On Our Way...

Wow! I can't believe the holidays are already here, and we're getting ready to head back to the U.S. for the next few weeks! We're all packed up and ready to leave bright and early in the morning to head to the airport... Woohoo! :) We can't wait to see and spend time with all of our family and friends... And, I know we're both looking forward to doing a little shopping as well! :) Can't wait to see you all very soon in the good ole U.S. of A.! :)

And Another One...

Ever since we moved here, I've been wanting to see the Lindau Christmas market, but each year has passed without us being able to experience it. Well, I was determined that I was going to actually get to it this year! So, this past Saturday, Brian and I headed out to Lindau to check out their Christmas market... And, let me just say that it was the perfect way to cap off my "Year of the Christmas Market" theme! :) It was a quaint, cozy little market, with quite a remarkable backdrop... I'm definitely happy that we were finally able to see it! It was well worth the wait! :)

The market definitely had a pretty remarkable backdrop! :)

The atmosphere was so festive in this cozy little market... Loved it! :)

Birthday Wishes for My Sis!

I'd like to wish my lil sis, Stacy, a very happy birthday!! Enjoy your last year in your twenties... Hee, hee! :) That seems so strange to write... I mean, it doesn't seem like that long ago when you were a little girl that used to gang up on me with Jason to try to read my diary, or when you were in middle school and you came to visit me for Siblings Weekend at MSU, or when I "chaperoned" you on your senior trip in Hawaii, or when you first moved down to the Lansing area and all of the shenanigans we used to get ourselves into... The list could go on and on! :)

Over the years, we've shared so many fun and fabulous memories... And that "sister connection" seems to get stronger over every year (and even across the miles!)... I look forward to many more shenanigans with you!! :) I can't wait to see you in just a few more days! Looking forward to celebrating your b-day with you! Alles liebe zum Geburtstag, Kiddo! (i.e. Lots of love on your birthday!!)... Enjoy your day, and I hope all of your birthday wishes come true! Love you lots!

Weihnachtsmarkt Cruisin'

Going along with this year's theme "The Year of the Christmas Market", my friend, Katrina, and I hopped aboard a cruise ship and headed out on a Weihnachtsmarkt Cruise last week... What a fun few days we had cruising down the Rhine River and exploring the local Christmas Markets!

Our cruise started in Cologne and stopped in Rudesheim, Weisbaden, Frankfurt, and Mainz along the way... We stopped for a few hours in each town to wander through the city and explore their unique Christmas markets. And, when we weren't wandering through the many Christmas markets, we were relaxing on the ship and watching the many German towns pass us by... Definitely a fun few days! Albeit, the most interesting part of the trip, was the fact that we were the only Americans, and definitely the youngest (by about 30 years!) passengers on the ship... Needless to say, we were very well known amongst the ship's staff! :) Overall, it was definitely a great way to see some very unique Christmas markets and get into the holiday spirit!

Here's a peak into our Weihnachtsmarkt Cruise... Enjoy!

Our ship... The Bellriva

Our room... Cozy, isn't it? :)

A view of the other side... We definitely didn't want to make too many purchases at the Christmas Markets... They wouldn't have all fit! :)

The lobby of the ship...

The lounge... This was the "happening" place to be! :) They had dancing there every evening at 8... Good times! :)

This is by far the funniest view from the cruise! :) Can you tell we were the youngest passengers?! :)

First stop... Rudesheim

Making sure to let Santa know that I've been good all year! :)

Welcome to Rudesheim!

This house appears to have gone a bit overboard with their Christmas decorations this year! It looks like a Christmas store blew up in their driveway... Craziness!! :)

While wandering through Rudesheim we found a panaramic walkway and decided to explore... Here's the view of the city from the top of the hill. It's completely surrounded by vineyards... I'm sure it's very pretty there during the summer... Now, not so much! :)

The American House... Interesting! :)

The famed Drosselhof Strasse...

Cuckoo!!

