It has been a long wait to return to Germany and Strasbourg for the Christmas Markets. Our last time was 2019 and then travel ban started in 2020. We booked in 2021 but alas, again it was cancelled. So finally, here we go.
Our route is British Airways Nov 28 into London and then connect into Munich for some days of visiting the sites and shopping. Then on to Nordlingen, Bamberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Tunsdorf, Aachen, Cologne, Strasbourg, Frankfurt and then home on Dec 19. We plan on visiting some family and friends to catch up, over some lovely dinners and coffee and cake along the way.
Day 1 Munich
We arrived into Munich Airport on schedule at 13:30 the 29th and purchased a day ticket on the “S” Bahn (subway system) which is right inside the airport, to go to the Hotel, drop off the bags, have a little nap and head back out for dinner and to walk the Market. It is about 8C here and a bit of rain this morning. Overall the temperature is down right balmy.
Once in the market we did notice that although there were lovely displays of small twinkly LED lights on the wooden huts and the trees, there is an obvious focus on energy efficiency.
The air was perfumed with gluwein, hot candy coated almonds, potato pancakes, bratwurst and lebkuchen. It was a scent that invoked many memories from times past. We reacquainted ourselves with prices and current expectations in comparison to previous visits. Prices are not bad. Yet. Lets see in other regions as we travel along.
We have 2 more days in Munich and are looking forward to visiting some old haunts.
Day 2 Munich
How could it get better? Honestly I cant tell you how much I have missed Germany! We headed out this morning back to the Marienplatz square and snooped around at all the old haunts. The temperature and weather is no where near what we experience in Toronto. Shop doors are open, plants are still outside in planters with seasonal decorations added for extra romance of the season.
We started our day in the Marienplatz which is the centre of Munich and the perfect starting point. The north side of the square shaped plaza is dominated by the magnificent new City Hall, built as recently as 1841-1922 and it is very hard to tell the difference between it and the old city hall built 1158. In the tower of new city hall is a viewing platform and below that is a historic glockenspiel (clock) which sounds twice a day. Since 1908, the 16 figures and 43 bells have been reenacting the marriage of Duke Wilhelm V to Renate of Lorraine in 1568. The characters turn and dance as they rotate around the tower to the sounds of the bells. The Church of St Peter, Munich’s oldest church completes the square. You can climb the narrow stairs up its 50 meter high tower which is 306 steps high. Right next to the tower is the Munich Toy Museum with old model trains, stuffed animals, dolls, doll houses and tin toys.
The Marienplatz is the beginning of the pedestrian zone. Starting from Marienplatz, Kaufingerstrasse, Theatinerstrasse and Residenzstrasse, among others are home to numerous stores and restaurants in Munich’s pedestrian zone. The bakeries and cake shops are magnificent with their products in the glass cabinets for all to buy. I was so taken by the amazing baked goods that I leaned in to get a better look through the cabinet, only to “bounce” off the glass window! The lady beside us was in hysterics as she almost did the same thing. It was a good laugh for all and I have the bruise to prove it.
A bit of food history..The Marienplatz is the birthplace of weiswurst (white sausage). And the story goes, on Carnival Sunday in 1857, the innkeeper-butcher of the restaurant “Zum Ewigen Licht” in the middle of Marienplatz runs out of sheep intestines for the bratwursts.
He has to resort to pork casings, which are too tough and too big for the bratwurst. In a pinch, he fills them with the finished sausage mixture anyway. However, he does not fry the sausages, but scalds them in hot water, because he believes that the wrong casings could burst during frying. This is how the Munich Weiswurst was created. And it has been enjoyed by all ever since.
After spending the day walking the city we had a lovely dinner in the Schneider Brauhaus. The food was magnificent. I actually had 2 large Hell (light) beer. Dinner was roast pork and roast beef. Amazingly, we had a lovely dinner washing it down with excellent beer and walking out feeling perfectly satisfied and not stuffed. It was fresh vegetables and perfectly cooked meat. We stopped by the Christmas Market for a gluwein night cap before catching the S bahn back to the hotel, which was only 4 stops, 8 minutes away. Michael chose a perfectly situated accommodation.
Tomorrow we will head out to Schloss Nyphenburg or perhaps a trip to Garmish Parkinkirschen. Either one is a good choice in my view!
After a little night cap, its time for a good sleep. We did well over 10,000 steps today. That cancels out the awesome dinner. Talk tomorrow.
