Ben, my German friend and I arrived on the last day of 2018 in rainy Esslingen am Neckar, a gorgeous little German town on the banks of the Neckar River, a short drive from the city of Stuttgard. Having managed to survive the ravages of World War II, Esslingen offers a peek into German history:…
Our journey continued from Alsace, across the German border, through the Black Forest and beyond, to the city of Stuttgart. Located in a bowl-shaped valley, surrounded completely by forest and wine country, Stuttgart is the capital of the Baden-Württemberg region and the home of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. The latter becomes quite clear while driving into and…
Following an afternoon spent touring and tasting (and learning, a lot!) at Domaine Jean Baptiste Adam in Ammerschwihr and Humbrecht 1619 in Gueberschwihr, we were in need of a warm and hearty meal to heal our Riesling-stung gums. We tried a few spots in Gueberschwihr, but the town were largely deserted that evening and the menu offerings…
I don’t often review the restaurant of my travel accommodation, as it’s actually quite rare for me not to venture out for dinner, wherever I’m staying. But after a 30-minute nap that accidentally turned into a 2-hour snooze at the Hotel du Parc in Thann, nothing in the quaint Alsatian town seemed open to take…
Google “Alsatian specialties” and try not to salivate all over your keyboard. I dare you. Baeckeoffe, flammekueche, choucroute, fleischschnacka, tarte à l’oignon… These are hearty and filling dishes served in generous portions, perfect with a glass of local Riesling or Gewürztraminer on a frosty winter’s eve. It’s the kind of food you not just want, but need,…
What better possible way to spend two months off work than to reconnect with folks and hang out in places you never have the time to visit? That was the idea behind planning my trip to Copenhagen. Three friends flew in from their three adopted homes: a Hungarian from Jönköping in Sweden, an Argentine from the…
Yes, I did eat a Danish in Copenhagen. But in Denmark it’s called Kanelstang. And it’s a hell-of-a-lot better than that sad, goopy frisbee of dough you bring for your colleagues at office parties. My old friend who, after 2 years in Sweden has become quite the Scandinavian herself, “does fika” now. That means coffee or…
On our second morning in Copenhagen, we took a walk along the water to Nørrebro, which turned out to be my favorite neighborhood of the city. Full of cute cafes, artisan ateliers and cool vintage shops, this place also seems to have a vibrant night life, with many of the city’s best bars situated within its…
Time is passing much too fast. As I write this, I’m aboard an Air Canada flight home (to Boston), reflecting on the past two weeks of my life. On Wednesday, November 7th I woke up at 10:30, instead of the usual 6:45am. My one-year contrat de professionalization had come to an end. And as I…
There’s a delightful little neighborhood called Saint Seurin Croix Blanche located beyond Rue Abbe de l’Epee, around the Place des Martyrs de la Résistance, behind our street. This neighborhood rocks. Gorgeous, super-traditional, Bordeaux-style limestone houses all in a row, the perfect park surrounding a beautiful church, a little wine bar called La CUV Saint-Seurin with an adorable red facade,…
Our upcoming nuptials pulled the beau and me this summer to the shores of Balaton Lake in Hungary. We rented a car in Budapest and drove first to Siófok, on the southern side, where we spent an afternoon relaxing poolside at our hotel and getting in the mood for a 10-day vacation ahead. After a…
I’ve been spoiled since living in Bordeaux by the occasional weekend road trip out to Angouleme to spend time with my French beau’s French mother, who happens to be an excellent home cook and a very warm, inviting and kind individual in general. Her green thumb is quite evident, with all kinds of flowers, ferns,…
