Trier to Bernkastle-Kues & Traben-Trarbach

We awoke to a light snow again this morning.  Everything was covered with an inch of snow.  After a lovely breakfast we walked back to the ‘old town’ Christmas market area so we could take daytime photos.  They were just beginning to clean the snow from their stands, restock them and then open them to customers.  We stepped into the Dom – although it was nice, the stained glass windows were fairly modern.

After cleaning the snow from the car we were down the road to Bernkastle-Kues.  The road follows the Mosel River valley which we have always seen in the summer when leaves and grapes are on the vines.  There are miles and miles, acres and acres of vineyards.  There are grape stalks planted right down to the road, and basically wherever there is fertile ground for them to grow. If a rock is jutting out, they just plant around the rock, if it is too steep they simply terrace the area and plant grape stalks. The white snow and the rows of dark grape vines were up one or both sides of the valley.  This valley always amazes us. 

Vineyards along the Mosel River



Panorama of Vineyard along the Mosel

We drove through some very small villages, and instead of staying on the numbered highway, we went down Main Street.  Two of these small villages were having their own small Christmas market.  We stopped.  Of course we stood out as the strangers in town! But the feeling in these towns was special.  Nothing was commercialized.  You knew the mittens and hats were definitely hand made by the ladies in the villages, as is the same with the crafts – jewelry, Christmas greens arrangements, etc  We bought some goulash soup from a lady which you knew she had made herself.  At the one there was an open fire and people were standing around it to fight off the cold.  We bought some hot chocolate and stood by the fire. It was very cold, snowy and windy.  Later in the morning it stopped snowing, but then there was a mist.  Today it was simply dark and dreary for photos, but we kept snapping!! 

Warming by the fire at Small Town Christmas Market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finally made it to Bernkastle-Kues, checked into the hotel and began walking around the village.  We had a lovely time, and we stopped to listen to the musical groups that were playing outside in the market plazas.  We find it very interesting that most of the Christmas music that is played over the loud speaker in a town or along the street is performed by American Christmas artist.  This morning in the smallest village we listened to Bing Cosby singing, yesterday it was Frank Sinatra!  It is interesting when all the speech around you is German and you here these American Christmas songs! 

 

Castle Ruins overlooking Bernkastel

Bernkastel Central Market



Local Musicians

Bernkastel at Night

Not all the shops are open on Sunday, but some were.  We’d go inside to warm up as it was so damp outside.  After about 2 hours we returned to the hotel and ordered a cup of cappuccino and a cup of tea.  As we drank we chatted with the hotel staff.  They could not believe we were in Germany to just visit Christmas markets when it is so cold.  But she told us we may enjoy an indoor market held in the wine cellars in a village 20 km down the river.  It was about 3:30 so we decided to make the drive and check this out!  WOW!  This was a ‘not to be missed’ experience.  First we did have to find them, as normally you look in the central plazas for the Christmas markets, whereas these markets all underground.  We finally saw some signage – of course in German – but we know what the ‘Weihnachtsmarkt’ means.  The first market had its entrance through a long well-lite tunnel.  At the end of the tunnel you came into this large underground cellar where there was no wine, but a well-organized Christmas market with lots of lovely items.  After touring the larger cellar there was a smaller one too.  Of course it was great being out of the weather!  When we left this cellar/market, we followed signage for another one, again in another cellar.  The third one was a museum of tools and equipment to work with the plants and then the grapes.  This was the underground world of the town of Traben-Trarbach! It was fun evening – so glad we were told about it.

 

Entrance to the Wine Cellar/Christmas Market

Christmas Market in Wine Cellar

Rachel with Father Christmas

 

Aachen to Monschau to Trier

This morning at breakfast we chatted with a couple from Wales, UK.  They are also here in Germany visiting Christmas markets.  They told us about the market in the village of Monschau.  Monschau is near the route we are taking to Trier, the next city in our destination, on our way to Bavaria or the southern part of Germany. We are really ‘winging it’ from now on, as we will not be stopping to see anyone we know.