Day 3 Munich
Our hotel is the Holiday Inn Express in Munich and what a wonderful experience compared to the Holiday Inns in North America. It is pristine and the staff are very professional, well trained and perfectly accommodating. Service is a career choice and not a bunch of students trying to earn rent money while standing around on their phones. Michael mentioned to the front desk staff that room service had not filled the coffee supplies in the room and would it be possible to get some. After a heartfelt apology the service staff gave him some extra and by the time we were back up to the room, the coffee supplies were overflowing in the tray. There is no fooling around here. The breakfast room is a prime example. There is not a piece of plastic cutlery, styrofoam plate or cup to be seen. Breakfast for Germans is mandatory and well appointed. It is china, silver and glassware. There is a good selection of meat, cheese, yogurt, fresh buns and breads of every delight, fresh pots of jam, fresh squeezed juice, every type of coffee imaginable, fresh fruit and warm hard boiled eggs, musli and cereal. In the spirit of being biological, the egg cups are small version of ice cream cone bottoms which are also used as little jam cups. At the end of your meal you can actually eat them. There is a picture of them on the breakfast servery below.
No vending machines here. Open shelves and coolers for everything from chilled water to beer to sweets to personal items to consumer electronic wires and cables. You choose, scan and pay. So civilized!
We headed out for a long walk to Schloss Nymphenburg, a Baroque palace situated in Munich’s western district Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, in Bavaria, southern Germany. Combined with the adjacent Nymphenburg Palace Park it constitutes one of the premier royal palaces of Europe. Its frontal width of 632 m even surpasses Versailles Palace. It was a summer residence to the Bavarian elector couple of Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide von Savoy in 1662 who after 10 years of marriage gave birth to the long awaited heir to the throne, Max Emanuel. Over Max’s lifetime the palace was added on to, refurbished and styled in the many architectures of the day. The rooms and magnificent and the baroque decorative style is stunning. They even manufactured their own porcelain in the nearby region.
After a walk through the square we snooped in some of the shops. Everything here is specialty shops. No Levis, Guess or Dollar Store knockoffs here. But the prices are not ridiculous and the staff are again, professional and knowledgeable. A very different shopping experience to back home. Customer Service is a chosen profession. They wear name tags and can help you with every possible question you may have about specific products in their stores. The displays are beautiful. It makes you want to buy a cake pan and go home and bake something! We stopped by the cafe on the 4th floor and had raspberry flochen cake wrapped in marzipan and washed down with “real” cappuccino. Sweet tooth satisfied, we headed back to the hotel about 3:00 and took a little nap before heading back into town for another immersion into the seasonal merriment. We had dinner at the Augustiner Brau Haus. If you want to enjoy the most delicious food imaginable, eat at a brewery. I have never had such incredible sauerbraten, potato dumplings, red cabbage and sauce (sweetened slightly with the depth of lebkuchen). You cannot imagine the flavor. Walked a bit more and headed back to the hotel to watch Germany play Croatia at the World Cup. Oh my gosh, the screaming at Germany losing. Its now 2-2 with 20 minutes to go. Germany has to win or Michael wont sleep tonight. Such stress!
We walked 15,523 steps or 11.6 km today. Our feet are tired. Tomorrow we pick up the rental car and head to Bamberg.
Day 4 – Nordlingen
Nordlingen is a town in Bavaria, Germany approximately 145 km northwest of Munich. It was built in an impact crater that is about 15 million years old and about 25 km in diameter. It is estimated the meteorite hit with a speed of 70,000 km/h and left the area riddled with an
estimated 72,000 tons of micro-diamonds. Good time to be a gardener I think!
Nordlingen was first mentioned in recorded history in 898. The town was the location of two battles during the Thirty Years’ War, which took place between 1618 and 1648. Today it is one of only three towns in Germany that still have completely in tact city walls, the other two being
Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbuhl.
Its old town is encircled by well-preserved medieval walls with towers and covered parapet paths. The city center is anchored by the massive Gothic St. George’s Church. Its tower, called the Daniel, has views across town. The Rathaus (town hall), with its gabled roof and towers, is one of several medieval buildings, some half-timbered, on the main square. The medieval wall is 2.7 km long and provides an amazing view across the entire town. I can attest to it, we walked it!
After breakfast, deliciously fresh buns and cheese washed down with fresh hot coffee, we struck out to find the post office to mail cards for Lizzie and Mack. The Christmas Market is in full swing while locals do their Saturday market shop and the children enjoy the rides in the kinder platz. We also find ourselves in the little grocery stores seeking out herbs, spices and mixes that we cannot get back home and covet like packages of gold. Fresh bratwurst and gluwein fill the air and the church bells toll the hours. It is so romantic and quaint walking arm in arm around the town.
