Germany. I have had a number of different impressions of this country throughout my youth. I remember reading a National Geographic Magazine article about East vs West Germany and the wall that separated them. I also remember learning about the World Wars where Germans were presented as the enemy of Canada. My grandfather was an engineer and a devout believer in the “impressive German engineering” that went into many products. Then there was Indiana Jones who had to thwart the evil Germans every time I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. When I took my first trip to Germany (for work) in 2014, my child-like impressions of an intelligent, matter-of-fact, stern and mean country had dissipated so I wasn’t actually surprised to see such a lovely, warm, and hospitable place. But I digress.
Just like Finland, I insisted we visit Germany. My work trip from 2014 was in December so I was introduced to the Christmas markets and I wanted the kids and Erik to experience these markets as well. We made a plan to visit in early December and we were very fortunate to have a family host us for the weekend. I went to high school and then to RMC with Jeff. He is currently posted to a position in Wiesbaden and was happy to have us stay with them and tour the markets together. Yay!
When we planned our flight, we learned from our Finland experience and booked a flight from Heathrow at a reasonable time. It wasn’t the cheapest option but was the best otherwise for logistics and the sanity of both kids and parents. Jeff picked us up at the airport after a very slick and easy customs process. I have to say, we LOVE the benefits of the “family lines” at airport security and at immigration. Almost always, the overall wait is less, the staff are understanding and supportive if it takes you a bit longer to get your kids organized through the security gate, and there’s more space for us to loiter together before our turn. And all of the families are together which also keeps the kids more entertained, the parents less stressed about making sure their kids aren’t disrupting other travellers, and it just feels like society values families too.
The first order of business, when Jeff’s kids got home from school, was to walk into downtown to be early for the market. Being a Friday, we knew it would get busy. Our walk led us through some impressive neighbourhoods with huge homes. The weather was grey, wet, and chilly, but it had a festive feel. Once at the market, we got busy exploring all of the stalls. Just as I remembered from my first experience, the kids were wide-eyed at the awesome ornaments, unique crafts, and massive gingerbread cookies. Jeff found the adults a mug of glühwein (hot, mulled wine) and the kids mugs of hot chocolate. We tried some bratwurst sausages (mine had a curry sauce) for dinner. One of the best features (in my opinion) of these markets is the ambience created by the stringed lights, the warm mug in your hand, and the crowds of cheer-filled Christmas shoppers. It feels like a community coming together for a street party – lots of laughter, merriment, and cheer.
We all started to feel the effects of the cold after a few hours so we made our way back home via the town’s hot-springs fountain. The city is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe and had, at one time, 26 useable hot springs. It is also a wealthy German city which may account for the enormous homes along the central park. We warmed our hands with the steam of the springs before heading back to bed.
The next morning, we walked to one of the hot springs pools in operation and had a lovely swim for over an hour. Some parts of the pool were warmer than other parts. Part of the pool was outdoor while part was indoor. There were fountains and jet streams that would turn on and off providing patrons with massages. We were supposed to control our volume as it was meant to be a relaxing experience, so we did closely follow the kids to make sure they weren’t getting too loud. After the relaxing soak, we had some lunch and then drove 30 minutes West along the Rhine River to a small town named Rudesheim am Rhein. It also had a vibrant market which stretched for a few kilometres along the narrow streets of this picturesque town. We discovered that the town is a stop on a number of group tours including Rhine boat tours. We weren’t the only ones checking out the market and, due to the narrow streets, we felt fairly squished. It took away from the charm.
However, we still managed to find some kertaphenpuffen (a deep-fried potato pancake) with apple sauce, roasted chestnuts, and kinderpunsch (warm hibiscus tea, apple juice, and pear juice mulled with cloves and cinnamon). Dinner that evening was Bavarian: schnitzel, spätzle, and big mugs of beer. We took in a bit more of the market atmosphere with night-time stage performances and stalls packed with shoppers. Bed came easily.
On Sunday Jeff drove us to Mainz, another lovely city on the Rhine. We checked into our room and then found the market, of course. This time, however, we were at the market for another purpose. The Gutenberg Museum was off the main square and we thought it would be a good place to warm up and learn about Herr Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg who was an inventor and craftsman from the early 1400s credited for introducing letterpress printing to Europe with his moveable-type printing press. The museum covered a range of topics including the written word, some early examples of printed works (from multiple cultures), and a range of printing presses from his early inventions to more “modern” versions. We even saw a demonstration which was quite informative, even if it was in German. But the main attraction were the two original Gutenberg Bibles, considered the earliest major books printed using moveable metal type. They were created in 1450 and look beautiful given their age!
We walked the market looking for some souvenirs, but we’d all had our fill of crowds. We found a smaller market for dinner and retired for a big night’s sleep.
Before catching the train to the airport, we walked through the now quiet streets of Mainz and found some beautiful statues, buildings, and a geocache. The trip home was quite smooth. Another fun long-weekend in Europe!
Want more? Watch our video of out visit to Germany!