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).
Catching the earliest ferry to Magnetic Island was easy after the $33 AUD roundtrip ticket. The boat ride is nice in the early morning. I arrived on the Island and the island bus is right outside the ferry terminal, one going to each direction from the terminal and going back and forth all day. An all day pass is only $7 AUD. I arrived at my hotel, 
The island had one road on one part of the coast which turns into a dirt road for 4 wheel drives. The middle of the island appears uninhabited, except for wildlife (including the 100 or so wild koalas on the island). The hotel is lovely with gardens and a mineral swimming pool. When the office opened, they let me check in right away. The room has everything needed. A front patio to watch birds, a back patio with a bbq and wooded area for rock wallabies, and a fully stocked kitchen. I spend the day close to the hotel in Nelly Bay and playing in the pool. 
I went to my room in the late afternoon and was visited by wallabies in my backyard. This island is paradise. Beautiful setting, friendly residents, beaches and hikes around the island, and I hear little to no crime. I met a man at my hotel that came for a few weeks vacation... 25 years ago! He now just lives at the hotel and has been married and widowed since. I walked to the grocery store and picked up food for my couple of days here. Made dinner and had an early night.
The next morning, I woke up early, had coffee and watched the birds out front. I caught a bus to the Forts Walk in Horseshoe Bay, supposedly the best place on the island to see koalas in the wild. It is an easy walk with lots to see as it heads up to an old WWII fort with spectacular views. I walked slow, looking in the Y of the tree branches for koalas as well as looking down at the path, as people are known to place an arrow in the dirt or with rocks if they spot a koala, as they don't move much or very fast during the day. 
I made it to the top of the walk with no koala sightings and dejectedly headed back down the hill, looking as hard as I could. I ran into a local who saw my camera and asked if I had seen koalas and I sadly said no. He laughed and said, "Not even the one about 150 meters back?" Wha???? My face lit up. He walked me back to see it, so I didn't miss it. There he was, all snuggled up in the Y of the tree. Grey fur matching the color of the bark and little movement makes for hard spotting. I had literally walked past him TWICE. Took pictures and then finally let him sleep in peace, heading back down the hill. 
Then spotted another little koala not far from the path who I also must have passed on the way up! He was a little more active, having trouble getting comfortable for his mid morning slumber. He finally found a comfortable spot and passed out on a branch, arms dangling down. So lucky to see two! Apparently, as the heat of summer comes, they stay farther up in the hills and aren't as visible. 
After I was done at the Forts Walk, I headed down to check out Horseshoe Bay before heading back by bus to the hotel for lunch. Then I grabbed my snorkel gear and got info from a nearby shop and headed out to the Geoffrey Bay snorkel trail. Left my stuff at the old jetty and hopped in. The visibility was not very good, but it was good to test out my leg to make sure I could dive in two days. Got out to dry off before catching the bus back and sat on the jetty, watching the nearby rock wallabies hop around. A huge ray jumped out of the water with a splash. I made it back to the hotel for the kookaburra feeding at the pool. 
One of the hotel owners feeds them every night at 5:30, which they seem to know. It was a perfect day. If visiting Australia again, I would definitely stay on this island longer, and would try to get on an S.S. Yongala Wreck dive (supposedly one of the best wreck dives where a large boat hot stuck in a cyclone and is now pretty well preserved, but only available to dive from the island a day or two a week).
I walked over to the Airlie Port for a 7:30am boarding. We are on a large ferry boat. We meet up in little groups around the ferry and it seems pretty well run for the chaos of all of these people who signed up to do different things. First we drop some people off on Hamilton Island. Then we pass several other smaller Whitsunday Islands and head out through the rougher boating channel. 
Finally, we reach a pontoon on Hardy Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef. I was worried, as there are still about 75-100 people on board the ferry boat. But luckily, most people are snorkeling or on a submersible boat or taking helicopter rides. There are only six divers and two guides with our group. I was also concerned about the equipment, as I always like to see it before diving with a company, but I had to book online and they jeep their gear out at the pontoon beforehand.
