We arrived in Heidelberg on a dark, cold afternoon with fog rolling down the mountains. I’ve never been to Heidelberg in the winter and was absolutely delighted by the fairytale quality the snow gave to the gabled windows and towering spires of the beautiful city.
We teetered our way up steep, icy, cobbled streets past rather splendid doorways and opulent homes until we reached the snow-covered ruins of Heidelberg Castle.
These are some of my favorite ruins, towering magisterially above the river valley, though I dearly wish some wealthy soul would take the castle as their pet project and restore it. I would love to see how it looked when the halls were filled with royalty, servants and guests from abroad.
I think the best part of the castle is the view. I took a video of it for you, and am delighted by how it looks like a miniature city tucked into a snow globe.
We arrived back at my brother’s house in Amsterdam late last night and I’m spending a deliciously lazy morning on the couch, tucked up under mounds of blankets. This afternoon we’re heading out to explore the Netherlands coast and tonight we’ll be braving the streets of Amsterdam to celebrate New Year’s Eve among the fireworks happy residents.
I wish you a beautiful celebration tonight and an absolutely wonderful year. I’m so glad you’re in my life and look forward to getting to know you even better in this new year. 🙂
Ever since I heard the name Baden-Baden I have wanted to visit this beautiful little spa town set on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany. We didn’t have time to try out any of the luxurious spa treatments or health clinics, but we had just enough time to wander the streets still resplendent in their holiday finery and a recent dusting of snow.
This has to be one of my favorite buildings – a delightful blast of color and festivity in a line of stately but somber edifices.
As usual in German towns, the church is stunning, towering over the populace, providing a handy point of reference and meeting place for directionally challenged explorers.
We wandered happily along slushy cobbled lanes, popping into shops to peruse their wares, dashing up random stone staircases to see what lay beyond.
All too soon we had to depart. We strode past the town skating rink and I recalled with a smile my own childhood in Canada where I spent every winter afternoon on the ice playing hockey with my three brothers.
Then we piled into our cars and drove through the snow-blanketed town up, up into the gorgeous Black Forest towards our next destination.
Today was bitterly cold as we walked the icy streets of Ulm, Germany to track down the Ulm Medieval Christmas Market.
Set on the banks of the Danube and open November 26-January 2, the market is a unique version of the traditional Christmas markets that fill the squares of cities across Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries in Europe.
You can still get piping hot mugs of spiced German Christmas wine (gluwine) and sizzling bratwurst, but all the vendors are decked out in medieval garb and you can watch them play period instruments, make candles, and hammer away at red hot metal in the blacksmith shop.
The vendor stalls hold a fascinating array of interesting items from handmade slippers, medieval dresses and intricate jewelry to hand-carved spoons, bowls, and lovely old-fashioned writing instruments.
We had a splendid time! The gluwine warmed us up beautifully and we had such fun perusing the stalls and finding little treasures to take home.
Soon it was time to drive back to my brother’s house in Boblingen and we arrived just in time for the next snow storm to hit. 🙂
Good morning, luvs! It was a full-blown blizzard the night we went to the Maastricht Christmas Market, yet that didn’t keep the Dutch (or us!) from enjoying the music, lights and delights of the market.
Situated in the town square, the nearby church towers provide a magnificent backdrop for Christmas trees and brightly lit stalls filled with gifts and local food specialties.
Heavily bundled children can ride the carousel and Santa’s reindeer before choosing their favorite treats at the enticing candy cart across the way.
There’s something about old-fashioned candies that draw me in every time. Especially those long, swirled candy sticks in odd flavors like horehound. They make me smile.
Now I must hustle and finish getting ready! It’s another snowy day in Germany and we’re heading to Ulm to visit the Medieval Christmas Market and dig into some amazing Ethiopian food.
The day of Christmas Eve we were cozy and warm in a tall, narrow house in Maastricht, Netherlands, watching in amazement as snow continued to fall. It hadn’t stopped since our arrival the day before!
I got to stay in the attic room, reached by two steep winding staircases. I had one crooked window placed in the roof at a jaunty angle, through which I could watch the snow fall. I have a great fondness for attic rooms. They seem special somehow, tinier than all the other rooms, almost like a treehouse. I always want to stay there for hours, like Jo from Little Women, wearing a quirky hat and writing marvelous stories by candlelight until the wee hours of the morning.
After packing up our belongings we donned caps and scarves, wool socks and boots, and as many layers as we could fit under our coats, and went for a morning wander through Maastricht in search of breakfast.
The town square is a beautiful spot, especially in the winter. Curving streets and gabled buildings are trimmed with evergreen boughs and bright red bows, and at night it is alight with the warmth and bustle of the Christmas market. We’d gone the night before but the snow was falling so thick and fast pictures were nigh impossible to capture! I’ll try to remember to post a few for you anyways. 🙂
I loved wandering through Maastricht, heading down random streets and narrow alleys, discovering warm bakeries laden with freshly-baked rolls and loaves, shops with handmade wares and fabulous boots, and restaurants that serve piping hot coffee and big slabs of schnitzel cooked to perfection.
I’ve never experienced such extreme cold and snow in Europe since I spent a frightfully cold spring in Russia back in 1993. If I were at home in this weather I’d be staying inside, enjoying the show from my warm apartment. But here it seems perfectly sensible to head out in a blizzard, walking for hours through nearly deserted streets, popping into cafes to warm up over steaming cups of kaffee für kir (the delicious Dutch version of a latte).
Now I must dash! Time for coffee and breakfast with my family before we brave the snowy streets of Stuttgart, Germany for a day of shopping and exploring.
