A Tale of Two Cheeses

As a child, the first cheese I remember discovering and liking was Muenster. Sure, there were other cheeses in our home such as bland, somewhat weird tasting American slices that made a great grilled cheese, and briny, pungent parmesan, which we sprinkled liberally on Mom’s spaghetti. But these were such normal things that I didn’t […]

The Texas of France

Nestled on the fluid border that divides France and Germany, in the picturesque land between the Vosges mountains and the Black Forest, Alsace boasts a rich, complicated history. A frequent spoil of war, the region has changed hands five times since 1681. When a people experience such swings of authority and allegiance, they develop a […]

In The Museum of Joy

I most often travel solo, but I never really travel alone. Dad was with me today for this one, at least for a little while. He’s been gone almost 14 years, and never visited France, so I didn’t expect to find him here. And yet there he was. Still feeling a bit off kilter in […]

In Which I Stop

I hoisted my bulky suitcase, now a backpack, onto my shoulders and crossed the threshold into Strasbourg’s morning, subdued by fog. Around me, the sidewalks were empty, the only noise coming from my footsteps and the occasional creaks of the buckles and straps as the weight shifted with my stride. Quietly I padded through the […]

In Which I Look Deeper

There’s something about faces that is extraordinary. They are our most defining individual characteristic, and perhaps our most expressive. Without a spoken word, a face can effectively convey emotion, intention, judgement. So often, they are our first “tell” by which our family and friends read us. When we want to disguise our feelings we try […]

In Which I Appreciate Gothic Architecture

There’s something about permanence and persistence that always gets me. Things that come from the past and are still recognizable, retaining relevance long after they were first created. They tie us to another time and unite us in our humanity across centuries, millennia, and epochs, and sometimes they do so in unexpected ways. This is […]