L’addition, por favor

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

We’ve figured out a sort of division of duties when we travel. For example, Ed books transportation and is our navigator on the ground. Usually, I decided when and where we’re going to eat. When the meal is over, it’s Ed’s job to ask for the check. He prepares for this task by making sure he knows how to say, “The check, please” in the native tongue of whatever country we happen to be in. Of course, that’s “La cuenta, por favor” in Spain and he’s got that one down, no problemo!

ENGLISH EVERYWHERE

As I write this, we’re on our way back to Spain from a brief get-away to London and Paris. When we got to London, we were surprised to feel disoriented by hearing English being spoken everywhere, all the time. We greeted cab drivers, hotel staff, and waiters with a cheery, “Hola” or “Buenas” repeatedly. We said, “Si, por favor” and “Gracias” more often than not. This odd behavior typically resulted in puzzled looks and a shrug. We laughed at ourselves often but couldn’t seem to shake the Spanish.

ADDING TO THE CONFUSION

After a few days in London, we spent a couple of days in Paris and things got even more  complicated. The lovely young French woman who served our breakfast at the hotel, spoke English flawlessly. Trying to be respectful, we attempted to use our limited French whenever possible. We’re talking about the basics –  please, thank you, yes, no, excuse me, a table for two, etc. I had taken French lessons for about a year prior to a previous trip to France in 2016 and was eager to see how much I remembered. Initiating a conversation or interaction in French such as “café au lait, s’il vous plait” was a good start. When our coffees arrived, we smiled and said, “Gracias.”

We had lunch (an amazingly delicious burger) in a small bistro in Paris and when we were ready to go, Ed asked for the check by saying, “L’addition, por favor.” The waiter looked confused for a moment and then the three us had a good laugh.

BRAIN EXERCISES

In March/April, we’ll be spending about three weeks in Italy. So, I’m brushing up on Italian by committing to at least 20 minutes each day on Duolingo. As I write this on a train from Paris to Valencia, I’m hoping I don’t start saying “Bonjour” to our fellow Valencianos.

Arrivederci!