Let the buyer beware

We weren't sure of our pickup point for our tour of the the Alpine lakes, so we caught the bus early yesterday morning.

Once we had found the location by the Mirabel Gardens, we looked around for a place to have brunch, and we happened upon a charming Italian grocery store and restaurant whose proprietor inquired if we were American. Waving his hands as he spoke, he addressed us in a combination of Italian, minimal German and pidgin English. We ,in turn, responded in English and minimal German. I don't like spaghetti that much, nor do I often eat ham; and I don't like high backed stools, since my legs are short. But the man was so expansive, so persuasive, that I went along with all this. He never showed us a menu, but I wasn't worried about the cost. This place was clearly a neighborhood deli, though a bit upscale. We got to watch the man talk loudly and wave his hands at his Austrian customers, who were pretty reserved. It was fun, and the food wasn't bad. At the end of the meal, the proprietor smiled and rang up the sale: 68.60 EUROS. At the current exchange rate, the meal had cost $91.39. Easily the most expensive meal of our trip. And in the absence of a menu or prior agreement, we had to pay it. The man had seen us coming and pegged us as idiotic Americans. In retrospect, our behavior was stupid. Normally, I pride myself on my street smarts. Moral of the story: Always ask for a menu!