"Someday" is Here

 Apparently, everyone in the world is touring Christmas markets in Europe this year!  It is really a thing now, at least for Americans...Europeans have been doing it forever, seemingly.  We had the pleasure of visiting some markets at the end of November and first week of December.  It was a trip that materialized on a dreary, lonely, afternoon and evening in September at the shore.  I was experiencing the "end of summer blues", and said to TJ, "Remember that trip to Strasbourg we planned and had to cancel?  Maybe it would be fun to visit and see the Christmas markets.".  All I had to do was plant the seed and within a few hours he had purchased tickets and put the ball in my court.  There was a time, or there were many times in our life, that the mere suggestion of a trip would have been met with sighs of, "someday".  As a result of many air miles, a retired and restless husband, an empty nest and our desire to see and do... "Someday" is here! 

Our trip began in Paris on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Turns out the Saturday after Thanksgiving is a great day to travel abroad because everyone in the states is home with their families.  We celebrated Thanksgiving with our son in Kansas City, came home on Friday and left on Saturday.  Yes, there were moments I said to myself and TJ, "Are we crazy?  Why did we plan it this way?".  One reason we planned this way was that nobody travels abroad on the weekend after Thanksgiving which meant our upgrade to the flat bed seats came through!  "Someday" is definitely here.

Paris in November is gray and damp.  BUT...it is still Paris!  I really do love that city!  I have been many times and will go again...any time.  We stayed in the Montmartre area because our train to Strasbourg was leaving from Gare de l'Est and we wanted to be close by.  Montmartre is an area we know a little but not a lot, so I scheduled a food tour for our arrival day.  I like to have an activity on arrival day with someone to point me around and lead me in a direction, so I don't have to think.  Perfect.  We sampled many sweets, some wine and cheese, heard some interesting and tragic stories and met a new friend.  

Macaron?  Merci!

So French!  Oui, merci!

The next day was...wet.  What to do in Paris in the cold rain/drizzle?  I had heard that there are passages in Paris, covered walkways with shops and restaurants.  I had never seen one before, so we set out the find the passages.  What a great concept!  The shops were so cute, and we stayed dry!  We also toured the Pompidou Center and museum which we had only walked past and never toured before.  Both great choices and when we were finished, the rain had disappeared.  We had a lovely dinner, are there any others in Paris?  Went to bed pleased with our choice to fly into Paris en route to Strasbourg.  Paris is always a good idea!

A great way to stay dry in Paris!

The next morning, we walked to the, very close, train station and took a 2-hour train to Strasbourg.  Train stations in Europe are so different than the ones in the states.  They are so busy and many of them are just beautiful if you ask me.  They are also very utilized.  The Strasbourg station would prove to be a very lovely and unique building as well.  We found our apartment, ate lunch in a very local place and commenced our Christmas marketing!  The smells, the booths, the vibe, the food, the lights, the decorations!  All of it together just makes your heart swell.  

The markets below give a little perspective.
That Cathedral is huge!!!

Our routine had become explore the city in the morning, lunch someplace, walk/shop a bit and then go back to our accommodation until dark...which was 4 pm!  Around 5 we would go back out, do more exploring, have dinner and then really walk around and marvel at the shops and the lights. This routine resulted in an average of about 15,000 steps a day!  

As a coincidence, on our food tour in Paris, we met an interesting young woman from Australia and found out she would be in Strasbourg the same day we were.  We invited her to meet us at the restaurant we had reservations at on our first night for dinner or even just a drink. I mean, we are older...maybe she wanted to hang with some younger people!  We did not know if she would show or not. We did spend 3 hours together eating our way through Paris... why not?  Well...she showed up!  We proceeded to spend the whole night together, talking, eating, drinking and generally having fun.  We ended the night...shutting down a Christmas market.  Small world indeed. 

We visited Colmar, France the next day and my oh my!  For one, the sun was shining brightly for the first time since we left home.  For another, Colmar is the cutest place on earth!  We felt like we had been dropped into a fairy tale!  This was probably the most perfect day of our trip.  Sunny skies, market after market, buildings and streets decorated to the hilt, great food, and a very manageable size place to fully explore.  I would go back!

Love the use of all red locks on the bridge!

Christmas, everywhere you look!

Cute beyond words!

Welcome back to Strasbourg

Our next destination was Baden Baden.  Why Baden Baden?  It is on the way to Frankfurt, where our flight home was departing, smaller and famous for its thermal spas.  We figured we would be chilled to the bone by this point in the trip and in need of some warming up.  We were back to the winter gray skies and as we headed north it just got colder.  Luckily, Baden Baden was charming, easy to navigate and a lovely place to spend a day and night.  Yes, we did go to the spa, no, we did not opt for the "textile free" areas.  We enjoyed every pool we could, inside and outside.  What a luxury!  Good thing our hotel was nearby, I was so relaxed when we left walking was a challenge.  Of course the cold air woke us up pretty quickly.  I cannot imagine how dark these towns are in the winter once all of the holiday decorations and lights are gone.  They are so festive and alive during this season, but with sunset around 4 p.m.  winter is very dark!

Our only sprinkling of snow!

 Our last day was spent in Frankfurt. It was definitely a place that snapped us back into reality.  After spending time in places that felt like walking through a Christmas card, we were in the big city.  Frankfurt is BIG!  We could no longer just walk from place to place, although we tried and got to see the seedier side of the life in the big city.  Let's just say the red light district in Frankfurt is not nearly as charming as it is in Amsterdam.  Another reality check was the markets were shoulder to shoulder crowds and then we realized it was Saturday.  We were definitely on vacation, we had no idea what day of the week it was until then.  Everyone and their grandmother and their kids goes to the markets on Saturday.  Yes, they were just as charming, but there were times I had to tell myself, "You survived Mardi Gras in New Orleans many times, you can do this too!".  We managed to sample some food and found a happening wine bar and lucked out with a seat at a table, surrounded by people.  Guess we were so old, compared to the general clientele, that they gave us a chair.  You know...before we keeled over due to old age 😂

Absolutely loved this booth!

We had a great time, better than expected actually!  We were prepared for inclement weather and had mentally prepared for gloomy skies.  I really had no idea that the night lights would provide so much joy though.  

Just some of the calories we consumed, happily, and tried to walk off on our trip.

Christmas came early to the two of us.  As a result, Christmas may come a little late to our families!  Playing catch up on the gifting and greeting this year...their gifts will arrive...someday!

Hope your holidays are as merry and bright as a European Christmas Market!