So, I'm hoping that the couple that ate in La Napoli in Annecy on Tuesday,lunchtime are SFN members, and would like to explain a few things, as I am really disgusted at their behaviour.
I shuffeled my way to my table, and had a seat, it only took me a couple of minutes to pick up on the monotone, toff accented ramblings of a man, at a neighbouring table, not because of language, accent, or tone, but moreso because of what he had to say.
it started off "oh, here we are, she's letting more people in, as if the place isn't loud enough"....The owner (a very nice lady,and very efficient) walks by, and jokes that he hasn't finished his plate, and so, no dessert for him, and he barks as his wife "WHAT did she say", the wife translates, and his response almost made me slide off my chair into a pool of goop "Well, you see, if there was something on my plate that looked, smelled, or tasted anyway appealing, I would have no problem eating it"....
Then came more ranting "look at all these people- the French, all having half bottles of wine with their lunch, all getting pissed, and after that, what can you do, not a whole lot, sleep for the afternoon?? HA, what a waste of life.. look at her, on the phone, this is a restaurant, for christ's sakes.... where is that waitress gone, anyway, I'm sick of looking at this plate, nobody wants a plate of uneaten food in front of them"...
The wife, all this time says just about nothing, what's the point anyway, darling is on a roll, why interrupt. The owner comes, clears the plates, and asks if everything was ok, the wife tells her it was "tres bon", but apologises that it was a little too much, and they don't eat a lot. the man barks across them as they talk about dessert "une boule glace si vous plait", and literally waves her off without looking up.
Then comes more commentary on the character types in there, the plates they're eating, who is, or isn't sending a text message, the dress of some types,the decor, and eventually, the desserts arrive with the owner telling them something along the lines of "here we are, enjoy your little gourmandises", and the man waits a second, before bellowing "she's taking the piss out of me now, GOURMANDISES... who does she think she is. Plus, look at that, on the menu, anyone not eating, but taking a space will be charged 2 euro. disgusting".
all the while, I was thinking "these are not tourists, are they. Tourists are not this ignorant. These people are expats".
without looking up, saying excuse me, or waiting for her to finish with the table she was at, the man asked for the bill. she got caught up with a group behind the counter, and, frequenting this place, I know that it's better to go directly to the counter to pay, rather than have her wastze her time going over and back to your table 3 times when it's busy, so I got up to go to the counter. The happy-go lucky couple got there just in front of me, where the wife told the owner that everything was delicious, and thank you, and all that jazz.
as they leave, the owner tells the lady she speaks very good French, and the lady replies that they're livign here 2 years, and live somewhere between Nimes, and Avignon, I think, if I heard right, and then she smiles, and asks if Mr speaks just as good in French, and he replies, flippantly "a little bit", and bolts for the door without a goodbye.
normally these people would ruin my meal experience, but, for some reasonn I felt like I sould have paid them for the entertainment they provided. If you're out there, Mr and Mrs groucho, thank you for a wonderful afternoon, but, please, if France is so god awful, and you detest everyrthing about it (and who can detest wine with the repas du midi), please, do yourself a favour, and leave.
to Mrs Groucho, this man will literally cause you to be ill. Save yourself.