Munich on New Year's Day

Our New Year kicked off with a trip to Munich. Technically, we had been to Munich before, but as participants and eager observers of Oktoberfest. I expected this visit might have a bit more culture. We stayed at the Hotel Cristal, awesome because of it's central location, not awesome due to the amount of wandering we had to do in order to access and escape the parking garage. 

We began exploring the city after we arrived midday. There weren't snow or rainstorms following us throughout the day, for once, but the sidewalks were deathly slippery and lead to me slowing everyone down with my unsure shuffle.

There were remnants of the local Christmas market just outside of Marienplatz. We saw one very unfortunate fellow drop a fresh order of fries, I wanted to cry for his loss but the local pigeons were able to indulge in a serious feast. Going off of a recommendation, we went to Augustiner, a very famous beer hall, for lunch. It is the second largest beer hall in Munich and their beer recipe goes all the way back to the 1300's when the Augustinian monks began crafting it in their monastery.

Baskets of pretzels welcomed us to the table. They were decent, though slightly stale and not free! I ordered a venison goulash and only made it half way through. I forgot how heavy carbs, beer, and meat can be.

After lunch we walked just across the way to St. Michael's church. The inside was beautiful and the sunlight shone through in a magnificent way. From there we walked by the Neues Rathaus. Rathaus means government building, our Rathaus in Stuttgart is nothing special and the ones in Munich, the old and the new, put ours to shame.

Neues Rathaus

Altes Rathaus

Given that is was New Year's Day, museums and other points of interest were closed. Luckily, we were able to take in all of the major sites of the city without having to set foot inside a building. For dinner we ate at a small German style restaurant where I balanced out my lunch with a salad and ice cream. I figured I would need to keep my strength up for the treacherous walk back to the hotel along a large sheet of ice.

I loved the accessibility of Munich. To have all the must sees all in one place with a never ending selection of great food and beer was ideal. 

An Explosive New Year's Eve

How does Stuttgart prefer to bring in a New Year? By blowing up an assortment of fireworks in the city square of Schloßplatz. While many cities admire and enjoy fireworks over the holidays, it is required they are done by professionals to avoid risk of injury. Those in Germany feel no such pressure for an orchestrated, well managed show.

After arriving home from Trier and doing some festive drinking at our apartment, we hopped on the U-Bahn downtown. As we approached Schloßplatz, the crowd went from nonexistent to throngs of people clumped together for warmth, and possibly safety. The four of us set up base under a tree, we figured if something went flying and sparked overhead we would have decent coverage!

The age of the attendees were mostly college through those in their thirties, although to one side of us there was a family of elementary aged children setting off Roman candles as quickly as they could manage! Many of the fireworks were small, items that twirled on the ground, or emitted sparks ten or so feet into the air. However, a number of participants took their firework celebration much more seriously! We had the perfect view of high arcing fireworks exploding over the crowd and lighting up the night. Truth be told, there was one point of concern where a rouge firework shot directly at us and exploded so closely we could feel the warmth on our faces. 

As midnight approached things began going off like crazy. The sky went from clear to overwhelmed with smoke and lights. The crowds were cheering, drinking, and having the best of times as they set their own stash aflame and into the air.

While the exact stroke of midnight was lost in luminous chaos, the ten minutes preceding and after the start of 2015 were filled with intense celebration by everyone in the square. 2015 easily goes down as the most memorable New Year's Eve of all time.

Touring the Oldest City in Germany

Trier is likely the oldest city in Germany and said to be founded in 16 B.C. While I am always up for touring a new city, this visit held a special meeting. Some of Tom's not too distant relatives are from the nearby town of Spies, Germany and we were very interested in seeing the area. Outside of my day visit to Cologne, this was also my first visit to the Rhineland-Palatine area.

We stayed at the Mercure Hotel, directly across from Porta Nigra. Providing us with an immediate view of the medieval Roman gate each time we walked outside. The day of our arrival we gave ourselves a tour of the city.

Electoral Palace

Cathedral of Trier

The most fantastic site was the Electoral Palace. While the palace's main claim to beauty is the surrounding gardens, they were rather lackluster in the winter months. The palace was built in the late 1600's and currently serves as a local government office. Could you imagine if all government offices looked that nice? There certainly are some perks to working in Trier!

Next up was the Cathedral of Trier, the oldest church in the country. Construction began in the 1200's and it still stands to this day. The inside of the cathedral was bare in comparison to many of the plush and gilded churches I have seen throughout Europe, but that is to be expected for a building of that age.

