Sounds like just the kind of wonderful trip I'd like to make, Rick. Having heard so much about the unfriendly treatment of Americans by the French, I'm delighted, and find it encouraging, to hear your wife and friend were treated so well.
No surprise about you learning the language best from the streets. IMHO, the best way to learn any language is to just wade in there and use it. Doesn't help a lot in reading comprehension, but one sure can learn to understand, speak, and think in it much faster.
Humble apologies to our French-speaking friends for the thread hijack
