Spent my first evening in Cologne checking out amazing nearby Christmas markets. The main one is next to the Dom Cathedral with thousands of lights, a stage with music, and stalls galore. Not far away is the Aldstadt Old Town Christmas Market with a theme of gnomes. 
There is a two ice skating rinks with a large ice loop connecting them both, a game played on ice like large shuffleboard at one of the glugwein stand, and traditional music with people singing along in German. 
Ate yummy potato dumplings covered in creme fraiche with fresh herbs, sauerkraut, onions and a smoked sausage. Then walked along the Rhine River to the Christmas market outside the chocolate museum. This one is smaller and nautical themed with Santa pirates singing German sea shanties. Followed the river pathway right back to my hotel.
The next morning, I visited the cathedral. It is hard to describe just how massive it is. So much detail every place you look with massive stained glass windows, some medieval looking and some more contemporary looking. It was fabulous to see it in person. 
Stopped for a snack of sautéed mushrooms smothered in garlic sauce with bread to soak up the sauce. I had planned to visit the Ludwig Art Museum and maybe the Chocolate Museum, but apparently museums are closed on Mondays. 
So I took the train for a peaceful walk around Melaten Cemetery outside the city center. Then went to check out the smaller Christmas Markets outside the city center. Went to Stadtgarden to check out their market with lots of handicrafts. Enjoyed a homemade hot buttered rum with spiced apple and then headed to Rudolfplatz to check out the Christmas market geared towards children. A short walk landed me at the pink, blue, and rainbow gay and lesbian themed market. And then headed to Neumarket with white roof stalls and star lights hanging in the trees. 
Snacked on grilled steak kebab in bread and fried cauliflower in dill batter with hollandaise sauce and can not possibly eat anoth.... oh hey! Waffles shaped like the cathedral with powdered sugar, chocolate, and banana!! 
I headed back for one more round at my favorite Alstadt Old Town Market for more ice skating and snacking. And finally, fully stuffed, I took a walk across the bridge outside my hotel to see the love padlocks lining the fence and get some night shots of the Dom.
The next morning was an early start to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It is a picturesque walled medieval town with pastel colored Bavarian houses and cobblestone streets. The whole town is decorated for Christmas with window decorations. Lots of guesthouses and bakeries all throughout town and the air smells of wood burning fireplaces, baked goods, and roasted chestnuts. Apparently, Walt Disney once visited this town as well, and modeled Geppetto's town in Pinocchio from here. My guesthouse, Zum Breiterle, is above a small restaurant/bakery and conveniently located near the town square. 
The rooms are small but super clean and lots of wood like a small attic room. Walked the small Christmas Market and had delicious wild boar sausage, homemade gingerbread, and roasted marshmallows with nutella. Spent the day walking the entire massive wall surrounding the city, enjoying the views of the town and the surrounding countryside. Breaking up all the Christmas cheer, I stopped in to the Torture Museum (now called the Criminal Justice Museum for political correctness?). 
It was pretty interesting and sometimes funny (did you know that in Medieval times, if a married couple was quarreling, they locked them together with a piece of wood or locked them in their house with a wooden club and gave their neighbors a bit of wine to compensate for the disturbance?) I have also been a looking for just the right Christmas pyramid to add to my home holiday decorations. I have always loved them and wanted one with animals instead of the traditional religious ones that could use tea lights, since they are easier to find than the small candles specifically for the pyramids. Found one with a winter scene with fox and deer and all kinds of animals at a famous Christmas store and it was the last one. The lady who wrapped it for me said "since it is a winter scene so you can use it for more than just Christmas!" 
Little does she know I sometimes leave my Christmas stuff up for more than just Christmas because I love it so much. Back to the Christmas Market for some uh...second dinner (maybe I had already had dinner at a restaurant)? The town seems to have emptied out, as most people come on tour buses and it is drizzling a bit. I found a store to buy a gift for our work gift exchange, since I won't have any time to go to shop once I get home with my work schedule. 
