Today I sleep in a bit, having nothing pressing to launch me out of bed. I turn on RTÉ Radio as I make coffee and prepare a breakfast of yogurt, granola and some berry preserves. Throughout the day, the various news segments and talk shows address a range of topics relating to COVID — whether schools should remain closed, whether construction workers should continue to be considered “essential...

The alarm siren from a restaurant across the street has been going off every since I got back yesterday. Thankfully, it’s on the living room side of the apartment, and with the bedroom door shut it was barely audible so I was able to sleep fine last night. I think the alarm in question belongs to the FX Buckley steakhouse directly across from my apartment. I decide to take action (and no...

My last morning in Strasbourg, I awake to a wet snowfall that gives the city a magical winter feel. The shuttle bus to the Frankfurt airport is scheduled for 9:15, and my gracious hosts not only drive me to the stop but wait until the bus arrives and I’m settled aboard. There are a handful of other passengers on the bus, and the ride is uneventful. By the time we arrive to the Frankfurt Airport...