French fierte is subtler than American pride. Flags are not omnipresent, the national anthem does not play before every sporting event and spontaneous chants of “F-R-A-N-C-E” do not break out, well,...

In the middle of October, I took a nine-day trip through four cities in Spain — by myself. On the one hand, travelling alone is brilliant. With no one else dictating what to see, I could do whatever...

I noticed the graffiti before anything else. As the Eurostar entered Paris, I was expecting a city of delicate architecture and scenic views, so seeing the spray paint against austere, industrial buildings...

In front of a house sinking into the street, a group of nine performers — four women, five men, all white, clad in shabby dark suits — chants loudly in French. An audience gathers on one side. Some...