The buildings harken back to times long gone to the 1100’s and earlier. It is mandatory that the historic towns are maintained in the style in which they were built. Master builders and preservation artists ensure the codes are maintained.
Dinner will be a simple potato cabbage bacon soup with crispy bun, all made in house at the Bakery. There is also a restaurant attached and the smell of fresh cooked food and baked goods waft up the stairs. Amazing!
Later we will walk the market and partake in another nightcap of gluwein before retiring for the night.
Day 5 & 6 – Bamburg
Some interesting information regarding driving in Germany.
Germany is the only European country that does not have a general speed limit. Instead, it has this federal controlled-access highway system called a German Autobahn. An Autobahn is known for having no federally mandated speed limit but rather a “recommendation” of speed 130 kilometers per hour (81 mph). Unless there are no signs stating otherwise, the following speed limits apply when driving in Germany: 130 km/h for motorways, 100 km/h for main roads, and 50 km/h for urban areas.
Driving throughout Germany is a wonderful experience, in large part because of the excellent roads and the scenic routes they transport you over. As much as it’s a luxurious country, Germans also like to drive luxurious cars. Germans have always had this close relationship with their private cars. For them, driving symbolizes freedom. It has always been a part of their personality.
Most people in Germany think of driving as a relaxing pastime. Since this country takes its driving seriously, Germans follow road rules more consistently and drive more confidently. German driving tests are also not that easy. They are more attentive towards turning signals, pedestrians, and cyclists. They know how to drive manual cars and generally understand things like “the left lane is for passing” better than any other country.
Germany is home to Europe’s safest drivers. You have to learn the theory of driving real hard, practice a lot under professional guidance, under all conditions (night driving, Autobahn etiquette, parking, safety, first aid, providing help in traffic emergencies, etc.). This is generally a tough program, and it is not uncommon to fail the German driving test on the first go or even on the second. Passing the driving licence questions in Germany is not a piece of cake. The only driving instructors allowed to pass applicants are government instructors and the training and testing is mandatory for absolutely every person who will be driving. There are no exceptions. And there are no independent self owned language specific driving schools. Its a long process to pass the test. Even the little grandmas going to the grocery store have to be trained to the same extent as the young business person driving to work.
A truck driving ban applies every Sunday. You are not allowed to move your truck from midnight Saturday to 10:00 pm Sunday. Additionally, there is a truck driving ban on all public holidays. There are a few exceptions for trucks under a specific weight (7.5 ton) and who are delivering life safety supplies (hospitals) but other than that you better park them.
On Sundays and holidays, all roads are for personal users.
Bamberg is located in southern Germany in the north of Bavaria. It is a good example of a central European town with a basically early medieval plan and many surviving ecclesiastical and secular buildings of the medieval period. When Henry II, Duke of Bavaria, became King of Germany in 1007 he made Bamberg the seat of a bishopric, intended to become a ‘second Rome’.
The street layouts of the three historic core areas retain their medieval features. The many historic buildings in these areas are authentic. Since the 1950s Bamberg has undergone a continuous programme of restoration of its historic properties and areas. This programme proceeded by a series of small projects (the “Bamberg model”) rather than by large and ambitious schemes resulting in the uniformly high level of conservation of Bamberg. The laws and regulations of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Free State of Bavaria guarantee the consistent protection of the Town of Bamberg. It is manifested in the Bavarian Preservation of Monuments Act.
All that being said, the town is absolutely amazing in its medieval design. Below is the Rathaus Haus (City Hall). I could go to work here everyday!
We have walked a lot over the last 2 days enjoying the local sights and Christmas smells. There are over 200 breweries in the area and 11 of them are in Bamburg. The green timbered building is one of the breweries which is also a pub with delicious homemade food. It is called the “Schenkerl”.
After a breakfast of cold cuts, cheese, fresh buns, warm hard boiled eggs and fresh juice and coffee we strike out in the damp morning to snoop. There is no shortage of quaint specialty shops to linger in and wile away the time. We pick up a few trinkets here and there and purchase some fresh clematis oranges and a bottle of water for tomorrows drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Bamburg is also known for Klein-Venedig (“Little Venice”), a colony of fishermen’s houses from the 19th century along one bank of the river Regnitz. It is an area of interconnected waterways and bridges where the fisherman can moor their boats up against their houses and enter from the water, not dissimilar to Venice Italy . The fisherman decorate their little wooden flat bottom boats for Christmas with Santa Clause and friends. We are going to walk down there in the morning to gets some pictures.
