Thank You France!

To the people of France, thank you from a very happy American couple.

My wife and I spent several weeks planning a Valentine's trip to France. We
posted questions to this newsgroup and other travel forums. We read what
travel guides we could find, etc. It seemed that the more we read online in
forums and travel reviews, the more we were led to believe that the French,
in general, were rude and/or inconsiderate to their American guests.

We had such a great time in France! Everyone we spoke with was kind and
helpful. Trust me, the 10 words of French I could use in proper context
must have been extremely hard for the French to understand when you consider
how thick my Texas accent is. Yet, nobody brushed us off, we never felt as
if we were being ignored, I can't recall even one negative thing about our
dealings with the people of France. (I could do without the numerous
inconsiderate tour groups - ethnicity of said tour groups withheld
intentionally, but if you were at Versailles at the same time we were, you
know what I'm talking about)

True story. We found a parking garage just south of Montmart, parked,
walked out of the building and began reading our map in an attempt to get
our bearings so we could proceed to Sacre Coeur. A French gentleman walking
by stopped and pleasantly asked if he could help us find something. In very
good and kind English he explained how we could reach our destination AND
included a couple of suggestions for other things we might want to see in
the area.

I will certainly return to France someday. The people were great, Paris is
so charming and vibrant, and the country is so beautiful. (oh! that drive
along the Seine from Paris to Rouen and all the villages built along the
ridges and the river) Who knows, maybe someday I will be fortunate enough
to retire in France.

Again, merci beaucoup!