Christmas in Germany Part II

We arrived in Nuremberg on December 23 just at dusk.

It was an easy 3 hour fun drive for Derek on the Autobahn
which he says is like a race track. Glad I slept! Nuremberg has recorded

history back to 1050 and is among Germany's most historic
cities. Unlike many other cities the old town is still
surrounded by its original medieval walls.

On our walk into the old town we came across Santa
and his dog entertaining the crowds.

Here are the lights welcoming all to the Christkindlesmarkt.


We stopped at a booth with every kind of bauble
under the sun!

Second stop - food of course! This is the famous Nuremberg
bratwurst. They are small and always freshly roasted
on a beechwood fire, served with mustard of course!

They put 3 in a bun and was it delicious!

Here are some videos from the market.

Directly across the street from the bratwurst stand
was a fabulous beer hall/restaurant.

All the tables in the bar area were decorated with these
advent wreaths.

We had our first beer served in traditional steins.



Got Beer?

This was a worker in traditional gear.



The next day when it was light out we set out for the market.
We found another funny sign like the one in Prague.

As we crossed over the river we saw the Wein Stubben.


We hit the market and couldn't resist a picture of
the Nuremberg brats grilling.

Another one of the beautiful decorations throughout the city.


We made our way up to the Kaiserburg and
found more and more great photo opportunities.
The Germans really know how to decorate!
Christmas was everywhere.


The following are pictures of the beautiful Old City
of Nuremberg.

We are now at the Kasierburg. It is the city's main attraction.
It is a collection of grand buildings standing just inside the city walls.
It was once the residence of Holy Roman Emperors. The oldest
building dates from 1050.

Another view of the Kaiserburg.


On Christmas Eve we were at the market and had
the pleasure of running into the Christmas angel.

The Nuremberg Christmas Angel with her white and golden dress, long blond curls and her golden crown, has been the symbol for the Christmas Market for many decades. During Advent time, the Christmas Angel is the most important representative of the city and of the traditional Christmas Market.

The Chicago "Christkindlmarket" which was established in 1996 and is modelled on the Nuremberg market, is opened every year by the previous year's Nuremberg Christmas Angel – with the prologue spoken in English.



Derek also had to test his German heritage and dive
into a 1/2 meter wurst.


I decided to go for the sweets. This is a beautifully
decorated gingerbread Santa.




We spent a quiet Christmas Eve at our elegant hotel.



This is the church where we attended Christmas
service. The candle light service was in German

but my favorite was hearing Silent Night sung by everyone.

Christmas Day has arrived! We finally found
an open Starbucks and relaxed all morning.

We took a walk along the river.


Next we stopped at the Weinstubben for a
traditional German lunch of pork knuckle,
sauerkraut, cheese spatzle and beer.



Of course the restaurant was beautifully decorated.



Merry Christmas! Prost!

On our way home we had to get a picture of the
city's Christmas tree in front of central station.



It was now on to Frankfurt. This city was quite the
contrast from Nuremberg. Frankfurt is Germany's
financial powerhouse. Not only is the German Central
Bank here but also the European Central Bank which
manages the euro. Some 300 credit institutions (more
than half of them foreign banks) have offices in Frankfurt.


Most places were still closed for Christmas so
we mainly walked around and admired
the sights. This is the Opera House. Kaiser
Wilhelm I traveled from Berlin for the gala
opening in 1880.




Because the Holy Roman Emperors were

chosen and crowned here from the 16th century
to the 18th century this church is known as the
Kaiserdom. It was built between 13th and 15th
century and survived WWII with most of
its treasures in tact.

This is the center of Frankfurt's old town.
The market was sadly all cleaned up by our
arrival on the 26th.


More pictures from old town square.




Derek couldn't leave Frankfurt without
having a frankfurter and Apfelwein.
The frankfurter tasted just like a hot dog.
The Apfelwein tasted like a sour apple juice. It
is produced from apple juice that is fermented
for 8 weeks.

Our last night in Germany was spent at this
great bar where you need a password to get in.
People who don't have a password need to ring the
doorbell. We had access because it was in our hotel.
It was very strange to hear the doorbell ring and see
the bartenders race to the door.

We hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas.
We wish we could have been there to celebrate with
our family and friends. We will definitely be home
next year! Love to all!