The show is a bit appalling. Since the German reunification in 1990, Checkpoint Charlie has become a sort of historical ‘Disneyland’. Students dressed as military policemen get photographed for a few euros and some peddlers sell fake chapkas bearing the symbol of the Red army. November 2006. Le spectacle est un peu désolant. Depuis la…
I met this white-bearded gentleman in the Acadian village, a re-created early settlement near Lafayette. His name was Louis Choplin (born 1922). He was said to have been a crawfisherman, trapper, a D-Day soldier, chef, lumberjack, butcher, painter, carpenter, pipeline foreman and Santa Claus. A local star, he willingly posed for photos and was also…
Palazzo Farnese houses the French embassy in Italy. Tourists do not even spoil the ‘Dolce Vita’ mood that you feel in sidewalk cafés in front of the palace. May 2005. Le Palazzo Farnese abrite l’ambassade de France en Italie. Les touristes ne parviennent pas à gâcher l’atmosphère de Dolce Vita qui règne sur les terrasses…
Like many German cities, Cologne was destroyed at the end of World War II. There is not much to see from a tourist standpoint, except perhaps the collections of the Wallraf museum. August 2008. Comme beaucoup de villes allemandes, Cologne a été détruite à la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale. Il y a peu…
The girl could be from any city in Europe. But the car in the background makes you guess you are not in Paris. Sofia is like many cities in Eastern Europe: a mix of Western European style and memories of the communist years. April 2009. La fille pourrait être dans n’importe quelle ville d’Europe. Mais…
I was lucky to have lunch at Bens in Montreal. The place was known as ‘Bens De Luxe Delicatessen and Restaurant’ and was famed for its smoked meat sandwich. The last time I was in Montreal, I found its doors to be closed. After 98 years in business, operations stopped in 2006 and the Art…
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