In October, we revisited our adventures in Thailand. We thought we should give you a glimpse of what we were up to a few Decembers past. In 2010 Katie and I went to visit Calder, her fiancé (they’re married now), who was living and working in Germany. Our trip was amazing and I think it had to do with a few key factors: Katie, C and I all get along really well, C is fluent in German (hellllllo helpful!) and we kept the trip spontaneous and largely unplanned. Mix great buddies with little stress and lots of snow and you have a Christmas adventure that will never be forgotten. Oh and breakfast! Almost every hotel offered a complimentary breakfast, which consisted of a big deli platter with lots of yummy meats, cheeses and the best baked bread. You are also offered eggs, cereal, yogurts and fruit. We started each day with coffees and cheese, please tell me how we could have possibly had a bad time? I actually had such a blast that I completely forgot to e-mail a final paper to a professor during the trip! Yep, I wrote a ten page research paper and forgot to turn it in that’s how awesome our Christmas trip to Germany was.
Now when I think of Christmas traditions, I actually think of the German Christkindlmarkt. I feel like visiting the markets is the most historic lens I’ve ever looked through when it comes to the holiday season. The markets are held in the center of villages, towns and cities. The backdrop and surroundings of each market is historic and stunning in itself. Every Christkindlmarkt has a variety of gifts and holiday goodies. The markets are a glimpse of the past; you won’t find tacky Christmas commercialization here. Over the course of a week, we visited five markets ranging from enormous to quaint. Each market had crib figurines, ornaments, toys, wood carvings, decorations, candles, furs and a variety of other crafts and goods. The markets also had the most amazing food. It kicked any American fair food’s behind. We usually ate some type of bratwurst and sauerkraut on a fresh, crusty roll. We kept warm by sipping glühwein and sampling dozens of treats throughout the day. Each city’s market had a slightly different vibe and while I loved visiting every one, Esslingen’s medieval market may have been my favorite. Read on to see why…