An Alsatian Christmas

I left off in my last post just as we were saying goodbye to Switzerland to head to the Alsace region of France, and I'm really excited to tell you about the next chunk of our trip. To start off, though, I have to share a couple stories to share.

First, a quick story about my dad. My father studied in Italy while working on both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, so before I left for my own semester abroad back in 2007, he took me out to dinner to give me some advice. Over steaming plates of savory Indian food, he told me where to find the best gelato in Florence and warned me to be wary of smooth-talking Italian men and of drinking too much limoncello. He also gave me the address for Arte e Artigianato di Capecchi Simonetta, a leather crafts store owned by a family he had befriended during his year in Florence. My father instructed me to go to the store and introduce myself as his daughter. They would, he promised, be thrilled to meet me, predicting that news that "Giacamo's daughter was in Florence" would travel fast. "Yeah, sure," I thought to myself. But I promised him that I would pay the store a visit nonetheless.

Flash forward several weeks later, I took a day trip to Florence from Siena with two friends. We found the little store tucked away on a small street near Santa Croce, and I walked up to the counter. Speaking in my limited, beginner Italian, I managed to explain to the woman working there that I was Giacomo's daughter, as I had promised. Her quizzical looks quickly melted into astonishment. And then, just as my father had described, she started to call her mother and her sister and probably the store next door to let them all know that Giacomo's daughter was in Florence! By the time we left, I had an invitation to Sunday lunch with the Capecchi family a few weeks later, which turned out to be one of the most lovely afternoons I spent in Italy.

That experience, in my mind, speaks volumes about the power of friendships and cross-cultural connections. Even though it had been probably fifteen years since he had last seen them (we visited them when we lived in Austria in the late 1980s), this family remembered my father fondly and warmly welcomed me into their home, treating me like I was an old friend, too. And when my parents went to Italy this past fall, they spent time visiting with the Capecchi family again, continuing a decades-long relationship.

It turns out that Drew's mother has a similar story. About fifteen or twenty years ago, she was waiting at a bus stop in Strasbourg on a cold, winter day. Seeing her standing outside, a man (MC) beckoned her inside the bus shelter to escape the chill, assuring her that she wouldn't miss the bus. Both friendly extroverts, the two ended up chatting until the bus arrived and during the entire three or so hour ride to Frankfurt. Before they parted ways, the man gave her his address and invited her to dinner with his family the next time she found herself in Strasbourg. She took him up on the offer, and over the years she became close friends with him and his wife (NC), frequently staying with them when she traveled to the Council of Europe for work. And when they came to the States several years ago, they stayed with Drew's family in Virginia while they toured DC.

After she retired, they continued to exchange emails and holiday greetings, and when I started thinking seriously about coming to France, Drew's mother put me in touch with MC&NC. They answered my questions and responded to my concerns openly and thoughtfully, and they also extended an open invitation to visit. Through those emails, we learned that, by coincidence, their grandson studies at the same university here as I do and that their granddaughter is studying in Washington, DC. Drew's family has had her over for dinner, continuing the family relationship across generations, like the friendship between my family and the Capecchi's.

Strasbourg!
Sometime in the fall, I got back in touch with MC&NC to find a good time to visit, and they invited Drew and me to spend several days with them over the holidays. That's how we ended up at the Strasbourg train station on December 23rd, where NC picked us up!

When we arrived, we didn't waste any time indulging our tourist spirit. It just so happened that MC&NC's daughter and granddaughter were about to leave for the center of town near the Christmas market when we arrived, and they offered to give us a ride. We happily accepted, quickly dropping off our bags before hopping back in the car with them for the short five-minute ride.

The historic city center had no fewer than ten Christmas markets, and the maze of streets meandering from one market to the next glittered with lights strung from one end to the other. The smell of mulled wine, crepes, and waffles drifted through the air, and the sounds of Christmas music mingled with the din of the crowds of people streaming around us. We were blown away -- no wonder Strasbourg has been crowned the Capital of Christmas!

