The people of France really adore their children.

Even in big city Paris, complete strangers will often provide helpful advice on how to be a good mother.

That's what a pregnant American discovered when an elderly gentleman stopped her on the street.

He took my hand in his and he told me he thought I looked beautiful and then he thanked me

for making a new French citizen.

Hi, I'm Rick Steves.

Today, it's a Mother's Day edition of Travel with Rick Steves.

American Mary Barone tells us what it's like marrying into French culture

and talks about the joys and challenges of raising a child in Paris.

And another young American mother, Jennifer Wilson, joins us to share her family's adventure,

moving everybody to a tiny rustic village in Croatia,

where her ancestors came from.

The neighbors had a cow on the first floor of their house and the gathering space was sort of

the cafe bar in the middle of town.

That ends some special tributes to our mothers.

It's just ahead on Travel with Rick Steeves.

Hi, I'm Rick Steeves.

In just a moment, we'll meet two American mothers raising families overseas.

We'll find out what it takes to raise a child in Paris, and hear about one American family's experiment

to live in the Croatian mountain home of their ancestors.

It's a special Mother's Day edition of Travel with Rick Steeves.

We're proud that this episode of our program won the 2013 Lole Thomas Award Gold Prize

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