polkadots and lollipops: A German Christmas

We were fortunate to have family visit us for the holidays. I imagine it would have been lonely and a bit boring otherwise….The Grands, Phillip, Tori and Fran made the trip to Baumholder. It was a week long celebration of German traditions, sightseeing, catching up, eating good food and hanging out!

We packed a lot into our time together and here are some of the highlights!

Trier, Germany & Strasbourg, France

Christmas Markets

Get bundled up- it's cold out there:)

All of us made it into the same picture!!! The Strasbourg market was started in 1570- can you even imagine? It's one of the most popular markets in all Europe being so old and the capitol of France.

Glühwein (roughly, "glow-wine," from the hot irons once used for mulling) is popular in German-speaking countries and in the region of Alsace in France. It is a traditional beverage that is offered during the Christmas holidays. The oldest documented Glühwein tankard is attributed to Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen, a German nobleman who was the first grower of Riesling grapes. This gold-plated lockable silver tankard is dated to c. 1420.

Glühwein is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, citrus, sugar and at times vanilla pods. It is sometimes drunk mit Schuss (with a shot), which means that rum or some other liquor has been added. Fruit wines, such as blueberry wine and cherry wine, are occasionally used instead of grape wine in some parts of Germany. There is also a variation of Glühwein which is made with white wine. However, white Glühwein is less popular than its red counterpart.

~Wikiepdia

Something for all ages

Haines girls in Trier

Chocolate covered strawberries made the perfect market snack!

toasting…….
We found a nice French restaurant, turns out the kitchen had just closed. Fran translated our drink requests and we came up with plan B.

Plan B turned out to be Subway! Yes, like sandwiches and chips! Talk abut fancy french cuisine !!!!

The church was enormous! Completely covered with the most detailed carvings- truly a work of art! Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg)

At 142 metres (466 feet), it was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874 (227 years), when it was surpassed by St. Nikolai's Church, Hamburg. Today it is the sixth-tallest church in the world and the highest still-standing structure built entirely in the Middle Ages.

A couple of American Nuns offered to take our picture in front of the cathedral! We were easy to spot as tourists I suppose hehehe! NOTE: If you look closely between Randy and Fran there's an extra family member- WE WERE PHOTO BOMBED!!!!! crazy!

Something completely thrilling and sweet- we stumbled upon this biscuitier! Solid, dense, a little crunchy and sweet French biscuits. Cinnamon, chocolate, jam filled….endless varieties!