Much the same in Lorraine. After the Treaty of Frankfort when Alsace and part of Lorraine was ceded to Germany due to the French defeat in the war of 1871, the Germans began moving Germans into Lorraine and the French were not allowed to speak French in public, schools, meetings, etc. For over 40 years this Germanization of Northeast Lorraine continued until the end of the First World War. I knew someone who was born French, then became German, then French, then German, and finally French again just before she died.
Alsace is beautiful country, as is in fact all of France. There is always something different to see.
Had some great wines when I was in Alsace.
I thought the cuisine was close to the US. They had typical french sauces, mushroom etc, but beef and chicken and less fish than on the south coast.
We stayed with mother and daughter in apartment when we first went to paris. There was an alsacienne food market and one night mom made us a home cooked dinner in paris.
On one trip they took us into the hills to a winery with a great restaurant. Another a 250 year old place.
In the mountains there was a sign on the wall. Best deserts in France awarded 2 years in a row. My wife asked, which one. All of them of course!
Our “daughter” was married in Mulhous at a villa with a park around it. Built circa 1900 by an Italian. During world war II, the resistance was using a tunnel from the villa into the town and killing germans in the middle of the night.
The germans got word and burned the villa and killed the owner, but the walls were mostly cement and stone. After the war, the Italian family didn’t want to come to France, so they gave it to the city for a park.
We had a reception outside, wine and cheese etc. Then there were 3 different buffets (one switched out twice). all told 15 hour wedding and reception.
We helped decorate the day before and the day after family and close friends went back and had all the left overs for dinner outside in the park.
I was impressed how many of the kids grew up and stayed in the area. Some turned down jobs in paris and Marseilles.
Our friends work in Basel SW because they got more hours and higher pay. Our “daughter’ hired by chinese import company because she can speak English and answer the phone.