I have been studying/living in La Rochelle, France for a little over two months now and I’d like to share with you all some cultural differences I’ve experienced since being here.

One of the more prominent differences, and something I’ve grown to love, is that the French truly take their time to do things. When you go out to lunch, it’s perfectly acceptable and expected to spend about two hours in the restaurant. For them, lunch is the time to come together with your family, friends, or to take a moment for yourself in which you can relax and take things slow before jumping back into work, school, or whatever else you may have to do.

The topic of lunch leads directly to my second point and something I’m still not 100% used to. In France it’s very common for restaurants to close for about four to five hours a day, closing right after lunch and opening back up for dinner. This hasn’t been an extremely big inconvenience here in La Rochelle but when my mom came to visit and we went to Paris, it made things a little difficult. We usually left the hotel pretty late as neither of us are morning people, so we quickly became acquainted with the restaurants in our area that offered “continual service”.

It is also a custom here to “faire la bise” when you meet with your friends, family, acquaintances, etc. What am I talking about when I say, “faire la bise”? Well of course the two, three, or four cheek kisses we all see the French do in movies and tv shows. It is indeed a real thing and it took a little bit to get used to.

With the introduction of les bises, it is also the custom to say “Bonjour” or “Bonsoir” when you enter any and everywhere, and I’m not being dramatic when I say absolutely everywhere. You’re getting on the bus to go to class? Give a nice “Bonjour” to the bus driver. You’re walking into a café? “Bonjour!” and of course when you leave, “Merci au revoir!”. I’ve learned, especially when entering restaurants or shops, it’s of little importance to say these things directly to the person, as long as they are said. Now it’s a habit and I had quite a time fighting the urge to throw out a “Bonjour!” and “Merci, au revoir!” everywhere I entered/left when I visited London last weekend.

I could go on and on with all of the slight differences there are culturally, but for the sake of brevity I’ll leave you with these larger, more noticeable ones.

I’m still in awe at the fact I’m actually in France and I can’t believe I’ll be flying back into Charleston in just thirty-five more days. Despite the fact things are winding down, I still have some trips planned and can’t wait to share more about my time in France and Europe with you!