Feuerzangenbowle

Germans tend to enjoy the holiday festivities with alcoholic beverages.  This is a very jolly drink that you will love.  The instructions are very clear.

Feuerzangenbowle means Fire Punch.  Happy New Year.

Bicycles

Everybody rides bikes here.  It seems like the old 3 speed version is popular here.

They have another bike rack around the corner

There are a lot of bike lanes here.  You really need to pay attention to bikers, because they are normally on your right so you have to look back before you turn...as you don't want to cut them off. 

They even have traffic lights for the bike lanes.  Once I saw a bicycle traffic jam.  Red fender lights as far as I could see.  Someday I'll try to get a picture of that.

Ice Skating

Ice Skating rinks are everywhere.  $5 to skate! all day

Castle Christmas Market

I can't get enough of the Christmas Markets this year.  For the first time ever, Heidelberg held a special Christmas market up INSIDE the castle.  The castle was lit up with colorful lights.

Look at the fringe on the tents and how they glow.

Groups of people stood around fires sipping Gluhwein.

Nothing beats a cup of holiday cheer and standing around a fire. 
Love those fire pits.  A guy set them up for free and kept them burning all evening.  He was selling them.

 A giant Christmas tree was lit in the castle's palace courtyard.

Tree is not as big as Rockefeller Center, but you can't beat the view.

Instead of the normal little wooden huts, the market consisted of medieval tents,  They look great when lit up with colorful lights.

Wish I had a better camera to catch this scene.

To top it off, the ground was covered with snow. 

Maybe Santa's sleigh crashed into that wall and knocked it down?

It was a quite magical scene and a beautiful date with my wife, strolling along under the trees, looking down on the city of Heidelberg.  My favorite so far!

Nothing beats a dreamy eyed wife on Christmas!

More Christmas Markets

Here are some pictures from the Strasbourg Christmas Market.  They supplement the previous blog post.


Le entrance to the Christmas Market in Strasbourg, France. 
The decorations in Strasbourg are impressive.

 The cathedral was the tallest building in the world until the mid 1800's. 


My brother Drew and his wife Victoria climb to the top of the cathedral in Strasbourg.
You can see the Christmas Market ice skating rink below.



A cool thing about Strasbourg, is that its French.  I love listening to them talk.

Merry Christmas!