Plans are not decided yet, but the dates are firm. We'll be traveling mid-summer for about a week to ten days. My only concern is the last time we were in southern france, the french loved american money, but hated americans; Is it still so? Also, we require plush accommodation. at deal $$$ if possible. love to sight see but desire to feel the "real-ness" of each area we travel to. We're both athletic, have great stamina, but we both like the softer side of life. Any and all suggestions and comments are welcome.
Thank you in advance for your input,
LL2

We/I have 3 thoughts.
1. Florence, Capri and the Amalfi coast.
2. london and Paris
3. Prague, Salzburg, and Vienna.

Hi LL2; The French don't like anyone with an ATTITUDE and I think you have an ATTITUDE. ENJOY iris1745/dick

Thanks for your input, however, that couldn't be further from the truth.

You should forget about France if that's the way you feel about the people. It's you, not them.

Hi LL2, here's a positive idea.

you say you have a week to 10 days. you have also had problems previously in France.

I therefore suggest that you concentrate on either of the options that doesn't include france, and go for EITHER
Capri and the amalfi coast, [florence as well would be too much travel and isn't really nearby] OR
any two from Prague, Salzburg and Vienna.

you could search this forum for more ideas as to which you would prefer, or have a look at some guide books.

those options give plenty opportunities for the type of travel you seem to like.

regards, ann

<i>he last time we were in southern france, the french loved american money</i>

When was that? My experience of travel in France over a 30+ years span is that they only wanted their own currency, either francs or euros.

Well, they sure don't want your dollars now, but they probably still don't like you, so I'd stay away....very, very far away.

the only interactions i had with the french were very friendly


well except the waiter who kept swearing under his breath at us tourists at some restaurant near sacre coeur


but the real people were kind and nice and patient

The waiter swearing under his breath was probably not French. A French waiter usually swears out loud!

When you say they loved American money I don't think you meant you were literally spending dollars - I think you meant that they wanted your tourist spending? OK, sure, of course.

But did you really feel they hated you because you are American? Or were you there at a time when there was a lot of bad feeling in Europe about American policies (esp. 'the war on terror' etc? those are two entirely different things. Not liking American foreign policy, and having a view on Bush, does not mean that you, or the American people as a whole, are personally hated. Far from it. You need to separate politics from the personal and you'll be much happier on your travels. So many Americans on here talk about 'hate' in relation to politics, whether it's accusing those who have different political views of hating America, or hating them, or hating politicians. Very few Europeans feel that strongly about individuals or confuse the acts of a nation with the members of that nation.

Don't worry. The French hate everyone; even themselves!

Might as well post this once again:

TOURIST INFORMATION--FRANCE

General Overview :

France is a medium-sized foreign country situated in the continent of Europe. It is an important member of the world community, though not nearly as important as it thinks. It is bounded by Germany, Spain, Switzerland and some smaller nations of no particular importance and with not very good shopping.

France is a very old country with many treasures, such as the Louvre and Eurodisney. Among its contributions to western civilization are champagne, Camembert cheese and the guillotine. Although France likes to think of itself as a modern nation, air conditioning is little used and it is next to impossible for Americans to get decent Mexican food.

One continuing exasperation for American visitors is that local people insist on speaking in French, though many will speak English if shouted at. Watch your money at all times.

The People :

France has a population of 56 million people. 52 million of these drink and smoke (the other 4 million are small children). All French people drive like lunatics, are dangerously oversexed, and have no concept of standing patiently in a queue. The French people are in general gloomy, temperamental, proud, arrogant, aloof and undisciplined; those are their good points. Most French citizens are Roman Catholic, though you would hardly guess it from their behaviour.

Many people are communists. Men sometimes have girls' names like Marie or Michel, and they kiss each other when they meet. American travellers are advised to travel in groups and wear baseball caps and colourful trousers for easier recognition.

Safety :
In general, France is a safe destination, although travellers must be aware that from time to time it is invaded by Germany. Traditionally, the French surrender immediately and, apart from a temporary shortage of Scotch whisky and increased difficulty in getting baseball scores and stock market prices, life for the American visitor generally goes on much as before. A tunnel connecting France to Britain beneath the English channel has been opened in recent years to make it easier for the French government to flee to London during future German invasions.

History :

France historical figures are Louis XIV, the Huguenots, Joan of Arc, Jacques Cousteau and Charles de Gaulle, who was President for many years and is now an airport.

Government :

The French form of government is democratic but noisy. Elections are held more or less continuously and always result in a draw. The French love administration so for government purposes the country is divided into regions, departments, districts, municipalities, towns, communes, villages, cafes, and telephone kiosks. Each of these has its own government and elections. Parliament consists of two chambers, the Upper and Lower, though confusingly they are both on the ground floor, and whose members are either Gaullists or Communists, neither of whom should be trusted by the traveller. Parliament's principal occupation is setting off atomic bombs in the south Pacific and acting indignant and surprised when other countries complain. According to the most current American state department intelligence, the President is now someone named Jacques. Further information is not available at this time.

Culture :

The French pride themselves on their culture, though it is not easy to see why. All their music sounds the same and they have never made a movie that you would want to watch for anything but the nude scenes.

Cuisine :

Let's face it, no matter how much garlic you put on it, a snail is just a slug with a shell on its back. Croissants on the other hand, are excellent, although it is impossible for most Americans to pronounce this word. In general, travellers are advised to stick to cheeseburgers.

Economy :

France has a large and diversified economy, second only to Germany's in Europe, which is surprising because the French hardly work at all. If they are not spending four hours dawdling over lunch, they are on strike and blocking the roads with their trucks and tractors. France's principal exports, in order of importance to the economy, are wine, nuclear weapons, perfume, guided missiles, champagne, guns, grenade launchers, land mines, tanks, attack aircraft, miscellaneous armaments and cheese.

Public Holidays :

France has more holidays than any other nation in the world. Among its 361 national holidays are: 197 Saints' days, 37 National Liberation Days, 16 Declaration of Republic Days, 54 Return of Charles de Gaulle in triumph as if he won the war single-handed Days, 18 Napolean sent into Exile Days, 17 Napolean Called Back from Exile Days, and 2 "France is Great and the Rest of the World is Rubbish" Days.

Conclusion :

France enjoys a rich history, a picturesque and varied landscape, and a temperate climate. In short, it would be a very nice country if it was not inhabited by French people. The best thing that can be said for France is that it is not Germany.