Full on free chocolate, we arrived at Frankfurt to a rainbow dropping in to the city. Our hotel, Hotel Monopol, is an old building right near the main train station, which is convenient to everything and easy to find. From their website, some of their rooms appear to be updated, but not our room. But it is clean enough and very spacious, plus free mini bar with juice and beer and free coffee and cakes in the lobby. We set off to explore the city and the Christmas Market. 
I instantly like Frankfurt. The buildings are a mix of new skyscrapers and older buildings and there is lots of ethnic diversity. The Christmas Markets were great! Lots of room to move, some stuff for sale that you don't see at every other market, an area in Romerberg that is reconstructed old buildings had a fun double-decker merry go round and a hall with all high-end local handicrafts, including photography, paintings, jewelry, and homemade scarves and clothing.
Everyone seems friendly and appears to be having a good time. And I found reibekuchen, which I looked for and couldn't find in Nuremberg. They are fried potato pancakes like latkes with a variety of sauce choices. I think applesauce is the traditional, but I chose the specialty 7 herb and cream sauce. 
We walk down the commercial street, stopping to hear a great street musician. We head back to the hotel, walking past the Alte Oper (original opera house) and hear more musicians playing outside and then off to bed.
The next morning, we wake up and walk across a bridge and along the Main River in the museum area. We grab a yummy breakfast at a little neighborhood bakery and then walk back 
across another bridge covered in love locks and back through the Christmas Market as it opens. We head to Kleinmarkethalle, the food market where there was all kinds of free samples (like a mini Pike Place Market). 
I saw the most beautiful wheel of cheese I have ever seen, covered in colorful flower petals. I ended up buying some truffle salami and spicy not too briny olives. We grabbed a train to nearby Mainz. We were trying to meet up with a friend of Wade's family, but there was a mix up in location. After some back and forth, we finally got off at the right stop at Mainz-Kastel in nearby Weisbaden and found the pretzel bakery, Geppert Brezelbackerei. Their family has owned the bakery since 1928. We stopped and said hello, but they were very busy running the shop. We grabbed baked goods (I had a yummy cheese pretzel) and we jumped on a bus to visit the Mainz Christmas Market in hopes of meeting up with them when they closed. There was a dish I had two years ago at this market called grünkohl, which I still remembered. It is a comfort food with kale and potatoes with sausage or meat that just warms the belly in the cold weather. Took me a short amount of time, but I found it and it was just as good as I remembered it. I really should try to make at home on a cold night! We went back to the bakery, but missed the owners. Instead, we stopped by a used store (like Goodwill) in the little neighborhood that had all kinds of goodies to look through. Wade bought a 2 euro beer stein and I got a wooden incense smoke house that was far better than I saw at any Christmas Market. We headed back to Frankfurt, visiting the Christmas markets one more time for dinner. I find another favorite treat, mushrooms in wine, garlic and cream sauce!We got up early the next morning to return to the Geppert Brezelbackerei, as there was a mix-up when we went back to meet Marcus and his wife after the Mainz market the day before. Marcus was so nice and treated us to delicious coffee and super yummy pastries and gave us each a big gingerbread man for our travels.
We then continued on by train to a little town called Braubach, that had a castle that was open and easy to get to from the train station. The train ride was picturesque, as it follows the Rhein river. Little towns in the valleys, wine grapes up the hills, and the occasional castle or ruin at the top of the hills. 
I had emailed the tourist information office of Braubach in advance, and they let us store our luggage for free while we took the walk through the town and up the hill to Marksberg Castle. 
We were there just as it opened and managed to get in a small tour of about 8 and the guide decided to give the tour in English (as I learned on my last trip to Germany, there are not many English tours in the off season). The tour was very informative and they rooms were decorated to give you a real feel of castle life. 
The castle was the only one not destroyed during war of around 40 castles in the area (but was damaged in an earthquake). The views from the castle were also beautiful. We then grabbed a train to Koblenz and then off to Trier. I greatly enjoyed my previously purchased salami and olives as train snacks along the journey.
We arrived in Trier later than expected. Trier is right on the border of Luxembourg with a rich history, as it is one of the oldest cities in Germany and was the largest city of the Roman Empire in the 4th Century (oh, and the birthplace of Karl Marx). There are several Roman ruins here, and Wade loves history and "old stuff." We find our hotel and walk through the Christmas Market. 
The wooden pyramid here highlights the wine growing of the region. We grab Flammkuchen (like a flatbread pizza) with potatoes, bacon, and cheese for dinner under the old cathedral and of course, our normal gluhwein before bed.
Our last real day of our trip, we get up early and eat at the hotel's breakfast which is a nice spread for 5 euros a person. First we visit Porta Nigra. 
Built as one of the four gates in the city wall built in 160-200 AD, it is the only one still standing due to a hermit who used to live in it. Small organisms blackened the white sandstone in the Middle Ages, hence its name. 
We were the only ones in it and it was really fun to run up it and have views of the town. Next, we head to the Roman Amphitheater. Not much remains of the seats and theater, but there is an underground area that allows you to see the old cages and trap doors from under the theater where gladiators and animals like the occasional lions and tigers were held. 