Drew got a coconut and nutella crepe to bolster his Christmas-marketing strength

 

Hot chocolate and vin chaud to stay warm!

Excuse the lighting, but this gives you an idea. See all the people?!

After wandering for a few hours, we headed back, where we got acquainted with our hosts over dinner. They were just as welcoming and interesting as Drew's mother had described. By the time we head downstairs to our apartment for the evening, I felt like I'd known them for years!

On Wednesday (Christmas Eve), NC dropped us off at La Petite France, one of the oldest districts in the city, and from there we had the rest of the day to explore. The historic center of Strasbourg, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988, was incredibly picturesque. We spent hours wandering in and out of all of the little streets, admiring the half-timbered buildings running alongside the canals. A few hours in, I was seriously questioning my decision to study in Lyon instead of in Strasbourg!

Strasbourg cathedral's 1000th birthday!

Although most of the stores and museums began to close early in anticipation of the holiday, a few restaurants stayed open so we were still able to get a late lunch. We had been on the lookout for a place with flammenkueche, which is a dish typical of the Alsace region (although not exclusively Alsace...it's also spelled flammenkuchen or other ways depending on where you are). We had tried a smoked salmon flammenkueche for brunch at Mintwood Place in DC a while back, but that wasn't anything like the ones we tried in Strasbourg. A cousin of pizza, these flammenkueche(s?) had the lightest, crispiest, airiest crust you can possibly imagine, and they were topped with some sort of delicious cheese and mushrooms and other things I don't remember. Yum...

Flammenkueche, one of the typical dishes in Alsace

At that point, we turned back to relax for a bit (aka listened to the Serial podcast) and to get changed for dinner with MC&NC and their family at the home of one of their daughters. It turned out that we were having Chinese hot pot for dinner, dipping different types of meat into broth in a shared fondue-style pot in the middle of the table. Even in France, I still got Chinese food on Christmas Eve!

When we first started talking to MC&NC about coming for a visit over Christmas, they had suggested going to midnight mass in the Strasbourg cathedral. We initially assumed that they were inviting us to go with them, which confused me a little because I knew that their family was Jewish. However, I figured that since the cathedral is so famous, maybe everyone goes to midnight Christmas mass, Christian or not. So, we were a little surprised when it turned that not only were we the only ones going, but none of them had ever been before. But after they assured us that, as tourists, we couldn't miss it, we decided to stick with our plan to go. (YOLO!)

We arrived at the cathedral a few minutes before they allowed people in and were able to snag two seats when the doors opened. The cathedral is immense, so even though we were sitting near the front, it was still a little tough to see the dais. I really tried hard to pay attention, reminding myself that I was creating a life experience (My first midnight mass! In the Notre-Dame of Strasbourg!), but I may or may not have fallen asleep during the service. If I did, then I blame it on the fact that we had just eaten dinner, complete with a glass or two of wine and that it was, well, after midnight. (There's no way I'm the only one who has fallen asleep during Christmas mass before...'fess up!)

Christmas Day was very leisurely. We started out the morning with a kugelhopf, which is a sort of like a brioche in a fun shape with raisins in it. They are traditionally eaten in Alsace on Christmas Day, and MC&NC had surprised us with one so that we could enjoy it for breakfast. We had woken up missing the smell of the orange cinnamon rolls that Drew's family makes every year on Christmas morning, so this was the perfect substitute.

Before lunch, at MC&NC's suggestion, we went for a walk along the Ill River, which eventually flows into the Rhine, the border between France and Germany. We strolled along the river until we reached the Parc de L'Orangerie and then wound our way back following whichever little pathway caught our eye. The best part was finding a little zoo in the middle of the park! I have to say, for a really small zoo, they had some incredible animals -- particularly the birds. I wish I had taken more photos to show you how gorgeous they were, but all I have is this guy.

About ready for lunch at that point, we turned to head home, stopping along the way outside the Council of Europe building for a quick photo shoot.