The shop owners were super nice and gave me a little discount for being from the same area as their friend, Rick Steves (who recommends them in his guidebook and sends them a Christmas card each year). Three generations were working in the store, including the father who was as ex-policeman. He showed me a great black and white photo from when the store first opened 70 years ago and has been in the family ever since. Later that night, I went on a recommended night watchman tour in the evening for more town history until it started to pour rain.I had such a good night's sleep, I almost didn't want to get up to head to Stuttgart. But the smell of fresh baked bread, coffee, and farm fresh eggs lulled me out of bed. More train riding, through Ansbach and German countryside eventually landed me in Stuttgart. Stuttgart was not my favorite city. The people seemed less friendly, it seemed dirtier, and just didn't have the same charm to it as previous places. But I may not have given it enough of a chance. Either way, it was a good home base to explore other nearby things I wanted to see. My hotel is small but family run and right above a train station. It is also, coincidentally, right above a burger restaurant!
Took a quick look around the center area before heading to a suburb called Ludwigsburg (incidentally, the hometown of my Iceland to Munich airplane seatmate, an eccentric physicist that reminded me of Einstein). Wandered around and visited the Baroque Ludwigsburg Palace, first built as a hunting lodge that grew to epic proportions. I was just in time for the tour of the Queens side in English. It was an absolutely fabulous tour led by an extremely knowledgeable woman full of stories. 
The inside of the palace was so ornate (sadly, no pictures were allowed). Dining halls full of chandeliers, sitting rooms and libraries full of beautiful furnishings, the most beautiful hallway I have ever seen with light blue walls like the sky and gold and chandeliers. 
There was also a theater, church, and an original window that works as a magnifying glass to make the Rapunzel tower on the palace garden grounds appear larger as you walk away from it. Later, I went to the town square Christmas market surrounded by large lit golden angels. I had some country potatoes with sour cream and a spit roasted pork neck sandwich followed by homemade gingerbread made with honey as the only sweetener, hot from the oven by the baker. 
Kids were on multiple street corners playing music or singing. Then back to the Stuttgart Night Market that was crowded but had a small ice skating rink and the best ride-able Christmas train I have seen yet.
My final full day, I was going to go to a nearby town called Tubingen. But in researching it more, I had missed the chocolate market by a week, it looked a bit like Heidelberg that I had already visited, and the Christmas Market was only on weekends. 
So I took the train a bit further to Hechingen and caught a bus to Hohenzollern to see a castle. Fabulous choice! I walked up the steep hill to the Castle (there is also a shuttle for a couple euro). 
It was perfect weather. The sun came out over a mist and the views from the castle could see for miles and miles in all directions. Had tons of fun exploring the towers, turrets, drawbridges, ramps, and the casemate bomb-proof vaulted secret passages of the neo-Gothic castle. Unlike the Heidelburg Castle that was ruins, this castle was built between 1850-1867 and well preserved and rebuilt. 
Went on a tour just to see some of the ornate woodwork and paintings inside with a small museum of knight armor and other things. All in German again, but their was some information plaques with an English translation (you have to be on a tour to get access inside, but again, no pictures allowed).
Then caught the bus and trains to a suburb of Stuttgart called Esslingen on the Neckar River to check out my last Christmas Market. This one had a medieval theme. I missed the knight jousting over the market, but it was a really fun last market to see. All kinds of costumed people walking around, medieval music performers, blacksmiths creating crafts, their ferris wheel was a water wheel that was hand cranked, a nativity scene that had live animals you could pet, and all kinds of fun games (like a betting game with live mice, a dunk tank, and other fun activities). 
I had a most delicious fried wedge of Camembert cheese in a thin pita-like bread topped with garlic herb sauce and lingonberries, a filling bowl of wild boar chili con carne, apple struesel and a marzipan hot cocoa. I didn't want to leave! 