After lunch, drinks, and our walk though the city, we all crashed and took a nap. We wanted to see the city at night, but needed to rest up first.

Porta Nigra

While it was a few days past Christmas, we were fortunate all of the decorations were still up. I love the holidays and the weather was clear and pleasant enough for us to enjoy an evening walk through the city. We ate dinner at Theo, a restaurant right by the Porta Nigra, before returning to our hotel for the evening. The following day was New Year's Eve and we had to get back to Stuttgart to pick up some food and beer for the celebration!

Lucerne: A Winter Wonderland

On our drive home from Geneva, we decided to stop off in Lucerene. Switzerland is a relatively small country and taking Tom's brother and sister to a city we love so much was worth the slight detour. Tom and I honeymooned in Lucerne back in October and quickly found ourselves feeling at ease as we walked along the lake and bought true Swiss chocolates.

The winter snow seemed to be following us throughout Europe. While it was colder than we were used to, the weather made for a picturesque afternoon in the city. We parked by the Palace Luzern, where we stayed on our honeymoon, and walked through the city.

The snowflakes were fluffy and perfect. While I certainly am not a fan of the cold, I braved the temperature and quickly accumulating snow as we strolled through the footpaths and shops. We made our way by the church, the Lion Monument, across the river, and finally found warmth in a fantastic restaurant on the other side.

There's nothing like pumpkin soup to warm you up on a winter day.

After lunch, we crossed the famous Kapellbrücke and meandered into my favorite chocolate shop in the area. We ended our visit with a stroll along the lake front path. Lucerne is beautiful, and one of my favorite places in Europe, regardless of the season.

Our First European Snowstorm

Winter had been exceptionally good to us this year, until December 27th. That Saturday morning we were leaving France around 6:30 to drive to Geneva, Switzerland. Tom's brother and sister were flying in for the week and we were scheduled to get to the airport in three hours, plenty of time or their 10:20 arrival.

Sadly, the weather completely foiled our plans. We knew snow was coming, but we highly underestimated the amount and speed at which the snow would be falling .We survived the Polar Vortex of last winter and the snowstorm which closed down Lake Shore Drive back home, so we were optimistic about our winter survival tactics.

When our initial SUV broke down back in October, we received a manual, four wheel drive version and that may have been our saving grace through out this storm. The three hour drive took us five and a half due to the weather. Once we made it through the mountains, we saw hours worth of traffic backed up in the opposite direction and were grateful to just be moving along, even if it was at a snails pace. The next morning we found out one person died and thousands were stranded on the roads, we were very fortunate we left as early as we did.

We ended up meeting at the hotel due to our large delay. The weather in Geneva was chilly and rainy, but I gladly took such dismal weather over the snowstorm we just survived! We borrowed some umbrellas from the hotel and went exploring.

Geneva had a very easy to navigate train system. The main station was across the street from our apartment and we were able to get from one end of the city to another with ease. Our first stop was the United Nations building. The rain really picked up when we arrived, so our stay outside was very brief.

As we boarded the train to the Altstadt area, the weather had begun to clear. We walked through the shops, popped into St. Pierre Cathedral, and investigated the free Maison Tavel Geneva History Museum. Previously, we had only been in the German speaking parts of Switzerland, and it didn't occur to me Geneva would speak French, not German, due to their proximity to France. I can navigate a German country and ask for the basics, but my knowledge of French numbers one through ten and oui and non would not be getting me far here. Shannon to the rescue. Tom's sister is fluent in French and made the entire visit a breeze for the rest of us. Knowing the language is such an advantage. 

The streets of Geneva with St. Pierre in the background.

By early evening, we were starving and began wandering the streets in an attempt to locate a place to eat. Due to European culture a number of places were not open yet and we ended up taking an accidental walking tour of the city in our efforts to find food.

We walked by the flower clock, along Lake Geneva, and through the city center where we finally ended up eating at a diner two blocks from our hotel. The rain came and went, and by the time we sat down to eat, my boots and socks had become thoroughly soaked. After refueling with pizza and an ice cream sundae, we walked the short distance to our hotel and turned in early. It was hard to believe so much had occurred in one day.

Jet d' Eau

The following morning came too soon. After packing up and eating a hotel breakfast, we drove to one final sight, the Jet d' Eau. The Jet is a famous water fountain in Geneva and one of their most well known landmarks. A gray hue hung in the air from the previous rain and oncoming snow, making it difficult to do the fountain justice in pictures. We walked all the way to the edge of the pier to get a very up close look before heading out. On our way back to Stuttgart, we had plans to stop off in Lucerne and were ready to get on the road.

