Non-French TidbitsTravel Shopping Hints

By Jim and Emmy Humberd

Perhaps the idea of the Marché Aux Puces (Flea Market) started in Paris sometime in the middle ages, and we would venture a guess that some of those same "goods" are still for sale. Some of these dealers must still sell real live "Puces."

The local "shopping mall" may consist of a caravan of specially constructed trucks and trailers that go from town to town. The sides of these vehicles are unfurled, turning a vacant market square into an enterprising commercial center. At the end of the market day, a cleaning crew removes all trace of the exciting, bustling activity, and the marketplace reverts to a plaza, a parking lot, or a sidewalk cafe.

We don't know which was the first, but the Gallerias in Milan and in Naples, Burlington Arcade in London, Galeries Hubert in Brussels, and others in Paris, Rome and other cities, all predate the modern indoor shopping malls in the United States by a hundred years or so. Many times a supermarket will be a super-sized store, with maybe 40 to 50 check stands.

Certainly there is no shortage of products to buy, and places to buy them. You could travel anywhere in Europe with only your wallet (filled, of course) and purchase everything needed to live well. Rather than carry a lot of cash, or even many traveler's checks, we suggest Visa or Master Card to obtain the local currency at banks in most countries. From Bergen to Barcelona, Venice to Vienna, London to Liechtenstein, and throughout Europe, cash is often dispensed as quick, or quicker than at home in California. Credit cards are usable most everywhere, in gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, antique stores, and department stores.

Use your shopping opportunities to buy products you need and will use and enjoy, rather than just buying "tourist gadgets." You know the rule: Take half the clothes and twice the money. Remember the man who filled his suitcase with clothes from the Salvation Army and the local Goodwill store. When something became dirty, he left it, and used that suitcase space to carry items home. If you like this idea, plan carefully.

The beautiful little towns and villages, the shopping centers, flea markets, and street markets, are living museums.

For us, an hour is better spent in a supermarket or a hardware store, than in any nightclub or fancy restaurant.

Books by Jim and Emmy Humberd:
Invitation to France
Invitation to Germany
Invitation to Italy

French Video Immersion