But I had to head back to Stuttgart for a bit of rest before getting up early for my train ride from Stuttgart back to Munich. Sadly, I can't recommend Iceland Air since they were 0/4 flights on time, had one painfully slow person to check an entire flight in at the Munich airport, and had two flights leaving Iceland for Seattle about five minutes apart leading to mass confusion. But it was super cheap and they somehow did manage to land in Seattle close to on time around 5pm to make it to work by 7pm for a grueling 12 1/2 hour night shift. Still recovering, but it was all totally worth it. All in all, a wonderful trip. Germans tended to be really friendly, nice and helpful. They are straightforward and can seem stern at first, but are really lots of fun. Questioning whether I may be German at heart because they love Christmas festivities and to eat as much as I do (with the obvious understanding that potatoes, sausage, and sour cream make all meals better). I was saddened to hear about the recent event at the Berlin Christmas Market. I can't imagine places so full of joy, families, and fun take such a tragic turn. Glad I wasn't there for that (and thanks for those who checked in on me).Germany Christmas Market trip photos are online or you can view them as a slideshow.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festive Festivus, and a wonderful and safe New Year to all!
Love,
Betsy
Some people tried to help me get on buses and other trains to get around the accident to my hotel, but it was chaotic with all the locals also running around trying to catch other ways around. Finally got close and walked around until I find the City Center. Beautiful architecture, Christmas Markets and yummy food galore.
Got up early in the morning and caught the bus to Viktualienmarket to watch them setup. So many yummy cheese shops, bread, meats, and all other kinds of food. Headed over to the Marienplatz and Ratskeller, the central square, and wandered around. Everything was still opening up, so I jumped on the subway to Poccistrasse and walked down Ruppertstrasse to check out a graffiti area. Stopped at a neighborhood bakery for a pretzel bread covered in cheese and bacon. 
Then back to the central square, just in time to watch glockenspiel spin and come to life and then went up the observation tower for beautiful views of the city. Back to the food... salmon quiche and a taste of obatzda, a bavarian yummy cheese spread of brie, cream cheese, paprika and butter for pretzels. I seriously can't stop eating. You are never more than a few feet away from something that smells delicious! Took the tram to Bavaria Filmstadt, the German version of a small Universal Studios. Due to low season, they only run tours in German. I am sure I missed a lot of info, but they gave me a discount and some Germans on the tour helped translate when they could. Their claim to fame was the movie Das Boot and one of my childhood favorites, The Neverending Story. I got to ride Falcor!! Seriously grinning from ear to ear. 
After that, I headed back to the city to visit Asam Church. Absolutely gorgeous inside with lots of gold and beautiful ceiling. I went to the Theresienwiese Christmas Market on the Munich Oktoberfest location in the evening. It focuses more on international crafts and is very modern. This year's theme was recycling and mass transit. 
They had a huge Christmas tree made of bicycles that could be lit up by people jumping on the connected stationary bikes and riding. But the Market was very crowded and more focused on drinking, so I headed back for one more go through the much more traditional Munich Marientplatz Christmas Market on my way back to the hotel.
The next morning, I took a Flixbus to a smaller town on Lake Constance called Lindau. The sweet elderly gentleman next to me on the bus shared his snacks with me (as if I need more food). Wandered through some farm/orchard area, stopping for coffee with farm fresh milk at a general store/bar/restaurant where the locals were drinking and eating. 
They helped me catch the bus to the train station on a small isle on the lake next to the local Christmas Market. Super cute market with a Goldilocks Tower and live German music. 
Tried some Highland punch with whisky and ate yummy food with a breakfast of bockwurst in a roll and a fire plank-roasted salmon sandwich with dill cream sauce. Then a scenic train along Lake Constance to Singen so I could enjoy a train ride through the Black Forest to Freiburg for another Christmas Market in the Black Forest. 
Through trees, over rivers, in old rock tunnels, and even snow by Neustadt (not enough to make snowballs and throw... probably for the best)! The whole trip is one bus and 7 trains throughout the day and took quite a bit of advanced planning to make the connections work, but it was worth it for the scenery and turned out to be a nice, relaxing day.
Finally made it to my hotel in Heidelberg, which was right in the middle of the Market. Heidelberg Christmas Market was quite nice. Cute town with wide streets make it seem less crowded and chaotic. A large Christmas pyramid and a train ride and carousel for kids, all under a lit up castle in the Black Forest hills made for a fun market to end the day. The next day was drizzling and foggy, but not cold enough for snow. I took an early morning wander around town before heading up to the Heidelberg Castle. 
