It turned out to be quite the pricey pasta debacle for twin sisters from Wisconsin who found themselves in a rather fishy situation while vacationing in the south of France. Cassidy and Leah Armbruster, travel influencers now residing in Madrid, Spain, shared their misadventure on TikTok, aptly captioned, “You live and you learn,” after being swindled into paying over 500 euros (approximately $530) for a dish of lobster pasta that left them hungry for justice.
@thevacationtwins You live and you learn 🙈 #traveltips #friendgroup #funnytiktok #funnytok #parati #southoffrance #traveltiktok #traveltok #friendgroup #collegefriends #france #foodtiktok ♬ Oui,Oui,Oui,Oui – Sacha Distel
The incident unfolded when the Armbruster sisters and some college friends were on a boat excursion, and their food order got lost in translation. Initially hesitant to order anything since they had brought snacks, they contemplated sharing a pizza. However, their hopes were dashed as the tourist season was winding down, and the boat had ceased pizza sales on September 1.
When a friend suggested trying some seaside pasta, the sisters agreed, assuming it would be reasonably priced. Little did they know, things were about to take an expensive turn. The boat operators informed them that they would return in an hour with the pasta and, upon their return, insisted on payment.
The situation was so absurd that even a local individual came to the defense of the perplexed Americans. The boat’s French captain argued with the restaurant boat over the exorbitant charges. Ultimately, to prevent an international incident, one of the twins’ friends reluctantly footed the bill.
The Armbruster sisters’ TikTok post garnered various responses, with one commenter exclaiming, “Y’all were robbed lol,” while others questioned why they hadn’t inquired about the price upfront. To this, the sisters admitted, “We learned that lesson the very, very hard way.”
This culinary misadventure in the vicinity of Nice is just one of several recent tourist scams reported in Europe. Notably, DK Oyster, a renowned Mykonos establishment known for taking advantage of tourists, charged a Montana couple nearly $800 for light refreshments and a cocktail. Greece has also seen warnings about bars in Kavos recycling old, unfinished drinks for unsuspecting new customers.