We saunter down old historic streets and around corners only to find beautiful old buildings and surroundings. through the Christmas Market and up the street are more Kondeteris (Cake and Pastry shops) to sit and have a lovely piece of cake and coffee. On the way back home we mailed Lizzie and Mack’s post cards and reserved dinner at the pub attached to the hotel. Tonight with be homemade soup and schnitzel. Looking forward to it. Later another saunter through the town and a nice hot cup of gluwein. I’ll add a few pictures of this evening and some tomorrow of Little Venice.
Marktbreit
Marktbreit am Main is a town in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated at the most southern point of the Main river. The small half-timbered house on the right of picture 1 doesn’t really give anything away, there are still a few dozen of those snug, narrow corner houses in half-timbered construction in Germany – but with this little house, the environment brings the special flair, namely the gateway over the Main to Marktbreit. Three houses lined up next to each other, almost threatening to tip into the Main, give the ensemble the final visual kick. It’s no wonder that everyone is talking about the “Malerwinkel”, because countless painters have set up their easels here to capture this romantic spot on canvas.
The painter’s corner house has become a popular motif for postcards and calendars. The Maintor ( Main Gate) was built around 1600, the Malerwinkelhaus itself a hundred or more years later. At that time, of course, it was not called the Malerwinkelhaus, but was the building of a locally important spice shop. So they traded in confectionery.
Otherwise, there is not much to say about the corner house. It doesn’t have to be, because no matter how cute and romantic it may seem as a single object, the aha experience only comes from the fact that it was built on the quay wall of the Main and nestles against the Main Gate. So the entire optics creates the magic. You can’t miss it if you visit the museum housed in the building ensemble, which focuses on depicting the social history of women in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since the housewife of that time, at least the bourgeois one, could not do without servants, it is very commendable that the museum also shows the bedrooms of the maids of that time… under the roof, of course.
Marktbreit is also the birthplace of Alois Alzheimer who first identified the symptoms of what is now known as Alzheimer’s disease.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Our favourite stop along Germany’s “Romantic Road” was Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Historic, enchanting and unchanged throughout the centuries, Rothenburg just might be the most beautiful medieval town in Germany.
Rothenburg is named in part after its location on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River. Rothenburg ob der Tauber means “Red fortress above the Tauber” in German.
During the middle ages, Rothenburg was a Free Imperial City and the second largest city in Germany with a population of 6,000 residents. Reduced to poverty during the 30 Years War, Rothenburg was no longer a significant city and growth stalled, thus preserving its 17th-century state. Today Rothenburg is known world wide as being Germany’s best preserved medieval walled town.
We planned on spending all day Thursday not doing anything specific, but enjoyed just walking around the town taking in the sights. We walked the town wall. At 1.5 miles, the medieval wall completely encircles the town’s historic centre, giving you a great view of Rothenburg’s half-timbered architecture.
About 40% of the town was damaged in the war (a very small portion compared to other German towns). Nine of the watchtowers and over 2,000 feet (610 m) of the wall sustained damage. Amazingly, the centre of the Altstadt, or old town, went largely unscathed.
Looking down from the town wall near the Rödor Gate, is the Gerlachschmiede (Blacksmith Forge). The house today is the 1951 reconstruction of the original building, destroyed in 1945 during the war.
Plonlein (Little Square)
The Plonlein is Rotenburg’s symbolic and favorite postcard scene. The name comes from the Latin “planum” meaning a level place; the diminutive “lein” ending means that it’s small. This “small square” sits at the lower end of the Schmiedgasse (Land of the Blacksmith). Two skinny streets enclose a picturesque half-timbered house, which narrows towards its end. The ensemble is framed by the Kobolzeller Gate Tower, The Siever’s Tower and other delightful buildings. If this picturesque corner feels familiar, you may know it from the Walt Disney classic “Pinocchio” (1940), whose artists drew inspiration from the Plonlein.
Inside the Tower
Inside the Tower sit the old canons. It was built in a figure 8 to deter attackers from finding their way and also for the ability to move the wounded and hide them within the tower. This section has not been open to visitors so we were very excited to be able to be inside.