But it turned out to all be quite nice, and I have my own mask and snorkel. We get two dives with am included BBQ lunch between the dives. The dives were just okay. The reef is in decent shape, with some loss from the last cyclone. The sea life wasn't great. As somewhere I have always wanted to dive, it was a bit of a disappointment. I had heard the same from others who dove from Cairns. 
I think the better way to do it would be a liveaboard boat for a few days to see more secluded areas of the reef. Still fun to get out in the ocean and dive again, though. I was better on air than the rest of the group and so by the time I came up after my second dive, everyone else was already on the ferry and I had to run on as we departed back for Airlie Beach. The seas were rougher heading back and about one third of the boat was vomiting. Ugggh... thankful that I don't seem to get seasick. I hang out in the back and chat with the engineer/boat mechanic, away from the barfers
It was a nice, relaxing day on the water. The boat was only about half full and the weather was perfect. First we take a stop at a secluded bay and go snorkeling. They provide us with stinger suits, and I have my own mask and snorkel. Not much to see, so I basically just chase fish around and go swimming. Then we get back on the catamaran and sail a bit more until we land at White Haven Beach. There are several other tour groups here, but it is not super crowded. There is a small hike up to a peak with absolutely spectacular views all around. It is gorgeous and like something out of a dream. 
You can look down on the bay that the boats unload at. There are views far across the water and of nearby other islands. The sand is so white against the blue water. From the viewpoint height, you can see concentric circles around a distant island from the white sand under different depths of water. Then we headed down to the beach, which had nice, soft sand. I took a pre-lunch nap on said sand before we all headed back to the catamaran for our feast. 
There are no other Americans onboard, so I celebrated Thanksgiving by myself. Luckily, lots of nice people in our group so lots of good conversation and exchange of travel tips. After lunch, we head back to Airlie Beach. On my walk back to my apartment, I did see what looked like a turkey, only with a bright red and yellow gobbler!
Breakfast of french press coffee, orange juice, greek yogurt with honey and fruit jam, and a fruit cup and then met up with the Munich guy from the bus the day before to wander the town. We walked to the ferry terminal and along the waterfront to the Roundhouse, an old jail. Next, we walked over to the Fremantle Market, which is open Friday-Sundays. 
The Market was pretty small and geared mainly to tourists, with some produce, meat, and cheese stalls. We walked around the town more, which is cute with it's older buildings with wrought iron balconies and full of coffee shops and restaurants. We walked over to the old Fremantle prison, built by convict labor from 1852-1859 and used as a colonial prison, military prison, and maximum security prison which was finally shut down in 1991. 
We went back to the Market for lunch at a busy Japanese ramen shop, 
The private tour only cost us about $15 more dollars each after the cost of the taxi and seemed a way better option than a big tour. We set out at 7am, for the about three hour drive. We pass plenty of bush and grassland with cattle farms, peppered with colors of late wildflowers and bright yellow-orange flowers on what they call the Christmas Tree (because of when they bloom). 
We make a quick stop in Lancelin, a small fishing and agricultural lime production town on the ocean, for coffee and a croissant. Continuing on, we start seeing large sand dunes which are a stark white (like mountains of sugar or snow) and the landscape gets more sparse. These sand dunes are supposedly mobile with the Western Australian winds and move up to thirty-nine feet in a year. 
We arrived at Pinnacles Desert and visited the Interpretative Hall first to learn about the area and the theories to where the pinnacles come from (there has not been a consensus yet). We walked across the amazing desert spotted with columns and pillars, ranging in shape and size up to 4m high. Our guide gives us plenty of time to roam around. It is other-worldly. There are structures that are little/tall, pointy/rounded, light/dark, solid/holed. 
There is even one that looks like Edvard Munch's "The Scream". As we are getting ready to leave, we spot an emu as it is running across the desert. Of course, I chased it around for a bit... boy, are they fast! Our guide showed us the little, red berries the emus like to eat. Being on a private tour is nice because she is flexible on the time schedule when random things come up.
