[MicroBob]

definitely seems like too much but evidently you discussed this already (maybe in the ElD forum thread which I haven't read).

Just skimming over your plan right now. Will read in more detai later. Get the general point though: Europe, lots of cities, lots of different stuff.

Regarding the French and their rudeness:
I'm convinced that the reputation is very much exaggerated by obnoxious Billy and Edna from Alabama being loud and inappropriate and also making zero effort to understand such things as slower wait-service outside of the U.S.
Also perhaps misinterpreting the French national pride.

But the Brits tend to view the French as pretty snobby too so maybe there's way more to it then a bunch of blue-state yahoo's being annoyed at the 'frenchness' of all 'dem weirdos over there.

My hunch is that Americans who can blend him behaviorally should be fine.
Note how they treat each other before making a judgement about whether they are specifically being rude to you because of your American-ness.

Will be interested to hear your observations on this when you check it out.

I went to Paris on a spring-break trip when I was 16.
Thought everyone was prefectly wonderful. That was 20 yrs ago though but their rep was pretty much the same (except without the whole 'Freedom Fries' type tension of not wanting to jump into the Iraq mess with us).