30 years in the USA, 16 years in Frankfurt, 10 years in the Loire Valley southwest of Paris.

Two lovely daughters.

Fresh bachelor after 20 years of marriage.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Travel is becoming an increasingly unaffordable luxury for me. Moreover, though I enjoy the company of people individually or in small groups, I don't much like crowds and I'm certainly no extrovert.

CS seems like a good way to travel on a budget and meet interesting people at the same time.

Interests

History, philosophy, politics, music, art, cinema, literature, life in general....

• arts
• literature
• wine
• politics
• movies
• traveling
• music
• tour de france
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

The list of musical styles I dislike is far shorter than the list of genres I enjoy listening to.

I have a particular affinity for jazz (esp. 1950-1970) and classical (esp. Baroque and Romantic).

Basically mainstream eclectic: Booker, Ella, Coltrane, Miles, Joni Mitchell, Vian, Vyssotski, Grateful Dead, Jaroussky, Pluhar, Bregović, Petrucciani...

My taste in cinema often parallels my musical interests in terms of cultures and periods. B&W fascinates me more than color. Fritz Lang, Carné, Orson Welles, Hitchcock, Clouzot, Kubrick, etc. Favorite living directors include Jarmusch, Klapisch, Kusturica, Kaurismäki, Besson, Wenders, von Trier, Coen Brothers, Tarantino...

Some of the books I've most enjoyed reading: Magic Mountain, Sometimes a Great Notion, Brothers K, and everything by Umberto Eco.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Personally, I reserve the word "amazing" for other people.

I take great pride in having helped raise two amazing daughters.

In my youth I once rode up L'Alpe d'Huez on the morning before the Tour de France peloton did.

My 1982 Citroën mini-truck consistently amazes me.

Teach, Learn, Share

Of course, otherwise what's the point?

What I Can Share with Hosts

A glass of wine and semi-confused insights garnered from having spent the first half of my life in the US and the second half in Western Europe.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Germany, United States