The "people here" simply have very limited
proficiency in
English. In my
high school years (something like 5 years ago), I was among the best students in the whole city for English
marks, but I was still unable to understand spoken English decently (let alone watching TV shows in English). So, yes, people may be somewhat
cold when someone bumps into them speaking a very
exotic language, and expecting to be understood at once.
Other than that, the city is a
sightseer's
dream. Although relatively small (especially by American standards: 50.000 inhbts), it has countless
monuments covering virtually any period of
European history, from the
Romans to the
XXth century, including absolute masterpieces of
Antique and
Medieval architecture. The
necropolis of the
Alyscamps is among the most important on the continent, and its collection of beautiful
sarcophagi is second only to
the Vatican's. If you're into
Roman history and art, this is
the French city that you should visit. The landscapes are gorgeous as well, between rocky hills (
Alpilles and
Luberon - what most people think of when they say
Provence) and the wild plains of
Camargue.
The whole region looks like it has been hand-crafted for the
pleasure and
comfort of
mankind. And when you're sitting on the top of a huge
Roman amphitheatre, it's easy to forget that this big, peaceful monument has seen the agony of hundreds of
christian martyrs.
A touristic map of the city may be found on http://www.ismap.fr (together with maps of Paris, Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, etc.). If you understand French, see http://www.Arles.org
This node is essentially a touristic description of the region. In case you're interested in the history of one of the oldest city in Europe, see Arles.