Outside of Paris:
Very friendly and helpful locals in Loire Valley, Dordogne, and Provence including: a lady in Avignon who insisted on giving us a mini private tour around the area near the Papal Palaces; near Arles, another lady who actually got into our car to help us find where we were going; and a elderly gentlemen in Amboise who ended our pantomime conversation with "Viva les États-Unis!" and we responded with "Vive la France!"
Best and freshest food ever eaten including bull, rabbit, pig's cheeks, chicken, pork, beef, escargots, fish and other sea foods along with locally grown vegetables and legumes.
Best bread and jams.
Beautiful and delicious French pastries.
Good wines, although we are not experts in any way.
Got to see three caves in Dordogne: Font-de-Gaume, Peche Merle, and Lascaux II without much hassle.
Honeymooners from Boston just showed up at Font de Gaume and got it in and there were still two spaces available for the tour. Our tour was not supposed to be in English, but the very enthusiastic lady tour guide went ahead and spoke English since we were all Americans.Our credit cards worked at all ticket booths.
Toilets were clean and free.
Drank tap water with no problems.
Never thought I would like France so much.