It's Glühwein Season!

Katja is happy to report that after a lull in her international travel she's back to her jet-setting ways, starting with her recent trip to Germany for her annual Christmas markets instead of Thanksgiving trip. This year the destination was Frankfurt, where she stayed at the lovely Villa Kennedy hotel. The beautiful hotel, named in honor of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 visit, was once a grand family home. But for Katja it's all about the hotel's fabulous Christmas tree covered in feathers (who doesn't love a fashionable tree), and the big gingerbread house and very tasty free cookies (her sweet tooth has been well established).

Although indulging in lots of Glühwein and other treats at the Christmas markets was her top priority, Katja always likes to get in a bit of culture when she travels, so she took in an opera, Iwan Sussanin, by Michail Iwanowitsch Glinka, and made her way to the Museum für Moderne Kunst to see the exhibiton William Forsythe: The Fact of Matter. She loved the exhibition, with its many interactive displays, although she regretted her choice of outfit, which did not allow for full participation. As adventurous as she may be, she never likes to appear like anything less than a lady, so navigating The Fact of Matter's 200 gymnastic rings in a miniskirt was out of the question.

This was Katja's second time visiting the Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt, which takes place on the Römerberg Plaza, in the reconstructed Altstadt (Old Town), and she was not disappointed.

Of course it's hard to be disappointed when one has a glass of Glühwein in hand, or even better, a concoction called the Schneemann, a mix of Glühwein and Eierlikör, topped with whipped cream (what's not to love about that). And then of course there were all of marzipan and poppyseed treats that she loves so much...

The market does, however, shut a little early for her liking - the New York girl that she is she's used to things starting much after nine, not ending at nine. In fact the city seemed eerily quiet at night, especially her first evening there, when there was a full moon.

The moon did, however, lend the city a rather dramatic flair, and made her not short walk back to the hotel exceptionally beautiful.

Although Katja is a fan of lazy mornings, she's also an explorer, and made certain to be out and about early enough to visit markets in other cities. One day she hit Wiesbaden's Sternschnuppenmarkt (Twinkling Star Christmas market), where she actually got some Christmas shopping done (instead of just buying things for herself), and of course indulged in more of the usual market treats.

But perhaps the best treats she had in Wiesbaden were at Café Maldaner, a Viennese style pastry shop with an incredibly large selection of cakes. Besides a delicious poppyseed cheesecake, she enjoyed an Einspänner (what's not to love about espresso with whipped cream), her coffee drink of choice from her days in Vienna.

Katja also made her way to Strasbourg, known as the capitale de Noël (capital of Christmas). The city's Christmas market, the oldest in Europe, first took place in 1570; today there are numerous markets scattered throughout the town.

While many of the treats were similar to those in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, the crepes were much better (it is in France, after all), and the vin chaud could also be had in larger cups, which she most appreciated (she does love her wine).

Katja thought that Strasbourg was a lovely city, filled with many charming nooks and crannies, and decorated beautifully for the holidays.

But of course the highlight for her was the train station, covered in penguins, an image from Thierry Suzan's Vertige Polaire. Strasbourg is obviously a very cultured city with impeccable taste, welcoming its visitors in such a wonderful manner.

The trip went by much too quickly (like they all do), and before she knew it she was heading back to the airport, her suitcase filled with sweet treats to indulge in at home. Sad to be leaving, she consoled herself with some pre-flight bubbly in the Lufthansa lounge.

But really, she'll take any excuse to drink champagne...

Topfi

Topfi fancies himself a jet-setter and takes any opportunity he can to put his passport to good use. He was even more excited than usual for his latest trip, which took him to Munich, as it enabled him to escape to a much cooler clime. He thinks the weather in Washington has just been so uncivilized lately.


A lover of the arts, he was in the city for less than twelve hours before he made his way to the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz to see the TanzTheaterMünchen perform Das Schloß, inspired by Kafka’s novel. Although he had been somewhat concerned as to what awaited him, as one never knows what to expect with German modern dance (and Kafka’s hardly cheery), he most enjoyed the visually stunning performance.


