The perfect spring break, or: Famous potatoes

My German friends are often amazed when I tell them I’ve been to their home town — whether it’s Darmstadt, Bremerhaven, Görlitz or any of dozens of smaller places. Many of them have traveled around the world without ever having explored much of their own country. I wasn’t any different when I was growing up. The world I knew was … >>

The coming of spring

This past Monday saw the return of a yearly event in my home state of Pennsylvania: Groundhog Day. Groundhogs are large rodents that live underground. The saying is that if one of these animals sees his shadow on this day, six more weeks of winter will follow. If he doesn’t, then spring will come early. The tradition was brought over … >>