It was -1 degree Celsius this morning and at one point today the car read -6 degrees.  Tonight it was +3 as we walked around Trier.  It is cold, so we are simply bundling up!  We are glad we have shoes/boots with tread as the cobble stone are extremely slick.     

Entering Monschau

Monschau

Lunch in Monschau

After walking around the markets in Aachen to take day time photos, we started toward Monschau.  Outside of Aachen there was more snow again.  We were on roads traveled only by locals.  It was a beautiful drive.  As we neared Monschau, we realized this is a little village down in a gorge. It is built into the rocks along the gorge wall and the river runs through the middle of the village.  At the top of the gorge there is a fortress like castle.  Cute, Cute, Cute!  OLD, OLD, OLD!!  The place was full of visitors including busses full of people who were being shuttled into the town from cars parked 5 km away.  We were extremely fortunate to be the last car allowed into the village parking area.  This is a special little village, and by the contents in the shops, it has been discovered by tourist!  We are marking Monschau as a place we would like to visit when we return to Europe in the summer.   Actually their Christmas market was not fabulous, but it was the charm of the village itself that will bring us back.  By now it was 3:30 and we had one and a half hours to drive to Trier.  This morning we made on-line hotel reservation in Trier so we had to drive that far. 

On the road to Trier

Sunset in Gremany

 

Trier is considered the oldest city in Germany.  It was part of the Roman Empire years ago.  We visited Trier many years ago as it is also along the beautiful Mosel River.  As we entered Trier, the traffic once again was jammed!  Buses full of people were arriving!  Oh my, will we be able to move around the Christmas market on a Saturday evening?

Our hotel is about 2 blocks from the old city gate – great location, and it is very nice – newly redone.  The Christmas market is just beyond the gate in the pedestrian streets and plazas.  They consider it one market in two different plazas.  Most cities refer to each plaza as a different market.  In reality each market may have its own theme and decorations, whereas in Trier it was all one market.  The first plaza was nice, but the second plaza was lovely.  For dinner we had a yeast dumpling ball with vanilla sauce, topped with cherry sauce, plus an onion and ham flamkucken.  The flamkucken tonight was not as good as the one we had 2 nights ago.  Then we saw a Rotaract stand selling beverages.  Rotoactors are college students in the Rotary organization.  

Entering Trier City Center

Trier Christmas Market

Yeast Dumpling

By the time we returned to the hotel we were cold! Tomorrow morning we will return to the market for daytime photos, especially of the lovely old buildings, and then we will drive northeast along the Mosel River to at least as far as Bernkastle-Kues.  This too is a town that keeps drawing us back! (at least 6 times that we can remember)  Seeing these villages in the winter, especially with the snow, is a different perspective than in the summer which was the time when we usually saw them. 

I was going to say, “It was another great day in Germany”, but I must add, we were just across in border into Belgium two different times, due to the ‘back roads’ we were on!  From Trier, Luxemburg is only 20 km to the west, and we understand the petro (auto gas) is cheaper there, but I don’t think we’ll go that way.

Koln to Aachen

At about 8:30 this morning it began snowing in Koln.  We could see the beautiful tall Koln Cathedral (tallest in Europe) from our breakfast table, as it was less than a block away.  The snow was coming down so heavy that at times it was hard to see the Cathedral.  Looking out the window as we ate, watching it snow was simply beautiful.  It was just magical with the Christmas decoration. People were walking to work or wherever and they would be covered with snow in no time at all.  It was accumulating fast. 

We had decided to take it easy this morning since we had gotten back to the hotel fairly late last night, plus we wanted to visit the Christmas markets in the daylight and they do not open until 9:30-10:00am. Also we needed time to blog and work with photos.  By the time we went out, approximately an inch of snow had accumulated.  For a while it slowed down, and some of it melted, but then it began snowing heavy.  We, along with everyone else in the streets, became white snowmen! We walked through 4 Christmas markets late morning and early afternoon. The snow made everything in the markets simply magical. It was perfect.  Before leaving Koln we returned to the hotel for a cup of coffee and to post our blog.  It was 3:00 before we left Koln to begin the trip west to Aachen, and it was snowing very heavy again - approximately 3 inches of snow had fallen by the time we left – do not know how much more they received. The roads were not the best.  The speed vehicles were traveling was slow compared to normal driving conditions.  We saw two accidents.  The farther west we went the worst things were as far as driving, but the scenery was BEAUTIFUL - the snow was clinging to the trees.  Then all of a sudden it stopped snowing and there was hardly any snow on the ground.  We came into the city center in Aachen, finding a hotel which was just several blocks from the Christmas markets – it’s not the greatest hotel (nothing to write home about!), but it is clean, our room is spacious and location is perfect.