This was the highlight of our trip to Rudesheim... Finding the Chocolate Kisses hut!! These treats are phenomenal... And VERY hard to come by!

So, we decided to purchase a few...

Getting ready to bite into some delicious goodness! YUM!! :)

I was thinking of you the whole time, Stacy! :)

Stop #2... Weisbaden

Gluhwein party on the ship... Yay! :)

The Weisbaden Christmas market...

So pretty!

The theme of their market was the "Falling Star" market...

The man working the almond stand offered to take our picture... This is right after I spilled my mug of hot chocolate all over everything... Grrr!

Stop #3... Frankfurt

I love the timber framed houses!!

Clearly, Katrina was very excited about her boot purchase in Frankfurt! :)

We walked around the corner in Frankfurt and came across this beauty... Nice! :)

A view of Frankfurt from the ship...

Last stop... Mainz

I love this pyramid!! :)

And, the following day we docked back in Cologne and headed back home on the train... But, not before I FINALLY remembered to take a picture with the Na-Tah-Ka sign in front of the Cologne Dom! :)

Viva Colonia!

Last weekend was spent with some friends in the city of Cologne. After getting up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, and driving for about 5 hours, we reached Cologne on Saturday afternoon. We then spent the rest of the day (and night) exploring the many Christmas markets Cologne has to offer (I think there are 7 throughout the city!), sightseeing throughout the city, drinking Koelsch bier (a Cologne specialty), and trying to stay warm! :) Overall, a very fun day!

I truly enjoyed our visit to the city of Cologne... The city is so vibrant, the people are extremely friendly (by German standards! :)), its history is fascinating (the city dates back to 39 BC!), the historical landmarks are breathtaking, the shopping is incredible, and did I mention that the people are friendly (that's a big bonus here in Germany! :))?! Overall, it's definitely a place that I would love to return to! :)

And, without further ado, here's a quick recap of our weekend in Cologne... Enjoy! :)

A sign as we entered the first Christmas market in Cologne... It says "Christmas Post Office". :)

Some of the handcrafted items that can be found in many of the stalls at the Christmas markets...

Our lunch...

This was absolutely delicious!! It was called Knobibrot, and it was a piece of toasted bread with quark and cheese spread on one half, and ajyvar sauce with olives on the other half... YUM!! I have to admit, I love all the different types of foods that can be found at the Christmas markets... You never know what you'll find... And no matter what you decide to order, it's safe to say that it will most likely taste delicious! :)

White gluhwein or gluhwein mit Schuss (with a shot of rum)! :)

The crew attempting to stay warm with a mug of gluhwein... I have to admit, it definitely helps to chase away the chill! :)

Some of the hand-carved art that was displayed throughout the city... Gorgeous!

Larra and I taking a break from our explorations! :)

We found this rather entertaining! A McDonald's with a McFit gym located upstairs... Nice! :)

The Cologne Dom...

Stunning!

The Dom was partially destroyed during WWII, and it was reconstructed to look like the original building. The Dom was originally built between 1248 and 1880.

Inside the Dom...

Lighting of the candles...

Brian and I heading into the Koelner Dom Weihnachtsmarkt...

The Dom stood majestically over the Christmas Market... Gorgeous!!

Benjamin, Katrina, and Larra enjoying yet another mug of gluhwein! :) They were trying to stay as warm as possible! :)

Larra and I hanging out at the Christmas Market... It was so unbelievably cold that evening!!

There was live entertainment as well... How fun!

Trying out the infamous Koelsch Bier... Pretty tasty, I must say! :) Notice how small the glasses are? These glasses are known as Stange, and they are very traditional to Cologne. They are served in such small glasses (o.2 liter) because the special type of bier (Koelsche) is supposed to taste best when fresh on draught.

Cheers to Koelsch Bier! :)

The following day was spent exploring more Christmas markets! :) Doesn't Brian look happy to be posing with the Na-Tah-Ka sign here?! :)

Row upon row of handcrafted German goodies! :)

Wandering along the cobblestone streets of Cologne...