100 Strangers: Alex and Dana

Alex Fiferna, our driver, who drove a spotless van. 

The brush proves it! : Prague, CZ

Our trip to Prague was made even lovelier by sharing it with two Czech natives--Alex and Dana. Alex was our driver when we went to Krivoklat, Brezi, Krumlov, and Budweis and Dana was our tour guide around Prague. Both were wonderful, fun, interesting guides!

If you ever visit Prague and you want to make a trip into the countryside, contact Alex Fiferna at +420 777 30 85 00. If you want a private tour of Prague, call Dana Jungrova at +420 604 65 45 45. Tell them, Ivo Lucchitta sent you!

Tour guide Dana Jungrova with Ivo Lucchitta in front of a sign for 

the Růžena Zátková exhibit in the Prague Metro : Prague, CZ

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 4/11

100 Strangers: Greg

Gregator : Marseille, FR

On Saturday, we spent the day up at the Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde. Coming home that evening, we popped into a pet shop to buy a treat for friend Faith's soon-to-arrive puppy, Poppy. We had our cameras out and this young man Greg singled us out as photographers and asked if we'd like to take his picture. He was a sweet guy and I was happy to snap a photo.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

100 Strangers: Lena Welsch

Lena Welsch : Freiburger Christkindlmarkt : Freiburg, DE

It's been a while since I posted a 100 Strangers photo. This is Ms. Lena Welsch of Freiburg, Germany. She was staffing one of the many booths at the Christmas market. Her market stall features items made out of felt and range from trivets to hats, purses to dresses, and slippers to mushroom lapel pins. Like many of the vendors in Freiburg, Lena speaks excellent English. We enjoyed bantering back and forth in both English and German and really had fun talking to her. In the end, we bought a trivet from her--those flat, multi-balled items in front of her. If you have a chance to go to the Freiburger Christkindlmarkt, be sure to stop by her booth.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

100 Strangers: Madame LeFevre

Madame LeFevre of Poterie de Hohwiller in the Alsace sells her wares
at the Ferney Pottery Market : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

It's unusual for me to do more than one stranger* a week, but this week was exceptional. As I mentioned yesterday, this past weekend's farmer's market also featured the annual pottery fair in Ferney. Most of the work was by local artists, but the pottery that caught our eye and our pocketbooks was by a potter from the Alsace. We liked her stuff so much, we bought a wine cooler, a teapot and two tea cups, a salad bowl, and a tatin dish. I can't remember her first name, but this is Madame/Frau LeFevre. Fortunately, being Alsatian, she also spoke German, which made purchasing from her a breeze!

* In truth, I probably should have classified Bernard as a friend or acquaintance, because I've been buying produce from him now for nearly a year, which hardly makes him a stranger. The potter from the Alsace, on the other hand: total stranger. C'est la vie, eh?

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

100 Strangers: Bernard

Bernard : Fruits and Veg Stand : Ferney Farmer's Market : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

One of the sights we enjoy sharing with our guests is the weekly market in Ferney. Fortunately, Rachel was here for a weekend, so we took her to the farmer's market. Coincidentally, there was also a pottery fair going on that weekend. In addition to enjoying all the market has to offer, in terms of food, we also enjoyed the work of local and national artisans. More on the latter tomorrow.

Today's post features another addition to my 100 Strangers series. This is Bernard, the guy from whom I buy most of my fruit and some of my veg. He's a great guy with a wonderful, flirtatious sense of humor and he's very patient when it comes to language shortcomings. We banter back and forth in a mix of French and English and I always learn something new every week. If you shop at the Ferney market, be sure to look for Bernard. (You can also see him at the Divonne market on Sundays.)



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

100 Strangers: Coraline

Coraline : Bellelay, CH

This young lady was staffing the reception desk inside the abbey at Bellelay. Her name is Coraline and she's a student. If I remember correctly, she said she'd be traveling to the U.S. in the next year and we spent a lot of time talking about places she should visit while she's there. For those of you who have traveled to the States or who live in the U.S., what sights and places do you recommend to people making their first trip to the United States?

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

100 Strangers: Antje et Stephanie

Antje and Stephanie at the Wistub du Sommelier : Bergheim, FR

I rarely post more than one entry of 100 anything once a week, but this past weekend was full of all kinds of great people. Lilo and her St. Bernard, Amy. John the tablecloth guy. Today, I'm featuring Antje and Stephanie. Antje and her husband, Patrick, run a fabulous little brasserie/bistro in Bergheim called the Wistub du Sommelier.* Patrick is the chef and Antje is the sommelier. Stephanie is one of the restaurant's wait staff. The Wistub produces fabulous Alsatian culinary experiences. (I've written about their restaurant here, here, and here.) The restaurant also has been featured in the New York Times and is well worth a visit. This won't be the last time I go there.

Gemütlichkeit : Wistub du Sommelier :
Bergheim, FR

*In previous entries, I misspelled the name of the restaurant as Winstub. It's actually Wistub.


Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/10

100 Strangers: John of Lebanon

John, the owner of Les Mille et Une Nappe, and friends Diana and Nicole :
Ribeauville, FR

This is John (and my friend Diana and her friend Nicole) outside of his shop, Les Mille et Une Nappes, in Ribeauville. We each bought tablecloths and napkins. I snapped this photo of John and am featuring him as another of my 100 Strangers. John is originally from Lebanon and was quite a lot of fun. He has fabulous linens for indoor and outdoor tables in a thousand styles, colors, and sizes. If you're interested in uniquely Alsatian pieces, this is also the place to go. Below is a photo of the table on our terrace and the oil cloth I bought for it. I also have napkins to match.

New oil tablecloth on the table on the terrace :
Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/10

100 Strangers: Lilo

Lilo Peil with her dogs, Monty the Bulldog and Amy the St. Bernard : Ribeauville, FR

We went to Ribeauville in the Alsace-Lorraine for the sole purpose of visiting a shop called Les Mille et Une Nappe (A Thousand and One Tablecloths.) I'll have more on that later. After making my purchase, I went outside to hang out with friend Scott and the dogs in front of the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). While I was waiting, a couple arrived with a little French bulldog and a HUGE St. Bernard.

This is Lilo Peil. She's from Höchenschwand in Germany and was quite happy to let me snap some photos of her and these two beautiful dogs. The bulldog is called Monty and the St. Bernard is Amy. The latter recently gave birth to eight puppies! Lilo says, if you're in Ribeauville next weekend, there will be 200 of these dogs in town. If it wasn't my birthday and I didn't have guests coming, I would totally drive the three hours to Ribeauville to see 200 of these dogs in one place.

No small dog here! Amy the St. Bernard : Ribeauville, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/10

100 Strangers: Umberto and Giselle

The well-heeled Umberto and his human, Giselle : Brigels, CH

On our walk through town, we met this very handsome, standard black-and-tan dachshund, Umberto, and his human, Giselle. This had to be one of the finest standard dachshunds I've ever seen. He was quite handsome, well-heeled, and calm. His behavior seemed to indicate show quality, but I forgot to ask Giselle this. Umberto and Giselle are this week's 100 Strangers.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 4/10

100 Strangers: Oscar

Oscar, the rescued dog from Eriteria, thanks to his human, British diplomat Chris : In the fields near Bossy, CH

Okay, technically, this doesn't count as a stranger, but this is Oscar the Dog. We met Oscar the other evening when we were out walking in Switzerland. Oscar is this happy-go-lucky dog from Eriteria who was out with his human, British diplomat Chris. We talked to Chris for a bit and learned the following:

Chris and Oscar walking along the vineyards between Ornex, FR and Bossy, CH

1. Chris rescued Oscar as a puppy off the streets of Eriteria. If he hadn't, Oscar likely would have been shot.
2. Oscar is named for the British author Oscar Wilde.
3. Oscar doesn't much care for bodies of water.

Oscar keeps an eye on us from a gentle hill in the fields bordering France and Switzerland : Bossy, CH

Chris was, as the Brit's say, a lovely chap and his dog, Oscar, was a complete delight to watch as he gambolled and tore about in the fields along the pathway. Now when we go out for our evening walks, we look for Chris and Oscar. Haven't seen them again since, but we're hoping to.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

100 Strangers: The Coffee Lady

Nicola Bishop-Shaw, the Ferney/Divonne Market Coffee Lady : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

This is Nicola Bishop-Shaw, the Coffee Lady. She runs a coffee and tea business called Le Moulin à Café. On Saturdays, you can find her selling Fair Trade coffees and teas at the market in Ferney-Voltaire. On Sundays, she's in Divonne Les Bains. Nicola hails from the U.K., but has made her home in France for the last 15 years or so. If you shop at the markets in Ferney or Divonne, be sure to stop and visit her booth. She'll give you a cheery hello and can brief you on all things coffee and tea!

 Nicola sells Fair Trade beans from Costa Rica...

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

100 Strangers: Woodcarvers

Master woodcarver Ruth Fischer works on a new carving : Brienz, CH

One of the last places we stopped in Brienz was H.Huggler-Wyss Woodcarvers (H.Huggler-Wyss Holzbildhauerei AG). At one time, the company employed 20 master woodcarvers. Today, there are only six.

 Master woodcarver Hanspeter Stähli plies his craft at his workbench : Brienz, CH

Two of them are Hanspeter Stähli and Ruth Fischer. We met them the day we were there and they graciously allowed me to photograph them at work.

 Carved and painted figurines depict some of the traditions and costumes of the Bernese Oberland : Brienz, CH

Hr. Stähli and Fr. Fischer and their fellow artisans carve and paint wooden figures depicting traditional Alpine life in and costumes of the Bernese Oberland. They also make beautiful nativity creches. If you're looking for a uniquely Swiss gift, this is the place to go. They're located on Hauptstrasse 64 in Brienz.