Today was a light breakfast with the plan of coffee and cake for lunch and bratwurst on a bun for dinner at the Christmas Market. It was a beautiful full day outside snooping and shopping. Our kind of shopping may be boring to you but we walked out to Edeke, Lidl and Aldi and purchased some very necessary packages of Christmas baking spices and herbs for cooking. It may seem silly but the herbs and spices are so specific here that you cant go to any grocery store back home to duplicate them. And the prices are cents compared to dollars back home. We had a great time playing seek and find in the aisles. And we mailed out another set of postcards for the little girls. They like mail and why not? Christmas cards are important!
We headed back out into the Market around 6:30 to hunt down supper and was not disappointed. BBQ bratwurst on a bun with mustard. On my how delicious! On our way around the town we stumbled on a little winestube which used to be an old stable. It was so gemutlich (cosy and romantic) with benches, sheep skin coverlets and antique cupboards and a fireplace. The straw on the floor was the piece de resistance! How quaint. Somehow the beer tasted really good. Was it the atmosphere or the Bavarian beer? Maybe both.
Tunsdorf and Traben
We arrived to Tim and Jenny’s on Fri night for the weekend. It was wonderful to catch up after 2 years away. They live in a village called Tunsdorf. It is a 20 minute drive from the Luxembough border and 10 minutes from Belgium. They get the best of all the countries in their area. The cheeses, wine, bread, meat, really inexpensive gas! Their house is a farmhouse right on the road and they have a barn attached and raise chickens and have 2 cats. It is a very romantic cosy house that harkens back 100’s of years. it is a true old farmhouse from inside to outside.
The house has a really old built in pizza/bread oven in the kitchen and they made pizza for dinner. It was so delicious and the warmth of the oven and stones heated the kitchen and for the night.
On Saturday they took us to Traben Trarbach. It is a wine area similar to our Niagara on the Lake wine region. The wine is all white wine because it is the Reisling area on the Mosel. No red wine here. The coolest part about the area is the wine cellars are all next door to each other and there is a Christmas Market in the wine cellar/caves. It is the most wonderful unique experience. Once cave for example was all food such as local made fresh cheese, sausages, breads, dried fuits, nuts, wine, cooking oils and herbs. Another cave was food and wine restaurant, another was gifts and woolens, leathers, sheep skins and herbal medicines and the like. There was a skating rink, gluwein stalls and all manner of items for sale. The most unique thing about it was there was no entrance fee like there is back home. It was free and all was welcome to partake and purchase or not purchase but drink and eat or not. How unique.
Aachen
We arrived into Aachen the afternoon of Sun Dec 11. We met with family from the area for a lovely dinner and a family catch up over coffee. The Christmas Market was in full swing at the base of the Cathedral and the Rathaus (City Hall). The history of Aachen is very old. Aachen was developed from a Roman settlement and thermae (spa), subsequently becoming the preferred medieval Imperial residence of Emperor Charlemagne of the Frankish Empire, and, from 936 to 1531, the place where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned Kings of the Germans. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany (about 716 years old) and a major trading route.
Monday morning we set out early after breakfast in order to snoop the streets and shops before the tourists showed up. Our hotel is right in the middle of the Market so we exit the lobby and turn either left or right and we have the Cathedral, Rathaus and Market within reach. The bakeries and Printen (special cookies and cakes from Aachen) are everywhere and the store windows explode with huge nutcrackers and decorations of all imaginations. We were able to get some great pictures and visit the sites and head back to the hotel for a coffee and see how the pictures turned out. I always seem to choose the windows with the cakes and baked goods displayed in the most tempting arrangements. The air is thick with sausage, baked goods and gluwein. If you could only bottle the aroma!
Did I show you Jennys pet hen? I cant get the picture to attach above but I just had to add it here. They snuggle and cuddle and are so gentle. We had to protect them from the foxes that come around at night. She has lost some so we were very attentive to make sure the pen window was shut and they were safe. They eat bun crumbs and leftover scrambled eggs etc. They dont lay eggs in the winter in order to give their bodies a rest so they can stay warm. So sweet!
Aachen and onwards to Cologne (Koln)
Our hotel (Aquis Granis) was right in the middle of the Christmas Market. Talk about being in the perfect location. We had a lovely breakfast of buns and cheese and fruit all washed down with hot coffee and then we headed out for a lovely walk to put in a few kilometers before we headed to Cologne to visit some of Michaels cousins. The smell of coffee and bakeries and sweet lebkuchen filled the air. This really is the smell of Christmas that I will never forget. We mailed our some more cards for Lizzie and Mack. It has become a game trying to locate the Deutsche Post mail boxes. We scuttle into a Galleria where the first 150 meters of the store is wall to wall ceiling to floor of handmade pralines of every artistic design. I love the stores over here. The fountain pens and paper shops with handbound leather note books smell and feel so soft and sensual. Post cards hand drawn designs and art supplies to make you want to take up painting or drawing. The articles and displays are so motivating. Time and attention have been taken on the displays.