Topfi’s primary motivation for going to Munich was to visit a good friend, and the two of them spent many hours wandering the city’s lovely parks and charming streets (he loves the buildings' architectural details).


One of the things Topfi most enjoys about traveling is trying out local delicacies, and luckily his friend was more than happy to steer him in the right direction (good thing there was a scenic running path along the Isar as he can't have a holiday ruining his figure). He loves German cheese, bread and wine (dry Rieslings are his favorite), and was happy to discover that it was Pfifferlinge season, as he has yet to meet a mushroom he doesn't like (although as a vegetarian he's tired of getting served portobellos). That said, he believes it’s hard to top Käsespätzle, at least for dinner,


as most of all Topfi loves all things Mohn (that would be poppy seed for those who don’t speak German), which Germans do wonders with. He made certain to partake in a daily poppy seed treat, sampling different cakes and slices in the city’s many bakeries; his favorite was a cake from another friend’s local bakery in the neighborhood of Haidhausen, but unfortunately he cannot remember its name.


Never one to stop at one dessert a day - Topfi believes in a sweets heavy food pyramid - he eagerly accompanied his hostess on an ice cream tour of the city, trying traditional flavors at Amorino (yogurt, banana and hazelnut), and more unusual/exotic flavors at Schuhbecks (rice pudding) and Jessas (milk fig).


Of course he did take time out of his busy eating schedule to visit some museums, as a trip would not be complete without stopping by one or two. First on the agenda was a visit to Villa Stuck, once the home of the artist Franz von Stuck.


Although Topfi had been to Munich numerous times, he had never been to the Villa, and was most impressed by the house's ornate Art Nouveau interiors. And Topfi always likes to stop by the Alte Pinakothek to check out its numerous masterpieces. He thinks the manageable size is just right, as one wouldn’t want to overdose on the Old Masters. Topfi also attended a panel discussion – On the Occasion of Ai Weiwei: Art, Dissidence and Resistance - at the Haus der Kunst. He found it interesting enough but was ready to escape after an hour and a half, so he headed to the museum’s Goldene Bar, where he enjoyed a good glass of Sekt and a lively discussion. What can he say, as cultured as he fancies himself sometimes he’d just rather enjoy a glass of bubbly with friends.

Puff

Puff thinks that Thanksgiving is the perfect time for a foreign getaway. As a vegetarian he’s not really a fan of the big turkey meal, and he certainly has no desire to partake in a day of football watching (he’s heard rumors that that is what many people do post meal). His Thanksgiving destination of choice is Germany, as the holiday often falls right before the first Sunday of Advent, meaning that he is able to visit the country’s fabulous Christmas markets. This year he chose to go to Nuremberg, home to what is perhaps Germany’s most famous one.


Puff’s base was the Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nuremberg, and from there he set out on his daily adventures, a mix of culture, shopping and food. He loves to go to the opera whenever he travels, so one evening he made his way to the State Theatre for a performance of Nabucco. It was not the best performance he’s ever seen, but certainly an enjoyable way to spend his evening. Puff is also always up for some contemporary art, so he took in the Neues Museum, where he enjoyed Jeppe Hein’s 1xMuseum, 10xRooms, 11xWorks (he’s a fan of the interactive).


Of course much of his time was spent perusing the Christmas markets, enjoying treats and keeping warm with mugs of Glühwein and Eierpunsch. When not wandering the markets he could be found shopping (exploring the floors of Kaufhof and Karstadt) and eating poppy seed delicacies at various cafes (there's no such thing as too much Mohn Streuselkuchen). He also enjoyed long leisurely dinners at Böhm’s Herrenkeller and Heilig-Geist-Spital, two seasonally festive restaurants where he happily drank the rather large pours of wine (he loves a good Müller Thurgau) and ate sizeable portions of cheese Spätzle. He admits the latter is not too healthy, however he did not have too many vegetarian choices, and who is he to complain about having a good excuse to indulge (and the hotel did have a gym that he made good use of).


Puff also set out on a few daytime adventures, hopping on the punctual except when it snows Deutsche Bahn to explore nearby towns. His first trip took him to Bamberg.