Speaking of random things, we left the Pinnacle Desert and stopped at Cervantes, a small nearby town known for its lobster fishing, for lunch. We were talking about animals when the server came over to take our order and she said "Did you see what those women have in that baby pram?" 
I had seen them pass me with the stroller, but didn't pay much attention. There were two baby kangaroos!! Ahhhhh!!! They were orphaned, one when the mom was hit by a car and the other a pinky. They were raising them until a nearby sanctuary had room for them. AND THEY LET ME HOLD ONE!! I couldn't contain my excitement. I have had so many happy moments, but unexpectedly getting to snuggle a baby kangaroo is WAAAYYYY up there. After our amazing lunch (the fish and chips were quite good, as well), we watched some wind surfers on a nearby beach and then headed to Lake Thetis for stromatolites. Very cool, as I did not even know what they were. 
Apparently, the oldest living fossils growing only 1mm a year, some are believed to be 3.7 billion years old. They live in salty conditions, 1.5 times saltier than the ocean, which is created in the lake by evaporation from the wind. On the way home, I finally spotted a wild kangaroo we passed in a sand pit by the side of the road (and also saw two more emus). Our guide was wonderful, super informative and accommodating and I highly recommend her. It was such an excellent, unexpected adventure!
And on my final day, I checked out of my lovely B&B, who held my luggage for the day. Hopped on a ferry to Rottnest Island to visit quokkas, a small marsupial I had seen on the internet years ago and fell in love with. There is a bus around the island, but it is infrequent and everyone said I needed to rent a bike to see the island. Most of you know bike riding is not one of my strong points, to put it mildly. And the last time I had been on a bike was about 15 years ago. I decided to suck it up and try the bike. In the rental line, I met a very nice woman who lived in Fremantle and had been to the island previously with her family to camp and snorkel. She laughed at my trepidation on a bicycle and offered that we go around the island together. 
It was fabulous, as she knew all the spots and snorkeling with a buddy is always safer. She made she to bicycle slowly as I got used to riding a bike. You have to stop every once and a while any way to enjoy the views and hit the brakes for the occasional lizard who was sunning themselves on the warm road. 
We visited a spot with multiple ship wrecks until the current got stronger. There have actually been twelve shipwrecks around the little island since 1842 due to the strong currents, complex reef system, and proximity to the port in Fremantle. The current started getting pretty strong and bumping us around. I don't think either one of us wanted to get bumped up a against the wrecks, which were shallow in areas. 
So we hopped out and headed to another spot she wanted to try. The second area was great! It was a sea grass and coral protected area with lots of fish hiding out and swimming through the sea grass. We snorkeled for quite a while, until I got cold and she got hungry. 
And I finally found my favorite, a nudibranch, right before coming in! The snorkeling was surprisingly better than any I had done anywhere else on this trip. My new buddy shared her lunch with me and lizards came to play with us (almost got in her bag). We biked around the rest of the island. Saw the salt lakes, the lighthouse, and enjoyed beautiful vistas. But most importantly, we saw quokkas! 
In fact, there is no way you can come to this island and NOT see quokkas. They are EVERYWHERE. They are adorable and curious, seeming to have a smiles on their faces. Some are lounging on the road, some are sleeping in the grass, some are eating pretty much whatever they can get their hands on. Some even had young ones with them. Another one even got in to it with a peacock. Well, technically, the quokka couldn't have cared less and just continued eating whatever he found that was apparently too close to the peacock's territory. 
The peacock spread out his plume and made this rattling noise with the feathers. He turned around, stomping his feet and ruffling his back feathers. I was initially a bit frightened for the quokka, but the he just kept shoving food in his mouth. Maybe it's my spirit animal? (there is a photo, but the 
We said our goodbyes and I spent the next hour and a half playing with quokkas. I tried to get a selfie with one, but I am terrible at selfies and it was always blurry and/or half of one of our faces. Closest I got to a selfie was with the one that came up and licked my knee, as if to say goodbye before my ferry to take me back to Fremantle.