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I am already biased to the attitudes of the French when it comes to foreigners, having been the as a tourist for a prolonged period of time, i was welcomed like any guest should to this lovely country, the French were quick to show me where i was going, to offer a helping hand when i was lost and even on a number of occasions, spare a bed or offer a spare seat in their cars. A lovely people. However. I am an Australian. It wasn't until i made it clear i was Australian that any of the above treatment came my way. So until then i received the same treatment as any English or American tourist did. It wasn't nice either.

My first example comes from one initially rude French bakery owner when i came into his shop to buy some bread for my first Parisian sight seeing adventure. I was a little of the main tourist roads down a little side street in the Latin quarter when i walked into his store, now it must first be known that prior to this i had been living in London for the past nine months and had a little English accent. So with my struggling french i asked the man for two baguette's, he picked up immediately my lack of French and my accent hinted i had been living in England. his eyes rolled and he obliged and brought me my two baguette's, so i paid the man. However then i asked for some directions, his response to which was "je ne parle pas anglais" it had become a phrase i was well used to i France so i made my way out the door. Then, he shouts out, having spotted the southern cross tattoo on the side of my arm; "You are Australian". Confused to how this baker with seemingly no English speaking ability has managed to suddenly gain a bilingual skill, i reply with, "but you can't speak English?" To which he responds; "Anglias no, Austrlien yes!". I then found the man to be incredibly helpful and charming. I then went on to meet his whole family, his father came and told me about when he fought alongside Australian diggers in battles throughout France and how brave they were. I was given more than enough bread to last me a week and then was walked to the end of the street where i was bid farewell.

There are few English or American tourists who can tell of similar stories.

Having met up with numerous English and American backpackers in my travels, they all tell of how horrible the French people are to them. However American treatment didn't seem as bad as the English treatment, but this also differed in the different regions of France, i spent much time on the southern coast line along the riveria, which loves Americans. Why? Because for the most part, the Americans who come to this area have money. Oodles of it too. I was bewildered to find local French people being kicked out of pubs and clubs to make room for large groups of woohoo-ing American tourists waving handfuls of cash around.

Are the French hospitable to the Americans? Unless you have a house on the French riveria and drive around in a Mercedes Benz. No.

Learn more about this author, Matt Whiting.
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