A Wonderful Holiday Season



Rothenburg

 

 

After one month of not writing, I have so much to share that I barely know where to begin!


Meredith in her elf ears before the Winter Performance

The kids had almost three weeks vacation from school, and Dan had two weeks off work! The last time he had two weeks vacation was when we got married ten years ago. 



Ryan and Kacper in Krakow

First we travelled to Krakow, Poland, for a few days to visit friends. We had a great time, and I will write separate posts about our trips.

Krakow Christmas Market

My sister came to visit, and spent Christmas with us. While she was here we visited the Christmas Market in Munich, went to the touristy-but-charming town of Rothenburg, and also headed south to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a day in the mountains.

Me and my sister, Sarah, at Odeonsplatz, Munich

My Mom came to visit for New Year's, and we had a huge surprise at midnight when every house in the neighborhood set off celebratory fireworks! While my Mom was here, we also visited the famous Neuschwanstein castle in Fussen, and the town of Dinklesbuhl, which was by far the quaintest place I have been in Germany.

Celebrating Christmas

 Having my sister here was the best gift of all. Being with her is so much fun, and there is no one else in this world who can make me laugh as hard as she can.



Merry Christmas to all!

Germans traditionally celebrate on Christmas Eve, with the main meal and gift exchange. In an effort to try new things, we roasted a goose, which was tasty for it's dark meat, but I am not sure I will be making another one too soon. We also had a traditional Bavarian breakfast of white sausages, pretzels, and beer (this is usually a Sunday morning breakfast, not for everyday).  We spent the rest of the day relaxing and the kids played with their new toys. 

Weisswurst, and weissbier!

One thing that was interesting was that EVERYTHING was closed from noon Christmas Eve, and did not reopen until December 27.  In the States, many things will close for Christmas Day, but you can always count on a handful of stores to be open for last minute necessities. 

Rothenburg

We had a wonderful, relaxing winter vacation, and are grateful for the opportunity to spend time with family and friends.  Luckily the kids were excited to go back to school, but of course I wish I could have kept everyone here with me for a few more days.  I look forward to sharing more about our holiday adventures in coming posts!