Its 12:00 and we need to head out. It was a lovely drive in the sunshine through the country. The rime frost was on the fields and mountains of sugar beets were in the fields waiting for the farmers to gather them for winter storage. We stopped at a couple of little lebensmittels to look at the herbs and baking supplies to see if there are interesting items for our kitchen cooking and baking this winter. The cool thing here is the containers are made small so you can get 200ml of sauces or creams for cooking or baking instead of the gallon size we have at home. Over here they package items for 1 or 2 persons and the price is appropriate. Also they have small kitchens and mini fridges over here so they cant keep the large gallon jugs and buckets like what we do back home.
We stopped by a flower shop (there are hundreds) and picked up some flowers for Maria (Michaels cousin). We haven’t seen Maria and Manfred and also Manfred’s brother Willy and his wife Veronica for a long time so it was wonderful to have a couple of hours to catch up over coffee and cake. There were lots of stores about days gone by. It is clear we have all aged in the past 40 years. One thing that is universal is the passing of phones to share photos of children and grandchildren.
After we bid goodbye to the family we headed to Cologne to the hotel. It was dark (17:30) so we hit a bit of traffic as it was also home traffic and Cologne is a large city with lots of traffic. Once settled we walked about a 1000 meters down the road to a Brau Haus and had the most incredible Frankrisch Sauerbraten that we have had yet, washed down with 3 kolsch beer. They were small (as you can see in the picture). I promise but again were were walking. Pub food is amazing.
Cologne was a very bustling city. It was surprising how easy it was to get around when you have a very good GPS with you. It was the best item we purchased over 5 years ago and it has saved our bacon often. We snooped around the Galleria and then wandered the little lanes to the Christmas Market at the base of the Cologne Cathedral. All Christmas Markets are set up at the base of the local churches or cathedrals, just as in the olden days.
The Cologne Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. We visited the dome to say a prayer and light a candle for a very special lady.
To escape the chaos of the shoppers, we headed out into the village of Bergisch Gladbach which is only about 10km out into the country. A walk around the town and a a nice stop for coffee and cake. There was a little brook running through the village and a heron perched along the bank. We posted a few more post cards and headed back to Cologne to the hotel for a nice cold beer. We are meeting Michaels cousin Martina and her family for dinner tonight so we are looking forward to seeing them again.
We met Martina, her daughter Zoe and son Ben and Andre at a beautiful little Italian Restaurant. The kids have a very full schedule. After school, Zoe dances ballet every evening and Ben finishes school at 5:30, does his sports and heads to the gym. They are wonderful young people and we enjoyed catching up with them. It was a delicious and lovely evening.
Thursday morning we headed to Strasbourg in France. Strasbourg is the capital city of the Grand Est region, formerly Alsace, in northeastern France. It’s also the formal seat of the European Parliament and sits near the German border, with culture and architecture blending German and French influences.
Its Gothic Cathedral Notre-Dame features daily shows from its astronomical clock and sweeping views of the Rhine River from partway up its 142m spire. On our last visit to Notre-Dame we missed the show of the clock so perhaps this time we can time it better. There are open grates on the floor of the cathedral under the clock and if you wish to drop a penny or two it will fall down through the grate into the large bowls below for donations to the cathedral.
We drove the autobahn to just south of Heidelberg and then took the side roads from there along the Rhine River. It was a bit overcast and some snow in the air because of the elevation but a beautiful drive non-the-less. The suggested speed limit was 120 and then there was no limit. You can see in a below picture the 120 is circled in red meaning a suggested speed and another picture where there are 2 lines through the 120. That means no limit. Have fun! But again, and I cant say it enough, the drivers are so conditioned to do the right driving behaviour that there is no issue with who has the right away or don’t pass on the right or trucks stay in their lane. You just get on and go. Our drive was about 400km.
The towns and villages you drive through have the most amazing and quaint construction. It is the old style and if you notice from the pictures below, they empty right out onto the road. There is no grass frontage or wasted space. Every inch of cobblestone is used for a purpose. It looks like a Robert Ludlum novel.