Dinner for Twenty One

Every morning in France was a new opportunity. A couple of days I headed up the mountains on a ski lift, some days I stayed at the chalet and read, each day I explored a path or part of the town I hadn't seen before. I had only visited La Salle Les Alpes once in the summer of 2013, but I consider myself to have a decent familiarity with the layout. The winter landscape however, altered the views and the offerings. On Christmas Eve, while wandering through the shops, we came across an open air market. Some booths had clothing, some dried meats, but most importantly, some had glorious French cheese.

My thoughts on cheese? The stinkier, the better!

Christmas Eve night ended with half of the group going to church and half playing Perudo, drinking, and overseeing the finishing details of our dinner. Dinner each evening was seriously decadent with multiple courses, all of them handmade. Seating was always a struggle, and you became closely acquainted with those next to you very quickly as twenty one of us were crowded into two tables each day. To be fair, the only rough patch was when you got seated on one of the two benches near the end. Three people were on each bench, requiring everyone to sit, rise, and scoot the bench in at precisely the same time. There was true strategy to this as well, as it had to be two women and one man. You could not disturb the delicate bench balance! We all had chalkboard napkin rings with our names on them to designate our assigned spots.

Champagne and appetizers on Christmas Eve

The last night of our stay, the 26th, was a really special meal. The menu mirrored that of a Thanksgiving dinner, a true luxury for us this year, with the exception of the appetizer. We began with escargot. I consider myself adventurous when it comes to food, I do like stinky cheese after all, but this was something I had not tried before. After a few failed attempts at removing the snail from it's shell, I finally succeeded in retrieving one and it was delicious. They were cooked in an amazing basil sauce, which was remarkable by itself, and the texture was not as odd as I was fearing! 

Dinner was turkey, cabbage, parsnips of varying colors, potatoes, stuffing, and we finished with a chocolate log I would describe as a Swiss roll covered in powdered sugar and pomegranate seeds. Those pomegranate antioxidants really helped balance out the meal. 

The whole week at the chalet had absolutely flown by and was stuffed full of food and new experiences. Tom and I tried to retire at a decent hour, but wanted to enjoy as much time as we could with everyone. We were leaving at 6:30 the next morning and wouldn't be seeing them before we departed! Spending Christmas in France was an absolute dream and made for a fantastic first Christmas together as a married couple.

A Snowmobile Ride Under the Stars

Dinner time at the chalet in France was always an event. Each night a different family took turns making dinner for the entire household, and it was often a day long affair. Everyone was looking forward to a dinner out the Tuesday evening before Christmas. 

This dinner was set to be a spectacular one. All twenty one of us piled into vans and drove to a very remote location in the mountains. Living in Chicago for three years and spending the last few months in large cities, I believe I forgot how dark true wilderness can be. The vehicles were parked and we began walking up an isolated road. I didn't quite know what was going on, but followed as best I could, iPhone flashlight in hand. After a few minutes of uphill hike, a truck came speeding by us, did a U-Turn and stopped just ahead of the group. Unsure of who this person was, I'm thinking: Lovely. We are all about to be murdered and disposed of in the woods.

Fortunately, the driver was a man from the restaurant where we would soon be dining. He heard the roads were icy and came to pick us up. This way, we didn't have to walk the entire way to the snowmobiles. Oh yes. We all squished into this pick up truck, shoved creatively on top of one another, and took off for our next mode of transportation. 

While the night was cold and I was jostling around over the wheel in the back, I looked up at the night sky and decided it was all completely worthwhile. Between the darkness and the altitude, I have never before seen so many start just scattered up above.

We arrived at the snowmobile, it had a six seater carriage fastened to the back and we were about to go speeding around narrow trails in the pitch black. Good thing I got a look at the sky when I did, because I spent that snowmobile ride convinced I was going to be the one person jettisoned from my seat and into the abyss. I survived, and I must say, it was exhilarating. 

The snowmobile slowed in front of what literally appeared to be an abandoned cabin in the woods, surrounded by only snow and hills. Shuffling into the lobby, we all began to take off our layers and put on, get this, Crocs. I did manage to do a little digging and find some with flowers on them. Understandably, they didn't want dozens of people dragging snow and ice all over their floors. We all had to come up in waves, and I settled in with a beer and my Crocs, waiting for the others to arrive.

The ambiance was that of a cozy cabin with ample wooden decor and cozy curtains. My favorite part of this cabin? The dessert display was set up smack in the middle and I could keep my eye on it at all times. The fantastic amounts of cheese I got to ingest also made for a pleasant evening.

