Springtime in the French Vosges

Have you ever heard of the Vosges region in France? Maybe you've had Vosges chocolate before, if you live in the United States, which actually doesn't come from France at all--although I would never say no to white chocolate with spicy black pepper.

Les Vosges is a little-known region in the East of the country, right next to Alsace and not so far away from Germany. It's a mountainous region, with medium-sized mountains perfect for breezy hiking. It was well-known for its textile industry in the 19th and early 20th century, which has unfortunately gone downhill since, and many towns were bombed during World War II. My French side of the family lives there--my papi, or grandfather, was from a small village called Nompatelize.

To celebrate my 100th post (already! thank you to the two people who read this!), I thought a few pictures of how beautiful the Spring is in the Vosges were in order. If you're thinking of visiting France, don't leave this region out--it's got great food as well. You can have wonderful cured meats and strong cheese, and the regional fruit is the super-plumpy mirabelle: a great addition to summer tarts. Oh, and let's not forget ice cream and candies made with pine sap, which are a great treat.

My favorite part? Looking out the window as my train rolls in, when the sun shines down on the dark green of the mountains and I just know a weekend spent lounging in the garden is in order. 

I would be saying Happy Spring, but the weather just dropped down a good 10° Celsius and it's raining...so hopefully this will remind you of what a perfect Spring should be like!