It was a little eerie all alone in the fog and a wandered around for a few hours before a huge selfie stick-using Japanese tour group showed up. I enjoyed the views, visited the huge wine cellar and apothecary museum before heading back down to town. I took a nice walk along and over the Neckar River, crossing bridges, watching a ship enter the locks, and watching a crew team practice.
Made it to Mainz for a bit and got to see their Christmas Market. They had a giant Christmas pyramid (which I love). They also had more traditional stuff for sale. Hopefully, I can find it later on in my trip, as I didn't want to lug it around in my backpack while jumping on and off trains. Ate something called grunkohl, which I hadn't seen before. Something like spinach and potato stew with a big slab of meat (pork? ham?) in it. Onwards to Cologne, I have finally made it and checked into my hotel. The ICE train clocked as fast as 300km/hr. 
It was jaw-droppingly amazing getting out of the train station right at the steps of the massive Dom Cathedral. I remember studying it in architecture classes and seeing pictures in textbooks, but nothing really prepared me to see it in person. Plenty of police outside, who assisted in giving me a great map and finding my hotel (just blocks away, but the Cathedral is so massive, it helps to be pointed in the right direction). 
My hotel, 
Turns out Rarotonga is in the Cook Islands, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of New Zealand. While they use the New Zealand dollar, they are their own self-governing country made up of several small islands. Ethnically, they are mainly Maori and the islands are completely surrounded by a lagoon. Perfect place to spend a week! Flying in, the first day was stormy. And it was a Sunday, which meant most places were closed for church and family time on the island. Apparently, people are very religious here. Checked into my spacious studio apartment at 
Perfect spot on the lagoon with a jetty, BBQ facilities, a pool, kayaks, life vests, and snorkel gear for free use, and full kitchen set up to be able to cook. Also nice and quiet, down a residential road off the main road from a church with a few houses, goats, and chickens. There really only is one road in Rarotonga that goes around the whole island. There is a clockwise bus and an anti-clockwise bus, each taking an hour to get around the whole island. There are stops, but they will pretty much stop and pick you up any where. In between rain storms, I walked Muri beach, ate at the recommended nearby 
There was seriously only a few minutes of bright sun, and I somehow manged to get sunburned (it is pretty close to the Equator). I hit the night market which is mainly just food carts and chose fish curry and ika mata, the local dish which is raw fish in coconut milk. The locals all seem really nice, stopping to see if I need a ride while I am walking. Or maybe it is just easier to give me a ride, as I am constantly looking the wrong way for traffic, as they drive on the left side of the road.
Got up early the next day and watched the sun rise from the jetty. Spent the day snorkeling, chasing fish around, and kayaking with the apartments free kayaks. Back to the Mooring Cafe for a fish sandwich. Seriously, if you ever visit Rarotonga, you MUST go here. Turns out the local fishing charter guy Moko catches the fish while his wife runs the restaurant. Chatted with Moko and he ended up giving me a ride into "the city." I went to the grocery store, but a snafu with my credit card had me leave empty handed (seriously, Capital One REALLY screwed up too many times to count). Took the clockwise bus home. Spent the evening delivering presents I had found while snorkeling (an Aerobie frisbee to the son of the man who cleans and landscapes the apartments I had seen helping his dad in the morning and a perfect sea urchin shell for the Chinese girl who had been walking around with sand in her hand all day). 
Helped the Chinese family get their father booked with Moko for a fishing charter at night and then enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Read on my comfy balcony chairs overlooking the lagoon, listening to the crashing waves and enjoying the sea breeze.
Watched sunrise again from the jetty. The water is super choppy today, and I have a head cold so no diving for me today. Walked through Muri to Titikaveka, the next town over, and found a nearly empty swimming beach with the whitest sand and bluest water. Stopped for a fresh fruit smoothie and double scoop of passion fruit and caramel crunch ice cream on the way back. 
Quick snorkel off the jetty before taking the bus the long way around the island to town and then off to a hotel/bar restaurant called 
Another woman from another table could tell my displeasure and approached me and invited me to sit with her and her daughter at their table, but my neighbors from the place I am staying at showed up and saved me by sitting at my table. My neighbors are a sweet couple from New Zealand. She is in school to become a teacher and he is originally from Turkey and in sales and marketing. The food was great and it was nice to try all the different island specialties. The show had great costumes and island dancing, with some folklore and history mixed in, along with some fire dancing. Caught the bus home, exhausted.
