I have heard the gamut of complaints and compliments about Paris. My own experience is much like Nancy’s and Patricia’s. Actually, I was frustrated on my attempts to use French whilst in Paris the last time there. The waitstaff would listen to me ask for whatever it was and reply in English! And, the service they gave to my wife and me was generally good, even in the tourist areas around Notre Dame.

On my second trip to Paris, the tour I was with stayed in a two-star hotel by Convention. My fellow travelers complained about the rudeness of the lady who kept the kept and provided service for the petit déjeuner. However, when I saind to her with a smile and responded to her question which was asked brusquely for coffee with cream and a croissant in French, she smiled, cleaned off a spot for me, and served me promptly. Everyone stared amazed. Better, she was just as nice the next day, greeting me first and asking if I wanted the same as yesterday (in French, of course)!

This is not to say that there were no rude Frenchmen on any of my three trips. There were. But, they exist anywhere. And, in Paris, they seemed to be the minority.

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