So after a hard morning of touristing we repair to Restaurant La Tour Eiffel. It is about 200 meters from its namesake on the Quai D’Orsay, maybe 50 yards from the Seine.
Now if you have ever done this at say the foot of the Empire State Building or near the Tower Bridge, you know the drill: food and drink are expensive. You are paying by the hour rental on a few square feet of expensive real estate.
You can imagine my surprise when I ordered the most expensive wine on the menu (st. Emilion grand cru) for €38.
Remember in France this includes all taxes and tip. In Saskatoon at a shopping mall resto a $38 bottle means about $50 after taxes and equivalent tip.
For $38 in Saskatchewan you get a so-so bottle of wine, maybe a Chianti or an overblown zin or pinot noir (I.e near crap).
The theory is our completely absurd liquor distribution system pays for a social safety net… Not like the capitalist French system, red in tooth and claw…
Riiiight!