We ordered our entrees ahead of time. I was planning on playing it safe with a meat dish, but decided on the stinky cheese fondue, or more eloquently referred to as Mont D'or. I was shocked when they brought each person their own container of melted cheese. Thankfully, I got some help in finishing mine. I had a meat platter, olives, and some vegetables for dipping, smothering, in the Mont D'or. 

Post dinner and dessert (I had a fruit crumble), we naturally finished with a drink. Well, everyone else did. I passed as I wanted to have my wits about me on the return snowmobile ride. The drink display was adorable and perfectly rustic.

We had to leave in rounds as well.This was the hardest part to survive. With that much meat, cheese, and delicious food in your belly, all you desire is a deep, hibernation grade sleep. The restaurant owners had an adorable cow dog there to keep us company though. Playing with the dog made for a good use of my extra time.

The snowmobile and pick up truck ride was more pleasant on the way back. I knew what I was getting myself into this time around and did some deep breathing! The entire night was unbelievable and I still can't fathom the beauty of the night high up in the Alps.

Skiing and Chocolat Chaud

Glorious sunshine and a lack of snowfall proved to be a blessing and a curse when the time came for my ski lessons in the French Alps. La Salle Les Alpes is located in the resort of Serre Chevalier Vallée and there are a number of slopes nearby. We drove minutes down the road the Monday before Christmas to check out the ski gear I would need for the day.

I wore numerous layers, not because I was concerned I would be cold, but out of concern for how many times I was anticipated I would fall. So I waddled into the ski shop, rocking my borrowed ski pants, to shove my feet into the most awkwardly uncomfortable boots I've ever worn. I selected some poles, grabbed my borrowed skis, and slowly made my way to the lift. 

What is more terrifying than riding in an unstable, though thankfully enclosed, lift to the top of a mountain over the duration of five minutes? Having to manage your way into the capsule while it's moving and your wearing the uncomfortable above mentioned items. I was sweating bullets just thinking about it.

After successfully making it on board, we arrived at the top around 11:00, half an hour early for our ski lessons. This meant I had some time to put on the skis and attempt to propel myself around a mini hill with my ski poles. There may be some people who place skis on their feet and immediately glide around with ease, I am not one of them. I did okay in the initial stages, until I began to slide back. I didn't know how to stop. There are throngs of children behind me (who are all skiing far better than I, by the way..) and I'm envisioning myself ending in a snowbank as I take some of them out on my way down. Tom had to grab and drag me to safety before I caused such a catastrophe.

This days lesson would run for two hours. I was given the run down on proper stance, which involved leaning into the horrid boots and leaving me with a bruise that is still healing, and told to navigate my way around sans poles. Before I was cleared to enter the bunny hill, I tried going down a minuscule slope to how learn to stop and get a feel for my skis. Tom accompanied me to my lessons for moral support, but once bunny hill time began it was just me and the toddlers.

To get to the beginning of the bunny hill, you have to conquer a small downhill slope. The instructor went down backwards in front of me, it didn't do much good though as I went flying under her legs seconds in. She stopped me and gently navigated me to safety, no harm done. 

I feel I excelled at the super basics. Go down a hill? Great. Learn to stop? Somewhat. Learn to turn in an intentional manner, both directions? That's where I got lost. I could turn very well one way, but it was purely by accident. This meant I didn't know the proper mechanics of how to turn and inevitably ended up (intentionally) colliding with a foam covered pole to stop as I continued to turn into a crowd of children. Although, the children could ski better than I, so really they should have moved out of my way. Just a thought.

That sun though. It was wonderful. I wasn't cold, had I spent those two hours freezing I don't know that I would have survived the full lesson. It also made me feel athletic, as I knew I would have a bitchin sunglasses tan line from my day on the slopes. The sun was terrible, too. It meant there was less snow, and the snow that was on the ground felt soft after a few runs. I blame its mushiness for my unsuccessful stopping. 

Two hours came and went quickly. By the time the end came, I was certainly getting burnt out and frustrated. I couldn't figure out how to turn and was mentally spent. After a well deserved lunch, everyone else headed back while I grabbed a chocolat chaud and waited for them.

My preferred version of Christmas day skiing

I didn't return for skiing the rest of the week. However on Christmas I brought my Kindle and relaxed with, what else, a chocolat chaud while the others went out on the slopes. I will forever be grateful I took those lessons, the feeling of skiing is one of a kind, but I don't know it is something I care to master. I will probably spend all of my future time skiing on the bunny hill with children who are far more fearless than myself!

