Strasbourg in located at the border with Germany in the Alsace region. The city itself has 285 000 people, but the metropolitan area has 500 510. It is also one of the de facto capital cities of the European Union along with Brussels, Luxembourg, and Frankfurt. Strasbourg has the European Parliament, the Eurocorps, and the European Ombudsman of the European Union.  Strasbourg is unique in that it is immersed in Franco-German culture, and acts as a cultural bridge between France and Germany. Strasbourg has also been in the middle of violent disputes between France and Germany. The University of Strasbourg, where the author of the card is attending as a doctoral fellow in psychology, is the second largest in Europe. Catholics and Protestants also co-exist in Strasbourg, as well as being the home of the largest Islamic place of worship in France, the Strasbourg Grand Mosque.  Étoile Noire de Strasbourg (Strasbourg Black Star) is the local semi-professional ice hockey team and pla...