We arrived at the hotel about 15:30 and headed into Strasbourg via the subway. We drove for about 7km to the park platz and for Euro 4.20 per car, you can park all day and travel the streetcar all day. It is not per person but rather per car load. What a bargain. We walked around to familiarize ourselves with the area again and had a lovely dinner at the same Gasthaus Stube that we liked from before. Onion quiche and salad, homemade herb sausage, potatoes and salad, a glass of beer and a glass of wine and tip all for Euro35.00. A bargain.
The decorations are so amazing. This year Strasbourgh chose to decorate all their buildings and houses with Teddy Bears and Gingerbread. It is common for a town or village to vote on the decoration style and all buildings duplicate the style. Some wine producing towns decoration the whole village in decorations that resemble grapes hanging on the vine. They use imaginative items such as glass balls etc tied together to resemble grapes and vines. It is beautiful and the lights are wonderful! Tomorrow we will head towards Switzerland visiting Colmar, Eguisheim, and other villages along the Alsace French Region for the day and then Saturday will spend the full day at the Christmas Market in Strasbourg snooping, tasting the tempting delicacies and of course French white gluwein.
Eguisheim and Colmar
It takes almost no time to get where you want to go. The GPS shows both the speed limit (130kph) and the speed you are traveling. The road was a little side highway. Not even the autobahn. The 2 lane country roads are 100kmph. Whoa!!
The Alsace Wine Route
Each of the 170 km of the Wine Route offers a true picture-postcard image. Grape vines, ruins of castles dating back to the Middle Ages, villages with old ramparts, hospitable winstubes and lively cellars. But it also displays ancient abodes, Romanesque churches and fountains generously left by the Renaissance. With all these unforgettable pictures, the Alsatian Wine Route is well worth the visit. Remarkable sites such as the Haut Koenigsbourg castle, the Hohlandsbourg castle sit perched on the hills overlooking the villages.
This time of year they are all decked out in their Christmas finery and it is impossible to not gasp every time you turn a corner. If you take every Fairy Tale you have ever read: Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Pinnochio, The 3 Muskateers, to name only a few and sprinkle those with a bit of Harry Potter Hallows Hall, you get the idea of the middle ages (1300 -1600) you get the flavor of the villages along the route.
We started our day in Equisheim. Oh my gosh!! It was the inspiration and setting for the Disney production of Beauty and the Beast. In pics 7&8 above is the original shop of Belle and where Gaston did his musical number.
We later moved along the route to Comar and hit many of the other 20 or so villages. The are stunning and defy words. Every building in every village has a similar style and design. The cobble stones are worn and harken back to the days of Belgian horses pulling large wagons and stagecoaches. I will post the pics and you can sit back and enjoy the display.
There are a few icons that immediately identify as ‘French’ and one of those is most certainly a baguette! A stick of baked dough is at the very heart of the national culture: France has the highest density of bakeries in the world, and approximately ten million baguettes are sold in France every year.
Long loaves of bread have been baked in France since the reign of Louis XVI. The word baguette means a stick or baton. In 1920, a law was introduced restricting the baking hours to 4am-10pm, making it difficult to produce enough fresh bread in the mornings. A faster-baking solution was needed, hence the shape of the baguette we have today, which allows the maximum amount of dough to be cooked whilst also producing a thick crust.
There are baguette rules too, a standard baguette has a diameter of about 5-6 cm and its length is 55-65 cm.
The French bread law
Bread is such an important part of French cuisine/culture, laws up until 2014 prevented all bakers in Paris taking summer holidays at the same time.
And every village in France must sell bread. If there is no bakery in a village – a store, post office or sometimes even a van, will display a “dépôt de pain” sign, signifying that bread is brought in and sold from somewhere else. I have included a picture below of a “depot de pain”.
In 1993, the French government passed a new law called the Décret Pain. The law states that traditional baguettes have to be made on the premises where they’re sold and can only be made with four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. They can’t be frozen at any stage or contain additives or preservatives – which also means they go stale within 24 hours.
Interesting, next time you pick up “Just” a baguette for that Saturday night chacuterie board.
At about 4:30 we were getting a bit peckish, and noticing that all restaurants usually do not open until 7:00pm, we headed the 13km back into Germany to have dinner, fill up with gas and pick up a couple of beers at the grocery. 2 hours later we are back in France working our way back to the hotel. Amazing how you can just cross borders and pick and choose what you want. Cheese in this country, beer in that country gas in another. Sure beats lining up at the USA/Canada border to declare $20.00 worth of goods and showing your Nexus card.