He thought the medieval town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was beautiful. He wandered up and down its many hills, taking in the architecture and checking out the cathedral, before hitting the small Christmas market for some well deserved treats.


His second outing took him to Rothenburg ob der Tauber . He loves the walled, albeit rather tourist filled, city, and made certain to hit the Medieval Crime Museum (complete with iron maiden). After learning about numerous not so pleasant methods of torture he opted for some more wholesome fun, and headed to the town’s Christmas market. And of course no trip to Rothenburg would be complete without stopping by the Christmas emporium Käthe Wohlfarht (where of course he picked up a thing or two).


Puff was very sad when his trip was over, and he certainly did not appreciate the twenty hour plus journey home (nothing like some snow to get in the way of a smooth journey). The trip did, however, leave him full of Christmas cheer. Now if he could just motivate to decorate his house…

Santa Opus

Santa Opus was also able to partake in the trip to Dresden, and like Chase he is a great fan of German Christmas markets. He spent much of his trip at the Striezelmarkt, the largest of Dresden’s Christmas markets, and the oldest (575 years!) in Germany.


The days were chilly but the Glühwein kept him warm, and treats such as Mohnstriezel (poppy seed cake) filled his belly (he has to admit he is not the greatest fan of Dresden’s famed Stollen, although he did try almond and poppy seed versions that were quite tasty).


Santa Opus also enjoyed the market’s entertainment, which ranged from puppet performances for children to choirs singing German Christmas carols, and made friends with the market’s many creatures.


All of the time spent at the Christmas markets meant that he missed some of the city’s other attractions (most notably the Dresden State Art Collections).


He did, however, make it to the Royal Palace’s impressive Green Vault, where he admired Augustus the Strong’s many treasures, displayed in ornate themed rooms. He also managed to pull himself away from the markets long enough to try the cozy restaurant Paulaner's, which had what he thought was the best Glühwein in Dresden, and to enjoy a concert at the Frauenkirche, an 18th century church destroyed during World War II, which was reconsecrated in 2005 after thirteen years of reconstruction.


Santa Opus was very sad to leave Germany, but took solace in the fact that his suitcases were filled with Christmas décor and sweet treats to enjoy back in Washington (and he is, of course, already contemplating what German city and its markets he’ll hit next year).

Chase

Chase is a jet-setting Christmas-loving penguin. While he certainly does not feel the need to find an excuse to travel, the German Christmas markets always provide a wonderful incentive to find the time to head to Europe during the hectic holiday season.


He recently had the great luck to join his family in Dresden, which is perhaps the loveliest, most Christmassy city he has ever been to…every public space seemed to house a Christmas market. And he made it his mission to hit them all.


Chase stayed at the comfortable but not too glamorous Westin Bellevue (apparently only individuals staying in preferred Starwood guest rooms are deemed worthy of conditioner). He did, however, like its location on the Elbe across from the Old Town, as the walk over the Augustus Bridge was absolutely lovely. The hotel was also in close proximity to the charming Neustadt Haupstraße Christmas market, where he found some fabulous Christmas decorations, indulged in treats, and had a glass (or two) of Glühwein. He enjoyed the festive décor (even if there were no penguins), the traditional plum men and Kurrende (choir) figures being his favorites.


Chase managed to tear himself away from all of the shopping and consumption of sweets (if only briefly) to make time for a quick trip to the town of Meissen.


He enjoyed the views from the Albrechtsburg Castle


and liked the Gothic cathedral (although he did not quite understand the point of the room where visitors were invited to watch a video of an old man playing a somewhat unimpressive organ, but apparently some people were captivated).


Chase also stopped by the Meissen Porcelain Museum.


He was not a great fan of the tour, which involved being herded from room to room to observe live demonstrations of the process of creating porcelain objects (with a pre-recorded soundtrack), but did admire the lovely wares.


Although Chase enjoyed his excursion he was happy to return to Dresden and its markets…on a short trip it’s all about establishing priorities and making the most of one’s time, and it’s hard to beat Glühwein and whipped cream topped waffles.