At the end of each month, I select a handful of fun and informative Francophone news items that have come across my screen. Here are my picks for September 2021. It’s a Wrap In mid-September, one of Paris’ star attractions received a new skin. The massive Arc de Triomphe is…
Since last month’s calamitous evacuation from Kabul, I’ve wondered what happened to the French journalists, NGOs, citizens, members of the military, and diplomatic corps that were stationed there. This week I came across an eye-opening interview with the French ambassador to Afghanistan, David Martinon, printed in Le Monde. Rather than…
In 1992, my husband Andy and I camped for 4 nights at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state. It was our first trip to this spectacular park—a magnificent wilderness that ironically, Andy was indifferent to visiting. While hiking one day, we spotted a sign for the Wonderland Trail—a ~100-mile…
We all love underdogs: the urban breakdancer that one day makes it on Broadway; the business school dropout that becomes a millionaire; the single parent who takes on the school board and wins; the whistleblower who exposes corporate or governmental corruption. Yet few of us have the stamina to undertake…
As pre-pandemic activities slowly return, I’m beginning to think about when I might travel again to France. However, the pace of life is busier than ever. Last week, we hosted a graduation party for our daughters. At the end of next month, they will be heading off to different colleges.…
Two years ago, as I beamed up at the customs agent from my driver’s seat, the thought that Canadian authorities might not approve of my travel plans was the furthest thing from my mind. I’d vacationed in Canada dozens of times and had never encountered trouble at the border. What’s…
I started watching soccer when my son was in the first grade. That is if you can call watching a bunch of 6-year olds crowding around a soccer ball, swinging their undersized cleats at each other’s shins, watching soccer. To be fair, the kids did more than just hover around…
The day my father, Charles Neubrecht, headed off to college, his mother Lucile pleaded with him not to go. In telling the story, my dad would paint my grandmother as a loving but nervous woman who relied heavily on her youngest son. In contrast, my dad’s characterization of himself depicted…