Also had a little trouble with my sinus, so I was off and it wasn't my greatest dives. It has been more difficult clearing the side of my face that I broke my orbital on a few years back, and coupled with the head cold I was fighting made for some difficulty. Also, my snorkel managed to go missing somewhere between the boat and the car ride back to the dive shop. All good, though, and was nice to get in some dive time. There was also a zoology major as a dive master and he went over all the fish we saw when we got back to the Dive Center. Went back for a nap and a quick kayak around the lagoon. Stopped at a place called Villi's that was next door to the place I got my ice cream and smoothie the day before for an enormous burger that was quite good and cheap. And then went across the street to the Muri Night Market for second dinner (hey, no judging... I am on vacation!) Picked up some roasted lamb and took most home for a late night snack. The family who ran the stand was super nice and their kids were hilarious. We chatted about the increasing cost of seafood on the island, as she said there have been less available over the years. Lamb is flown over from New Zealand and is super cheap here, though (several New Zealanders say cheaper than at home) and super yummy. Moko passed me on the road and gave me a ride back home.
The next morning, I got up and took the first bus to town to hike the Cross Island Hike. After talking to several locals, I was told to start from the town side due to the easier elevation gain, easier to follow the path and better views. 
It was definitely the right call. It rained a bit, which made the views from the top not as spectacular, but it was a fun hike. Lots of clamoring under trees and over roots. 
The Needle viewpoint had resident chickens that were quite entertaining. Unfortunately, the rain made the downhill trail quite slick. There are ropes to hang on to, but it was still slow going to avoid falling. 
There were lots of stream crossings, orchids, and tropical foliage and a nice waterfall at the end of the hike. As I finally made it to the road, I noticed I exited at the abandoned Sheraton Hotel (built but then abandoned and still sits empty). While waiting for a bus back, I stopped to chat with a nice guy named Johnny who offered me papaya and uto, the fluffy, edible inside of a germinated coconut that soaks up all the water that they compare to marshmallow. Perfect after a long hike. 
Had a lovely fish dinner from... you guessed it The Mooring Fish Cafe and a local beer for my last night. My flight wasn't until 11:50pm on Friday night, so I booked a day trip package on Air Rarotonga to Atutaki for my last day. Might as well check out another island and I heard it was postcard-perfect island life that dreams are made of!
The Rarotonga Air shuttle picked me up at 7am and I checked in for the flight. I had cleared it with The Islander in advance to store my larger backpack for 5 NZD, which is conveniently right across the street from the airport. Off we went on a little plane for the 45 minute ride to Atutaki. I lucked out that the skies were pretty clear that day. Nice to see Rarotonga from the air on takeoff. And flying into Atutaki was stunning. Such blue waters with white sand and the surrounded lagoons. 
There was even rainbows as we landed. Our tour met us at the airport and gave us a quick tour and history of the very small island before we headed to our boat cruise. It really does look like a postcard. The clearest water with very color blue imaginable, tiny dots of green on the horizon of further islands, white spits of sand.... amazing! 
We were fed and taken to three different islands. I found the biggest cowry in the most pristine shell I have ever seen (there was someone still living in it). Saw the nice digs for those who were kicked off Survivor when they filmed there several years back (SO not roughing it, sign me up). 
We walked through trees full of white terns nesting. There was snorkeling where giant trevalys swim right up to you and little patches of coral reef teeming with sea life. There was an island with its own little post office and more stretches of white sand. Most enjoyable day and plenty of sunshine.
As we headed back to Rarotonga, a storm set in. Luckily, they lightening and heavy rain didn't start until our little plane had touched down. Chilled out at the islander, enjoying cheap happy hour drinks and food before heading over to the airport and changing clothes for the flight home. After playing all day in the sun and salt water, I was thankful the cruise had a hose on the back that I used to "shower" before my long flight home (9.5 hours from LAX). Pretty sure my Ms. Crossfit "Do you want to watch videos of me doing box jumps for hours as I make three costume changes on the flight and still remain in full makeup" seat mate wished I had a real shower. Oh well.