It may seem strange to include a picture of a shopping cart, but shopping in France was one of the other differences noted by the students. First and foremost, due to the relationship of the euro to the dollar, they noted how "expensive" things were. For example, gas worked out to be almost $10 a gallon! Of course, cars were smaller, but it explained why public transportation is so important, why many people ride bikes or walk. We also noted some of the more environmentally conscious habits here. People bring their own bags to the grocery store. And this shopping cart must be "rented" for a euro or token that is returned when the cart is returned to the bay. Packaging for bread and for fruit is in paper rather than plastic, and recycling and composting is commonplace.