And finally, we walk around the Roman Imperial Baths, where you can also go underground to through the hot and cold bath areas in an underground maze of hallways. 
We took a quick walk back to the hotel through the Palace gardens, which are pretty, but I am sure more impressive when there is more foliage than in winter. We grab our backpacks and catch a train back to Koblenz and then an ICE train to Cologne.I still love Cologne. I had booked the same hotel as last time I was here (Hotel Drei Kronen), as it is located right off the river (and very close to the Cathedral and train station),
has a great view, and is located within walking distance of three Christmas Markets. We first head inside the cathedral for a quick look around. 
Still as impressive as before with its massive size, stained glass, and art. We then head off for some Christmas magic, as nothing embodies the Christmas spirit for me more the the Christmas Markets in Cologne. 
We grab some fondue while wandering the more traditional market Cathedral Market, that now has international food stalls. Then, we head to the larger and less traditional Old Town Market with its fun "house gnome" theme, large ice skating rink, and 
ice curling games. We listen to music and take a ride on the ferris wheel, enjoying views of the market from above and the cathedral. Later, we walk the riverfront and visit the Harbor Christmas Market. Perfect city to end another trip!Great trip of familiar things for me and new things. Found new areas I would like to explore more and others I don't think I need to visit again. And now we are back home and I am glad to have stocked up on Christmas cheer since I am working Christmas Eve and Christmas night. I read about a German word often used during the holiday season that does not have a direct translation in English: Gemütlichkeit. It means something of a feeling and state of coziness and warmth, peace of mind, well-being, good cheer, and friendliness. So I wish you all gemütlichkeit for this holiday season and well in to 2019!
Trip photos are up online or you can view them as a slideshow.
Love,
Betsy
Checked in to our cute hotel, 
Woke up early and head to Tübingen for the annual International Chocolate Festival. I had missed it by a week the last time I was in Germany. The town was super cute and so many good chocolate treats (some with free sample!!!) They have truffles, 
chocolate covered fruit, cookies, crepes, hot chocolate, and chocolate marzipan liqueur. There is even paintings done with chocolate and chocolate seminars. I actually got full on chocolate (and we all know much I love to eat and how rare it is for me to get full on anything).
After that, we head to one of favorite Christmas Markets in Esslingen. It is medieval themed and has lots of entertainment everywhere you look. I wanted to see the start of the festival where they have a fencing match on a platform each evening, but apparently they no longer due this after someone almost fell off (must have been last year?).
The kids area is great with hand cranked rides, archery competitions, hatchet throwing, and a game where you have to guess which box the live mice will run to. There is also flame jugglers and music. I learned I am not so good at archery. 
Oh, and Wade beat me at the live mice game (but, I also picked a stone that reminded me of my cat to mark my box, which in hindsight is probably not the best to lure in a live mouse). Long day, but we had so much fun!! Then took the train the 20 minutes back to Stuttgart.
Early the next morning, we catch the train to Rothenburg ob de Tauber. We check in to our hotel, 
We wandered their Christmas market, which is pretty small and uneventful. Had a nice sit down dinner of beef goulash, spaetzle and a beer at a little restaurant/pub. At 8pm, we headed out on the Nightwatchman tour, which is a great way to learn about the town's history and the guy who has been running it for years has a great sense of humor.
Woke up early and took a few photos without the hordes of tourists (the town is a stop for many tourist buses, so less crowded at night and early morning). We walked part of the medieval wall that goes all around the town, with views of rooftops and the vast farmlands and valley nearby. 
I love this town because it is so easy to imagine what it was like back in the medieval times. I was hoping for snow while we were there, but looks like we are about a week too early. We ate a yummy breakfast at the farmhouse hotel I stayed in the first time I came before grabbing out bags and heading back to the train station.
The Christmas Market is a mess. Granted, it is a Saturday, but it is wall to wall people, everyone is pushy and appears to be in a foul mood, and the city is dirtier than any others and not all that pretty (understandable, considering the history). We returned to the hotel somewhat disappointed. At least our hotel, 
The next morning, we ate breakfast and Wade chatted with some folks from Dusseldorf that were also very disappointed with the Christmas Market. We set off for the very somber trip to the Documentation Center Museum and Nazi Rally Grounds for some WWII history. 
The museum was very well done with interesting movies and audio chock full of information in many different languages.
But to see the actual sites was very eerie and it made me super uncomfortable to see people talking smiling selfies and wanting to stand in the famous spot Hitler stood in. So I tried to focus in plants and things I live growing out of something so vile.
Having enough of Nuremberg and to change the mood back to Christmas, we decided to visit a nearby little town called Bamberg, about a 40 minute ICE train ride from the city. The town supposedly sits on 7 different hills and it was so much more our speed, Cute little town with beautiful architecture and smiling, friendly, helpful people. 
They have an absolutely beautiful Old Town Hall set on a river with painted walls. The market was smaller, but full of yummy food, families, and space to move. This is also the home of my favorite Rauchbier (smoked beer), but didn't find that out until we had already left. I hope to come back here and stay to explore more for a day or two when the weather is a bit better for hiking the hills (and to drink my fair share of rauchbiers).
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.
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).