After having a bit of sore throat and head today I decided to head to the supermarket to try and pick up some sort of cold relief medication, however, much to my disappointment the only thing even slightly ressembling medical treatment were band-aids. Unfortunately I had forgotten that this was France, they take their health care extremely seriously. Cough lozengers cannot be merely bought from a supermarket shelf, they must be given, along with an assortment of sprays, tablets, liquids, potions etc from a very serious pharamacist. Thus I found myself taking a visit to the psychadelic green cross, i.e. la pharmacie.
Unlike in Australia where you just take some Dimetapp and Butter Methols and you’re as good as gold in France the pharmacist asks you numerous questions regarding your condition and offers you an overwelming amount of advice and medical treatments. It is safe to say all bases are now covered. I’m quite sure all the nasty bacteria in my body has no chance of surviving. I remember my high school French teacher once recounting an early trip to the doctor’s office when she first arrived in Australia and was gobsmacked when the doctor merely told her to drink lots of water and rest it off, ‘He didn’t even give me any antibiotics!’ she exclaimed.
As I said the French take their medicaments very, very seriously.