After a tasty lunch of omelettes, spaetzle, and apple tart, we went out for a drive with NC in the countryside around Strasbourg. She showed us Obernai, an adorable little town about 45 minutes from Strasbourg, and then drove us through the tiny town a few miles farther down the road where her father had grown up. Before heading home, she also stopped at a nice spot along the Rhine river where we could look across to Germany. We felt pretty lucky to have our own personal tour from a born-and-bred Alsatian!

How gorgeous is that tart?

Obernai!

Could this door be any cuter?

Ancient Obernai synagogue

France on the left, Germany on the right!

We had some more down time between our tour and dinner, so we listened to a little more Serial (has anyone else following the latest developments??) and enjoyed a bottle of locally brewed beer that Drew had purchased at one of the Christmas markets. Having sort of blitzed our way through Switzerland, Strasbourg was super laid-back and relaxed by comparison. I'm usually a must-see-everything kind of traveler, but even I have to admit it was nice to take it easy for a few days while on the road!

Later that evening we headed back upstairs to chat with MC&NC for a while before dinner. It was very cozy. Sitting in a comfortable armchair in the corner of the room, MC gave Drew a little lesson in Alsatian, a regional language similar to German, while his wife told me the stories behind the fabulous artwork in their home. They also explained much of the history of the region, sharing stories from when they lived there during WWII. NC had been a young child at the time, and she recounted how her family had moved all over France over the course of five years to escape deportation.

Alsatian lesson

Selfie!

MC&NC were on a mission to ensure we tasted all of the Alsatian specialties over the course of our stay, and Christmas dinner was no exception: NC had made sauerkraut and a few different types of sausages, a typical dish in Strasbourg. By the time we got to pineapple for dessert, we were stuffed!

Fun fact: notice the bread on the table in the upper right corner. In France, bread is served with most meals and it is always placed on the table, not on your plate!

We had planned to ride bicycles around town for a bit the day after Christmas, but since the weather was gray and drizzly, we ended up having a slow morning instead. We caught up on the news over tea and leftover kugelhopf before finally heading out around 11am. Our main stop for the day was the Strasbourg History Museum, which traces the turbulent history of Strasbourg from its early beginnings all the way through WWII and up to its selection as the seat of the European Union. We also learned about Strasbourg's unique cultural identity, the result of alternating periods of French and German control.

On our way home after the museum, we decided to stop for lunch, knowing that we'd be eating dinner late. Most places were still closed for the holidays, but we found a tiny hole-in-the-wall Tunisian restaurant that happened to be open and was packed with people scooping up spoonfuls of couscous soaked in flavorful, tomato-based sauces. Our dishes were warm and delicious - exactly what we wanted!

Later that night, we got in the car to go to MC&NC's other daughter's house. Now I know I've gone on and on about the food we ate in Strasbourg, but I have to tell you about this meal because oh-my-goodness was it delicious. Although we were eating at her daughter's house, NC had prepared everything: foie gras and smoked salmon as appetizers, morel mushrooms and veal in a cream sauce for the main dish, and a dense, chocolate-y cake for dessert. Food heaven! It was without a doubt one of the best meals I've ever eaten. With wine flowing and a lot of laughter up and down the table, we had a fantastic evening. They really treated us like part of their family, even surprising us with gifts when they did an exchange later that night.

Marzipan present!

The next morning (December 27th), we reluctantly packed up our bags to leave and then went upstairs for a last lunch with MC&NC before they drove us to meet our bus to Freiburg to start the trip to Germany. We didn't want to say goodbye at the bus stop -- Drew and I could have happily stayed much longer!

Strasbourg was a wonderful chance to slow down a bit and connect with some really incredible people. MC&NC are both Alsatian through and through, and their love for the history, culture, and food of the region is evident. We are so lucky to have had such wonderful hosts to share Strasbourg with us, and it was really special to get to know a family with whom Drew's mother has cherished a friendship over many years. I can't thank them enough for the incredibly warm welcome. I definitely hope to see them again before I leave France.

Next up on our trip: Germany!