Alsace, France

Alsace is a region in eastern France that has a strong German influence in its culture due to its sovereignty changing hands between France and Germany a few times during the past few centuries. I decided to visit the largest city in the region, Strasbourg, to experience this Germanic culture.

Strasbourg is a small, cosmopolitan city that is very livable. It is often not crowded and people are on bikes all the time. The highlight of this visit was viewing the German-like wooden buildings that adorn the central areas of Petite France and Grand I’le. These were in all sorts of colors.

Thanks for CS host Pascal, I was able to savor two of the region’s specialties. We went to a German-style bar to taste tarte flambee, a naan-like pie with cream, ham and onions on top. Optional toppings include mushrooms, cheese and sauerkraut. Moreover, Pascal cooked, a tarte de l’oignon, which is an quiche-like pastry with onions and ham. Both were absolutely scrumptious!

Lastly, I journeyed to a town in Alsace called Colmar, which is in the heart of the Alsatian wine region. Not having a car, I went to a wine cellar in town and sampled the region’s famed whites--Riesling, Muscat and Gewurztraminer.