Getting to Know You

Contrary to the depiction of French as standoffish, we have found everyone we have encountered to be quite friendly.  Perhaps it is because we are living in a small town.  For instance, while dining at a restaurant, we were seated next to two couples from Montpelier with whom we struck up a conversation in our limited French and their limited English.  At the end, they invited us to come stay at their home down South for a visit.  Not so sure that would have happened in Michigan if we were the ones seated next to foreigners.  Today we are lunching with a woman from New York , Joan, we have not actually met, but a merchant we have in common "fixed us up."  Then last night I was in a different shop where the owner introduced me to another patron, an American from Boston named Patrick, whose mother is French.  When I met Patrick, he responded, "So YOU are the Americans who are lunching with Joan tomorrow."  News travels quickly in a small town.  By the way, crime is nonexistent here, except for parking and driving violations, which have very expensive fines - a revenue producer for all governments it appears.