At some point you just have to stop taking pictures because it is overwhelming the quaintness and beauty of the region not to mention the Christmas Markets (and each village, town and city and at least 1 if not more). We came across building from 1370’s to the 1600’s. The date of construction are over their doorways and in some cases the date of renovation. All dates need to be logged and all work needs to be authorized by the city for Heritage purposes.
I have used my pictures for Eguisheim and Michaels pictures for Colmar but as many as you see here there are double that we need to sift through when we get home to possible print some for display.
All I can say is enjoy….
Lady Liberty in the USA was a gift from the French to the Americans in the late 1880’s. But there are actually eight Statue of Liberty replicas in Paris? There is one right in the middle of the Round About in Bischofsheim on the wine route just south of the France Germany border.
Tomorrow is the full day in Strasbourg. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Lots of walking, nibbling on local food and partaking in good wine in the street cafes. Our suitcases are full of treasures so now it is just being tourist and enjoying the fare.
Strasbourg Dec. 17, 2022
Strasbourg became a French city in 1681, after the conquest of Alsace by the armies of Louis XIV. In 1871, after the Franco-Prussian War, the city became German again, until 1918 (end of World War I), when it reverted to France. Strasbourg is immersed in Franco-German culture and although violently disputed throughout history, has been a cultural bridge between France and Germany.
For the city which gave France its national anthem, Strasbourg has had something of a rocky ride across the centuries. Strategically positioned on the Rhine, this elegant metropolis has been batted back and forth between France and Germany no fewer than five times since the late 17th century.
Since the end of World War II, the city has been settled as French, yet this turbulent history has given Strasbourg a unique blend of architecture, traditions and lifestyle. The language spoken here today is French but the street signs also carry the old German names; restaurants serve Alsatian cuisine which draws from the best of two nations; and both cultures have contributed to the landscape of Strasbourg in the 21st century.
Along the canal is an area called Le Petit France. The walk along the river over the cobblestones is very picturesque. For the first time leaving Toronto, I was happy to have my heavy winter boots. It is snowy, slushy and and the cobblestones are slippery.
Today was all about the senses. The subway is such a lovely way to travel. Like I said yesterday, you can park in the subway parking area, (which is only 100 meters from the tram on the pavement) (up to 7 people in a vehicle) and get on the tram and ride for free for the day. All said and done, an entire day parked, downtown Strasbourg and back to and exit the lot was a whopping Euro 4.20!! (CAD $5.50). We went snooping and found some great treasures. We wondered in and out of the shops as we got cold and then warm. Seems you can buy all sorts of “things” at the Galleria. Drag Show anyone?
Had gluwein at the Christmas Market, lunch in an old bistro and back out for coffee and a treat. Stopped by a bakery and picked up ham and cheese on a baguette and cold beer for dinner. It was awesome!!
I can see though how the citizens here can get depressed and cold and seem miserable and out of sorts. It has been overcast almost the whole time we’ve been here except for a couple of days. It has also drizzled off and on as well. I wasn’t bothered but Id rather overcast than snow and freezing winds. Heat is also very expensive here and with the older buildings there is little or no heat throughout the building like we have HVAC at home. It was not invented when most of the buildings were built. They heat a room with a fireplace or the large kitchen oven and have heavy curtains hanging over doorways to keep the draft out. It is quaint but Im sure it gets tiring in the long run. They ache for what we have and we (sometimes) ache for the romantic quaintness of what they have. It is always a fine balancing act, isnt it?
I have never seen so many baguettes in the bread bins. They sell them in bags of 10 for Euro2.30 or CAD .32 cents per loaf. And they make them onsite, as is the law. Michael almost passed out when he saw the cake display in the grocery store, not even a bakery but a grocery store and the aisles upon aisles of beer, wine and spirits. They have to bring their own bags here so the grocery carts are full and wheeled to the car where groceries are packed into small boxes, bins or cloth bags. We are only starting this at home but they have been doing it for years. It is not unusual to see someone walking down the street with a big package of toilet paper under one arm and a dozen eggs balanced on the other and the infamous baguettes under another. They manage to hang onto all their “stuff” without incident AND find the tram ticket in their pocket.
Opa finally found Santa Claus and checked with him that he had Lizzie and Macks name on his list. He confirmed he did and he would leave them an extra special treat this year for being so good. Im sure the girls will be pleased!
As we are scheduled to fly home on Monday Dec. 19, 2022, this is the last post as I am packing the laptop away. It has been an awesome holiday and we both look forward to the next one.
Merry Christmas Everyone!!
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