Have Yourself a Very French Christmas

This holiday season was bound to be different for us. Not only because we are newlyweds and are celebrating our first Thanksgiving and Christmas as a married couple, but also because we planned to stay in Europe and embrace holiday adventures came our way. Thanksgiving was spent in London with extended family, and for Christmas we really lucked out as well. Tom's best friend's family owns a chalet in La Salle Les Alpes, a small town located in the French Alps. We were invited to join them for the week of Christmas and eagerly accepted.

We made the seven hour drive the Saturday before Christmas. The drive itself was extraordinary. We drove along the west side of Germany, through Switzerland, into the notoriously long tunnel in Italy, until we were finally winding our way through the mountains of France. Our friends had arrived just hours before us and we could not wait to see them, the four months we spent apart was too long!

I have been to the town La Salle only once the previous summer. I remembered it well and was looking forward to spending time there with a great group of people. Twenty one people to be precise, family and friends, were staying in the chalet. That alone guaranteed an eventful week. 

Our first evening there was spent relaxing, eating, and catching up. One of the most fun events is everyone getting together to play games after dinner. That night we played a couple of rounds of Perudo, which was helped along by some limoncello, and went to bed around midnight. We awoke somewhat early the next morning since most of the group was going skiing. As I had never been skiing before, I decided to hang back with a friend. I consider our day to be much more relaxing. We enjoyed a Coke on the sun soaked patio of a cafe downtown and meandered through the peaceful streets. It was Sunday so unfortunately all the shops were closed. We made the trek home, had tea on the beautiful patio above, and were finishing lunch of one of my preferred simple French foods (salmon paste on toast with lemon juice) as the others were arriving home.

Another fantastic end of the day routine is partaking a pre-dinner sauna. This was something I took advantage of more days than not. While the sun was magnificent during the day, the weather turned cold at night and nothing squashes a winter chill like a hot sauna. We ended the day with cocktails, snacks, dinner, and a new game before calling it a night. I was anxious to get to bed at a decent hour, for the following day I would be attending my first skiing lesson.

Chocolate in Cologne

While my mom was visiting, I wanted to take her somewhere outside of Stuttgart, to a city we could both experience for the first time together. Cologne, Germany was a train ride away and could be done in a day. Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany, compared to Stuttgart at number six, and it has stuck out in my mind since Amsterdam in September.

We took an international train on our way to Amsterdam and I remember pulling into the Cologne station that evening and being blown away by the Cologne Cathedral. Not only is the stature overwhelming, but it is designed in a Gothic style and has an amazing story to go with it. Much of Germany, Stuttgart included, was hit hard by airstrikes in World War Two. Cologne was no exception, but the Cathedral somehow survived, even though it can be shown smoldering the day after a fire attack in this 1942 photo.

The cathedral is well over 600 years old and, like many churches in Europe is often undergoing construction. Unfortunately, the striking exterior had a small repair structure during our visit, but it didn't detract from the overall beauty.

Reason number two I was greatly looking forward to Cologne was their chocolate museum. European chocolate is absolutely spectacular. Gaining an inside look to how it is made as well as the history behind the cocoa bean was right up my alley. I am a die hard chocolate fanatic.

Chocolate fountain

The museum gave you a Lindt complimentary chocolate with your ticket and began with the history of the discovery of the cocoa bean. One of my favorite displays was of dishes and items used in the consumption of chocolate, particularly hot chocolate, throughout the years. There were beautifully preserved dishes and pots women would use when serving legit hot cocoa to visitors and family in the 1800's. There was a room demonstrating the process of making Lindt chocolates and the smell was heavenly. Our visit coincided with a few school tours and school children were waiting at a special counter where you could custom mix your own chocolate with add ins of any kind.

We ended with a hot chocolate in the cafe which, of course, came with another chocolate. I was so happy. We hit up the gift shop for a few treats and post cards of our own. The selection was good and the prices weren't too bad! A welcome surprise in the world of travel!

There were three separate Christmas markets in Cologne, near the museum, in the main square, and by the church. We enjoyed walking through and seeing all they had to offer, but Stuttgart's market was far superior.

Cologe was my first Currywurst experience. We ate at a very small, hole in the wall bar near the train station and the Currywurst was a great choice. It was served with a very wee fork and while I ordered mine extra spicy, it wasn't overwhelmingly so. Maybe that is a good thing... We were denied tap water and told we had to buy a bottle (yet another reason beer consumption is popular, it's cheaper than water!), but overall the bar made for a relaxing stop before heading home.