Snow out Hotel Window

Walking in the Snow

Koln Christmas Market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Sweet Bread



Market in the Snow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The markets were very nice, plus they were close together in comparison to the Koln markets.  We entered two churches.  One was the Dom of Aachen.  Wow! The mosaics on the ceiling were beautiful.  



Driving toward Aachen

 

 

 

 

Market in Aachen

Tonight we ate ‘on the run’ buying things from stands - always trying something new.  It is always fun to watch them prepare what you will eat.  Today we had a crepe spread with Nutella (a chocolate spread) and then rolled up.  It was very good.  We will try them again.  Flamkuchen is another thing we will try again – a very thin pizza like crust, but it is spread with a soft cheese from Switzerland, plus a topping.  It is baked in hot wood fired ovens right in front of you.  Aachen is known for its gingerbread.  We bought a bag with 4 varieties to sample. 

Sinta Claus Day! On to Koln

We were well aware of Dec 6 being Sinta Claus day from our days living in Holland.  Germany does not celebrate Sinta Claus day as much as the Dutch in Holland, but there were special breads and chocolates at everyone’s place at breakfast.  Later an aunt and Oma stopped by with little presents for the girls.  The girls also opened their little advent gifts (a small gift is opened each day of Advent). 

We wanted to be on the road by 9:00 this morning, but it was nearly 10:00 before the good-byes were said.  There was snow in the air and there was a light dusting on the ground which made everything look so pretty.  We drove back to Soest as we wanted to take some photos in the daylight, especially of the church steeple.  We went inside the church too to see the “krippe”.  Krippe’s are nativity scenes or creche’s.  Krippe means the “crib scene”. They are interesting.  Some are full scenes while others are simply Mary or Maria and the angel Gabriel, which represents the annunciation.   At Christmas the rest of the figures will be added, and on Jan 6 the wise man.  

We continued onto Koln/Cologne.  We had reserved a hotel within a block of the huge Koln Cathedral.  Koln has lots of pedestrian streets in the downtown, so in finding the hotel we had to maneuver around the walking streets.  We had plans to meet the father of another exchange student at 2:30.  We were a few minutes late until we found the place to park the car. 

While it was still daylight, the three of us explored several downtown churches looking at different styles of stained glass windows.  Some are very modern – we prefer the more traditional windows.  By the time we had looked at the windows it was beginning to be dusk and the Christmas markets lights were on.  Koln had 6 major Christmas markets. We walked around one and while at the second one the sister of the exchange student who herself had been an exchange student in Wisconsin, just across the Iowa border, joined us, and we explored a third and fourth market together (we had met her in Iowa when her family came to Iowa after her high school graduation in WI).  By 8:00 we were at a restaurant where the exchange student and his girlfriend met all of us for dinner.  He and his girlfriend had been in Mt Pleasant this past summer for his 10^th year class reunion.  We spent a day together at the Iowa State Fair.  It was good to see them again. 

German Farm House and Barn

 

Koln Cathedram - Dom, 500 ft Tall

Cathedral Entrance

Inside Cathedral

Cathedral Window



Anunciation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our evening meal was very traditional. I had mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, with ham, while Cal had different kinds of sausages with his.  Of course beer from Koln!  We actually did not have gluhwein in Koln last night.  After dinner they gave us some Sinta Claus chocolate and a book of photos of their time in Iowa this summer.  It was a great evening.   

Koln Christmas Market



Dinner with Friends

By the time we returned to the hotel we were tired.  We had walked miles and it was not warm!  We had stopped for coffee and walked into several stores along the way to warm up a bit.  Thank goodness we have warm outer wear with us.  We had a wonderful time with our friends in Koln