The flight to Porto took off as scheduled. My seat was in the middle section of the cabin, an aisle seat in a row of three. By the window sat a European woman, round in figure, dressed in a light gray knit sweater. Next to her was a little girl, about seven years old, with … Continue reading A Story in Flight
Let’s cut to the chase: getting around Paris, especially to its airports, is a dismal experience that exposes the city’s overblown reputation. Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), 25 kilometers from the center, demands 40 to 50 minutes on the creaky RER B for €13 —a rattling, strike-prone relic. Orly, 13 kilometers out, forces you onto … Continue reading Paris Traffic: A Shabby Symptom of a Fading City
France’s state-driven dream battles its own weight over decades Liberty, equality, fraternity—these words, carved into France’s revolutionary granite, gleam as a noble trinity. Yet beneath them lurks a paradox: a state-driven vision, crafted to cradle these ideals, has hardened into a yoke too heavy to hoist. From the postwar surge—5.1% annual GDP growth through 1945-1975 … Continue reading The French Paradox: Liberty, Equality, and the State’s Heavy Yoke
As I wander through the cobbled streets of Aachen’s old town, I feel as though I’ve stepped into the pages of an enchanted tale. Though the city is not vast, it brims with an endless array of wonders, each corner revealing a new discovery. The air carries a soft echo of history, mingling with the … Continue reading Aachen’s Old Town: Art, Culture, and Family Fun
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