Germany 2014 (Winter)

A country that thought to rum to warm spiced wine to make a 'turbo' gluhwein must have something going for it!  The first two weeks of this great trip was spent with our Abu Dhabi family - the Brouns.  We based ourselves in the Black Forest, near the quintessential Deutsch town of Gengenbach.   As well as having an exceptional Christmas Market, Gengenbach also has a unique Christmas tradition.  For about 20 years, Gengenbach has transformed its entire rathaus (Town Hall) into the world's largest Advent Calendar.  The 24 windows are each decorated with a festive Christmas scene with a new window revealed every night until Christmas.  The market itself has over 50 stalls with handcrafted gifts and seasonal delicacies like the world-famous Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte).  Another highlight was a day trip into France’s Alsace wine region, in particular, the medieval village Eguisheim.  The cobblestone streets were full of woodcraft, ceramics, cheeses, local wine, spiced sausages, and roasting chestnuts.   

After bidding the Brouns farewell, we drove into the mountains and got caught in a snow blizzard.  To celebrate our survival we bought a cuckoo clock!  From here, we drove to our next accommodation in a farmhouse on the Rhine.  There's a great deal of history and fine wine in this region .  And on a clear day, it is spectacularly beautiful.  On New Years Eve, we were invited by some young locals to join them on a nearby mountain to drink beer and watch the fireworks explode up and down the Rhine river.