by Pete Barba

Paris

Dad joke warning (but a true story): The Parisians are so snobby, they looked at me like I was an idiot when I ordered “French Onion Soup”. 🤣  I’m an idiot.

After our Disney adventure, we explored Paris for 4 more days.  We marveled at the amazing architecture of Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame.  Paris is awash is beautiful buildings: corner bistros, stately churches, and magnificent monuments.  Just like my father, I never let a teaching moment go to waste, so we learned about how rivets work (there are 2.5 million holding up the Eiffel Tower) and how flying buttresses support soaring cathedrals.

We believe that art is best learned by experiencing it in person and learning about its context.  Kate and I don’t pretend to know much about art, but thanks to YouTube teachers and amazing museums like the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, Gwyn and Drew are getting more exposure than most.  In Paris we learned about the great Impressionists, like Monet.  Not only his depictions of light and color, but also his friendship with the French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau and his blindness later in life.  We also learned about van Gogh, not just his amazing contribution to the Post-Impressionistic form of art, but also his struggles with mental illness.  This led to a great discussion about depression and suicide, and how we are all responsible to watch out for our friends in their time of need.  Worldschooling at its best.

Even though it rained and was freezing cold, this didn’t stop us from walking miles upon miles, discovering hidden alleys, unexpected Christmas lights, and the ever present bakeries with fresh baguettes.  When we weren’t hungry for a meal, you would find us walking down the street devouring bread so delicious it has probably ruined us for life.  When we were starving, we would stop in a local bistro, order a warm bowl of soup and glass of wine and enjoy the amazing culinary experience that is Paris.  This led to the stupid mistake at the top of this story, my ordering a bowl of “French onion soup”.  The moment the words came out of my mouth I realized my mistake.  The server looked at me questioning, as if to say, “of course, you’re in Paris, what other kind of onion soup do you think we serve?  Silly American.”  Besides for this one stupid mistake, overall the French were extremely friendly to us.  It continues to amaze me how far you can get with a smile and a few key phrases in their language. 

The culmination of this lesson was emphasized in a small bistro on our final day in Paris.  Le Petit Vendôme was packed with locals, and after waiting for a few spots at the counter to open up, we did our best to communicate with the owner behind the bar.  This led to relaxed chatting, smiles, and an amazing meal, one that we won’t likely forget.  As the owner had me try different wines, he served himself and we drank together.  Drew got to try duck confit, and loved it.  And the [french] onion soup was beyond compare.  We will be going back some day.

Alsace: Colmar and Strasbourg

After a week in Paris, we drove to Colmar in Alsace, on the German border.  We’ve wanted to experience Europe’s famous Christmas markets for some time, and Colmar didn’t disappoint.  This small town has survived many wars without much damage and looks like you would expect: old timber and stone houses, churches on every corner, and cobblestone streets.  Add to that thousands of strands of Christmas lights, hundreds of Christmas trees and the occasional snow shower to let you know Père Noël is coming.  Finish the scene with little booths selling everything from roasted sausages and sauerkraut, Christmas ornaments, woolen hats and enough mulled wine to make you feel all warm and fuzzy.  “Vin chaud” (hot wine) is Kate’s new favorite seasonal beverage.

Once again, the “crud” struck and this time I succumbed.  (7 weeks of illness so far!)  Even though I spent hours on the couch, I was able to still enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.  Thankfully we had nothing to do except wander the streets and do some schooling, so I didn’t miss much.  We’ll explore the area next time…and there will be a next time.  Who’s in?

We did manage an evening trip to Strasbourg, which is a bigger city and has a larger Christmas market.  We are glad we went as we got to see their huge Christmas tree and gorgeous cathedral.  While we loved the food in Colmar, we also enjoyed Strasbourg’s amazing market food.  Each year, they have their best Michelin-starred chefs create soups that raise money for charity.  For a whopping $3 we had soup from one of the region’s best restaurants! We also enjoyed our daily ration of mulled wine, potato pancakes, and spätzle, all to help us fight off the winter chill.  We love French food!

After a week in Paris and a week in Colmar, we were on the move again.  Despite passing around illnesses and damp weather, we were filled with the holiday spirit as we moved north to Copenhagen for hygge, smørrebrød and gløgg!

Thanks for reading to the end.  Next up: Copenhagen, Denmark!  Don’t forget to check out our past stories and subscribe for future articles as well.  Find us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content!  Please note that any links or business names provided are for information only, we did not receive any compensation for our opinions or recommendations. As always, if you are planning a trip to any location we visit we are happy to provide more details and opinions, so feel free to contact us.