I was in France when I was a teenager (part of a high-school aged jazz-band and show choir).
Paris, July 1987:
My companions and I needed to exchange money (this was WAY before the Euro).
So I approached a likely-looking French woman (being the only one in our group who knew ANY French):
"Escusez moi. Ou est un banque?"
"<blah blah blah blah> droit <blah blah blah blah> gauche <blah blah blah blah> au coin."
"Merci beaucoup."
Translation:
"Excuse me. Where is a bank?"
"You go to the end of the block, turn right, go another block, turn left, and it'll be on the corner."
"Thank you very much."
"<under breath> Stupid American kid thinks he speaks French. I just sent him to the only bank in Paris which doesn't exchange money! Le Ha, le Ha, le Ha!"
I don't understand it completely, but they really DO NOT LIKE AMERICANS. I think it's because they know, that we know, that they know, that the only reason their entire language and culture exists is because America saved their butts TWICE (twice repaying the one time they helped us, back in the late 1700's). They also are starting to realize that American wines are giving them real competition in international prestige (and what is France without whine wine?).
They'll take our money, but they don't want anything else.
(Eastern France isn't so bad, but they're been overrun by the Germans so many times that they're not really French, kind of like parts of the Southwest are more Mexican than American.)
I'd save tous [le spit on le ground] dollars Americain.