Close-ups of Fr. Fischer and Hr. Stähli : Brienz, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 2/10

100 Strangers: Victoria

Victoria, the very friendly clerk at Diwali : Paris, FR

Between our jaunt from Sainte-Chapelle to the Arc d'Triomphe, we went back over to the Left Bank and the Diwali scarf store in the rue de la Huchette to pick up some gifts for a few people. (We'd also been there the day before, where Janeen and I bought ourselves alpaca hats and gloves.) The young lady working in the shop was very helpful and incredibly friendly, so I asked if I could take her picture. Her name is Victoria and she was happy to let me snap her photo.

All the pretty scarves and gloves make a visit to Diwali a must : Paris, FR

Contrary to popular belief (or myth), Parisians are some of the warmest people I've met. As long as you make even the smallest effort to engage them in French, they'll gladly speak English with you and this young lady was no exception!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

100 Strangers: Aussies in Paris

Aussies in Paris : (L to R) Alice, Stephen, Duke, and Beth

Right after we visited Notre Dame and before we trekked off to the Louvre, we stopped for a little something to eat at a restaurant near Shakespeare & Co. bookstore on the Left Bank. This group of young people, especially the young ladies, struck us and I asked if I could take their picture. I can't find the piece of paper where I wrote down their names (although, I seem to recall that the red-headed young man was named Duke), but they told us they'd been attending a U.N. youth conference in the Hague and had visited the Palais de Nations in Geneva and were now visiting Paris.

We talked briefly about our hopes for world peace and a global community free from war and want. The young women, especially, seemed to be enjoying their trip to Paris as evidenced by their very Parisian hats!

Update: Janeen says the young lady in the black hat was named Beth and the other chap's name is Stephen. We're trying to find the name of the lass in the beret. Stay tuned...

Update 2: The young lady in the red beret is Ms. Alice Dawkins. Thanks for leaving a comment, Alice! Look forward to your visits here.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

100 Strangers: Michel and Christian

Michel "Mike" and his friend, Christian, at the Louvre. Mike was a student in the U.S. many years ago and loves America. 

We met them as we were trying to figure what to see in this vast museum of museums. : Paris, FR

The night we went to the Louvre, Janeen and I were standing inside under the I.M. Pei pyramid trying to get our bearings. I don't know what tipped us off as American, because we weren't being loud or ostentatious, but next thing I knew, this kindly looking gentleman was asking me, in English, about my camera. I replied "It's a Nikon" and we bantered back and forth for a few seconds. Then he said, "I'm Mike."

Turns out Mike is actually Michel and he lived in the U.S. many years ago as a student at Bethany College in West Virginia. He and his friend, Christian, were at the Louvre for a concert. They recommended a special exhibit of sketches to us (which we saw) and then we all parted ways. I promised Mike I'd email him when I posted his picture and here it is.

Bonjour, Mike! It was nice meeting you in your beautiful city!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

100 Strangers: Eric the Painter

Eric paints the Sacre-Coeur : Montmartre, Paris, FR

Not far from the Sacre-Coeur is a plaza called the Espace de Salvador Dali. Artists gather here to paint and sketch and sell their art. This is Eric. He was painting the Sacre-Coeur. To see more photos, go here.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

100 Strangers: Charles

Charles, the Savoyarde bread man at the Ferney market : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

This is Charles, the Savoyarde bread man from Annecy, France. He's at the Ferney market every Saturday selling his FABULOUS! breads. There are three things the French do well: bread, butter, and cheese. Charles is a lovely Frenchman who always greets his customers with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. When you buy his bread with olives or lardons (bacon bits), he winks and tells you not to share it with your friends! Seeing Charles and buying bread from him is one of the highlights of my Saturday market errands.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

100 Strangers : Bruno u. Johann

Bruno Schneeberger and Johann Nestau : Aarberg, CH

While we were in Aarberg, we happened to meet these two gentlemen--Bruno Schneeberger and Johann Nestau. Hr. Schneeberger was quite friendly and insisted we sit and have an espresso. (Nein, danke!) Hr. Nestau was the character of the two. He kept going on and on about the silly Americans and their silliness.

Bruno tries to reason with Johann. Good luck! : Aarberg, CH

Then, he grouped the Australians in with us and ranted a bit about their silliness. Frankly, between his Schweizer-Deutsch and the beer he'd been drinking, I'm not sure where he was going with all of that. Either way, it was fun to meet some of the locals. At the very least, it was colorful! Anyway--Hr. Schneeberger and Hr. Nestau are this week's 100 Strangers.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 07/09

LABELS: 100 Strangers, Europe, Locale-Aarberg, Meeting the Locals, Switzerland

Extreme Talent

Benjamin David, Accordion Artist Extraordinaire : Altstadt Genf : Geneva, CH

I finally have a new addition to my 100 Strangers series. While Kara and I were wandering over to Saint Peter's Cathedral and Square in Old Town, we could hear this beautiful music that we thought was organ music coming from the church. Imagine our surprise to find this young man, Benjamin David, playing an accordion! His musical skill and talent were amazing and you could see the connection between Benjamin, his music, and his instrument in his face and the way he played. It was sublime! If you're ever in the Alstadt and you stumble across this guy, throw a five franc piece his way. Worth every centime and more!

Benjamin was very obviously a part of the music and instrument he was playing.
Click on the images to enlarge and enjoy his facial expressions.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 07/09