We left Kaysersberg today. Last night we had dinner and then walked through the village one last time to say goodbye. We said goodbye to the cuckoo clock shop, the 500 year-old bridge, Albert Schweitzer’s house, the gingerbread store, the castle, the bakery, the charming asymmetrical white house, the cookie store, the village cat who…
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I’d like to tell you the story of Audie Murphy. I had another post planned for today. But we were out running last-minute errands this afternoon (we leave to Zurich tomorrow!) and ended up driving through a neighboring village named Holtzwihr, which is where I learned about Audie Murphy. (I have gleaned additional information for…
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France has also taught me about loneliness. And honestly, this is one of the lessons I am most grateful for. My life for the past 4+ decades has been many things, but it hasn’t really been lonely. In fact, more often than not, I was starved for alone time with far too many demands on…
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One thing that has impressed me about French cities and landscapes is that there is a deep respect for the history of the place. When someone wants to build something new, they don’t simply tear down what was there before, but rather, they work with what already exists. In the first photo above, this store…
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Before we came to France, one of the things I was most curious about was the eating habits of French people. I had read that French people have better health outcomes than Americans overall, despite eating crazy amounts of cheese, bread, wine, and chocolate. I wanted in on this sorcery! When it comes to food…
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Another gift this journey has given me is a new life hero: Albert Schweitzer. I first encountered the words of Dr. Albert Schweitzer when I was in college. His book, The Quest of the Historical Jesus, was assigned reading. Afterwards, I’m sure I wrote a paper or answered questions on a test. But none of…
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One of the observations that I have made is that, as a general rule, civility is more present in French culture than it is in American culture. This shows up in little ways. For example, when you enter a store you always greet, and are greeted by, the shopkeeper. When you leave, you say goodbye…
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When we decided to come and live in the Alsace region of France, we knew pretty much nothing about this area. I saw a picture of Colmar on Pinterest and decided I liked its vibe. We found an Airbnb that we liked in a neighboring village, made our travel arrangements, and then showed up! Since…
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As we have traveled throughout Europe, we have felt and seen the impact of World War II more keenly than at any previous time in our lives. It is present here in a way that it is not at home. In the U.S., I think all of us have some vague sense that there was…
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