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Monday, December 19, 2016

Email to Friends: Yes, I am Home... Germany Christmas Markets Part II

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

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