BIENVENUE

From the warm wooden houses in Germany and Switzerland to the cold and barren stone villages in France. From the clean and convenient camping platz to the bare bones camping municipal. From a wholesome breakfast to a black coffee start of the day. From manicured parks to dog poop infested streets. On paper Germany is way more pleasant than France. But still... France has immediately won me over (again).

This month it is exactly 20 years ago that I made invitations featuring a French flag, dad strung a plastic tarp over the back patio, mom and I went to buy an entire wheel of brie. We were getting ready for my highschool graduation party that doubled as a goodbye party: I was about to go to France as an au pair for an entire year. At age 17 this was really a big adventure (it would still be now!). I have only come back here twice since then but that one year in Nice has influenced so much of my thinking, my cooking, and my ideas for the past 20 years. Being back again is absolutely thrilling. I was giddy with the level of organization in Switzerland. Now I am high with happiness in imperfect France.

Disclosure: I would gladly take back the Austrian bread and German campsite bathrooms.