In France saying you're vegetarian goes one of two ways, if you're lucky you get a vague indifferent look and a mumbled pas de soucis or a strange reaction akin to announcing you have Ebola.
If you're ever invited to someones house for dinner and you say "by the way, I'm vegetarian" be careful. You never know what to expect. I've had things ranging from a basic salad of only lettuce, fish, fried chicken, pepperoni pizza and being told to peel the meat off, and vegetables that were roasted in animal fat. Yeah. It's that bad. So every time I get invited somewhere new I seem to precise it once again, I don't eat this, this or that. Then you'll have someone invite you back and they'll have forgotten, trust me. It'll be awkward.
Hospitals are a nightmare. They don't do vegetarian, ever. I was told if I wanted vegetarian food I'd have to see a dietitian first. So they kept giving me fish, and I kept saying I wasn't hungry. That's still better than the things I've had given to me during my visits with Alexandros mind. I've had a mystery quiche that was vegetarian but smelt of bacon, two or three salad leaves with a smug comment about how they forgot I eat weirdly, the most disgusting fish I've ever tasted, and pasta with a tiny bit of butter that's somehow meant to flavour it.
Restaurants can be hard. A good one will have veggie options! A less good one will have a decent selection of fish, or will be willing to make you something without meat. However you need to know your stuff. Some soups have dripping in them, usually cow or pig. Animal products can hide pretty well, and telling the person serving you that you don't eat meat isn't always enough. A crap fast food place like McDonland's, you're out of luck, you either have meet or fish. Also be careful with cultural restaurants like sushi bars, they'll have meat and fish, but only salad and rice for veggies. Chinese is kind of the same too, but it depends on the place. Fancy burger places do normally have a vegetarian option though, some are better than others, but it's always worth looking.
Which comes down to the easiest option, I'll occasionally eat a bit of fish. This started when I was in the young mother's home and wasn't eating very well, with either rice or pasta on a daily basis and then they'd be the problem of not having any protein and being too poor to buy my own food. Then when I started going out more I found it increasingly difficult. Fish doesn't bother me as much as meat, although it's rare. Sometimes weekly, sometimes I'll go six months without. It depends on what's available. It's very rare I buy fish to cook at home though. I did twice last year, to make fish suppers.
I wouldn't change though, I'm happy being meat free. I just wish it was more accepted.
