On a Cusp

The more you travel, the more you realize how complex and how big the gap between identity and nationality is for a lot of people. One may be born in one place, spending their childhood in another and working in a third one. Then, how you identify yourself might be all the parts of all these cultures you integrated during your life. The degree in which you see yourself as belonging to a specific culture depends on your education, your family and community.

Wherever you are in the world, you are constantly questioned about the authenticity of your roots, either as an Asian or an American for example. You can be considered as a foreigner in your own hometown, birthplace and/or in the current city you live in. As any children of immigrants, we all struggle to relate fully to our family’s cultural identity because some values might clash or some habits might not work anymore.

The feeling of not belonging to neither or to both at the same time bothers me a lot. It is difficult to connect with your family, because of the geographical and cultural distances. Family tells you you’re not enough like them, society tells you you’re not assimilated enough. We are stuck between cultures in the present, straddling on a (very uncomfortable) cusp. However, it is also a strength because it allows us to find the good in different cultures and it elevates our sense of freedom, independence and open-mindedness. Since the boundaries are quickly dissolving in our modern world, we’ll have to realize that almost nothing is fully right or fully wrong in every culture.

Hallstatt, Austria

Saturday morning, we hoped in a rented white Beetle for Hallstatt from Munich. Still half asleep, two and a half hours later, we arrived in the quiet small Austrian town. Lots of tourists were strolling along the steep paths. Most of the shops were closed, only few cafés and restaurants were welcoming passerby.

Along the Hallstätter lake, the lovely traditional houses are agglomerated in random patterns on an abrupt slope. Like in most European villages, a church overlooks the town. The lovely sunny weather lead us on a stroll between the tight alleys and steep stairs.

Of course, the main attraction of the Hallstatt is its gorgeous lake and surrounding mountains. The winter scenery was very impressive to see. Every point of view was breathtaking. I can’t imagine how fall and summer must be in this charming Austrian town.

Au Pied de Cochon in Paris

After our mini trip to Versailles and back to downtown Paris, finding a good restaurant at midnight wasn’t exactly easy. Most places were overbooked, closed for holidays or filled with drunk people. But, we found our luck near the Cathedral Notre-Dame, at Au Pied de Cochon.

Open 24/7, this French restaurant runs at every hour. In that sense, it probably attracts a lot of lost wandering hungry tourists in the area.

Apparently, it started in 1947 and, since then, welcomed plenty of famous guests and celebrities like Joséphine Baker. The Belle Époque décor kept the lavish and elegant character of the old days.

On the menu:

Bassin d’Arcachon, spéciales de l’Impératrice “Joël Dupuch” / Oysters from Arcachon

Gros escargots de Bourgogne Label Rouge / Snails from Bourgogne

Filet de daurade royale, Emulsion de coquillages à la citronnelle, artichauts, pommes grenaille / Fillet of seabream, emulsion of seashells with lemongrass, artichokes, apples shot

Pied de cochon grillé Béarnaise / Béarnaise grilled pig feet

Profiteroles au chocolat

The meal was an absolute delightful feast. My personal favorite is the delicate taste of the seabream. As for the service, I didn’t expect such warm servers (especially in Paris).

Paris, France

Every time I have the opportunity to visit Paris, I feel like it is like a living dream. Its magic emanates from the historic buildings, cobble streets, chic restaurants and sumptuous monuments. A real treat for any history, art or architecture lovers. Ooohh and the food. I don’t need to say more.

The first day I went to Centre Pompidou for the Tadao Ando exhibition and the general collections of modern art. The center is already a great piece of work showing its technical systems and structure as part of its architecture design. Inside, the forum connects the accesses to galleries together. The showcased artworks include works from Picasso, Braque, Cézanne, Matisse, and so on.

A spontaneous night stroll lead us to the beautifully decorated Hôtel de ville and Cathédrale Notre-Dame. Although the nights were cold and windy, a lot of people were taking advantage of the Christmas lights and ambiance.

The holidays season is probably the peak time for the metropolis. Walking in the streets is a real delight to the eyes with all the festive lights hanging above your heads. The Champs-Élysées was blushing in red from the start to the end.

The next morning, we walked to my favorite spot which is la Seine, the famous river flowing through the city. The thing I noticed and love about these pictures of the river is the perfect harmony between all the elements, the historical buildings, the rocks, the old bridges. They seem to tell the same kind of story of a place we read so much about in books and movies.

On Sunday evening, we drove to Versailles with our bags filled with sandwiches and snacks. Unfortunately, the waiting line was unbelievably long so we decided to stroll around the gardens instead.

Nantes, France

Near the West coast of France, Nantes is a charming city that preserved its historic culture through its architecture and its local gastronomy. With the holidays, the downtown area is lit up with Christmas markets and lights above almost every street. From Munich, my 2-hours flight brought me directly to the modest airport of Nantes at night. The first days were meant to just stay home and recharge.

The city lays in the region of Loire-Atlantique which harbours a lot of castles from as far as the Renaissance period. The area is also famous for its crêpes bretonnes, seafood, pastries like le nantais, and so on. Obviously, I took the opportunity to gain some weight and empty the wallet.

Spending Christmas here was quite lovely for the change of scenery and for the French cuisine. And seeing my relatives again felt good to my soul (even through the usual family drama during the holidays ;) ).