="suze"]But as a country that is the best in the world in cooking they have all they need.[/quote]perhaps so, but the gist of the thread is about France not UK. [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote user="Jacqui Too "][quote user="LyndaandRichard"]I must confess, we were amazed at the lack of choice regarding vegetables here. It's very limited compared to what we were used to. Not that we're vegetarians, but we still like our veg.In fact for all base foods. For a country that's supposed to be the best at cooking in the world, the amount of basic ingredients is tiny. In France, you'd get 2 metres of base ingredients in the supermarkets. In Australia, you would have two aisles! However, to compensate, the amount of pre-packed crap, I mean food is enormous here. I don't get it.While we're talking about veg, can anyone tell me why on Monday's, a cauliflower will cost nearly €4 but two days later they come down to just over a euro for the rest of the week. Can't be anything to do with oil.[/quote]I'm sorry but I don't agree with you about the lack of choice, I do my main shopping in E.Leclerc in Perigueux and they have a superb selection of veg, meat, fish and other cupboard foods.I look forward to shopping in the local markets for superb cheeses, meats, hams, sausages, fresh veg and I have a local Boulangerie that has bread and cakes to die for.So I'm not sure where you go shopping but food shopping for me in France is a delight[:D] [/quote]Mainly Intermarche, although we do pop into others now and again. Don't get me wrong, we never go hungry and are happy, but there isn't as much choice as we would have expected, especially compared to what we were used to in Australia. But there is far, far more packaged food in France.I'm only comparing supermarket's here, rather than individual shops. And yet the supermarkets are far bigger here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote user="LyndaandRichard"] In France, you'd get 2 metres of base ingredients in the supermarkets. In Australia, you would have two aisles![/quote]Such a sweeping generalisation![:D]Do visit the Géant and Auchan supermarkets in Aurillac! Their fruit and veg sections have 4 aisles, each about 8m long, including a fresh organic section.I will also mention the greengrocer's, which has a very wide selection of seasonal fruit and veg, but that's not a supermarket, so maybe it does not qualify for your survey ![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boiling a frog Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I am a bit puzzled about the ""packaged food"" comment.What does that mean ,food that comes in packaging,bit difficult to buy pasta,rice,tomato puree etc without it being in some sort of receptacle. or do you mean ready prepared meals/food.Re the OP ,I suspect it has nothing to do with which country they are in ,they just cannot cook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trees 2 Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 We have friends who are vegetarian and they visit us from time to time. We have no problem feeding them, (they too, WILL eat fish), and my wife has a vegetarian cookbook.As for "packaged" foods: I was only bemoaning the LACK of decent frozen appetisers in Tesco here the other day. All that was available was either chinese or indian. I don't DISLIKE either, but would have liked some choice.In our local tiny intermarche in France we get cheese, ham and prawn parcels in filo pastry, (not all in the same one), king prawns in batter with a spicy dip, loads of filled pancakes etc etc.The REALLY noticeable thing for us is the TOTAL unavailabilty of out of season fruit and veg ........out of season in France. WHY OH WHY do we insist on eating stuff like that all year round in the UK? Anyone actually LIKE the Spanish stawberry-shaped, and strawberry-coloured turnips?[:P]I have a photo here of my two lads, much younger, standing in front of a poster on a street in Anduze. The poster reads: " Les fruits d'ete. C'est maintenant, ou c'est dans un an". (Apologies for lack of accents).It's a pity OUR supermarkets don't do the same. Less lorries on the road, less balance of payments deficit.Give me France any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chauffour Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote user="suze"]no you got it wrong, i am a librarian[/quote] so you eat books? [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusty Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote user="Jill"] cheese and more cheese. They might as well have moved to the Moon. [/quote]Wallace and Gromit come to mind [:P]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPc0sE6V9Z0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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