Rheinfall (Rhine Falls)

How about stumbling upon this on our drive home for a Christmas Eve present?

Formed by glaciers during the ice age, the Rhine Falls are pretty spectacular, and for €5 per person, we walked down the narrow stairs on the adjacent hill to the observation deck where these pictures were taken. Though they were a marvelous site, we were pleased that we did not take a separate trip just to see the Rhine Falls; however, if you are in the Zurich area, it is worth the detour and admission fee on a pretty day.

Some Rhine Falls trivia - fish are not able to swim up the falls, but crafty/evolved eels have figured it out. Reminds me of our  late pet eel, Slider, who I'm pretty sure climbs the Rhine Falls in eel heaven for exercise. 

Luzern

Trying to check out my Swiss heritage, Patrick and I visited the picturesque city of Luzern on Christmas weekend. We were very lucky that the small town was teeming with Christmas spirit, so all stores and attractions were open. Combined with the 50 degree weather, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect visit! This city is ideal for a romantic getaway - highlights below:

The Dying Lion of Luzern monument was spectacular. Carved out of the natural stone and overlooking a well-maintained reflection pool, this was my personal favorite sight of our trip. The monument was built to commemorate the 300+ Swiss guards who were killed at the Tulleries during the French Revolution in 1792. After the two tour buses cleared, it was a peaceful stop in our day.

I loved crossing the Chapel Bridge, which leads right into the center of town so it's one of the most convenient sights to check out in Luzern. The wooden pedestrian bridge was built in 1333, and the roof contains paintings of the city's history. Sadly, we did not find the painting of the giant, which was inspired by a large mammoth bone found in Luzern that people believed to be that of a giant. At the advice of Rick Steves, we spotted the security cameras that were almost as camouflaged as Barbara Walter's microphones. After the bridge suffered a fire in 1993, they are particularly careful to preserve this landmark sight.

The swans around the Chapel Bridge and in Lake Luzern almost looked planted. Locals trace the swans back to a thank you gift from Louis XIV in the late 17th century for the protection of the Swiss guards. I thought they were beautiful, but apparently some people did not enjoy them so much...

We got an amazing deal at the Palace Luzern hotel from Booking.com. The hotel is situated right on Lake Luzern yet a short 5-10 minute walk to almost every attraction including the city center, Dying Lion of Luzern, and the Chapel Bridge. The above picture is the view from our hotel room!

We were lucky to get last-minute reservations at the Rathaus Brauerei for dinner. Known for their own micro-brew (I had their unfiltered wheat beer which was delicious) and traditional Swiss meals, Patrick and I were both very pleased. We were a little perplexed when the waitresses dropped off three toothpaste tubes with our bread. Adventurous Patrick discovered it was actually squeezable mustard - all different varieties! Interesting at the very least...

62 square miles of Liechtenstein

I promised Patrick early on that we would not take trips just to "cross another country off our list." Perhaps that is the reason we had yet to check out the 6th smallest country in the world, Liechtenstein, which lies just four hours away from us. Much to my delight, it happened to be on the way to Switzerland, so we took a detour through the principality and tried to hang on to our paychecks in the country with the highest GDP per person in the world.

Jumping through Liechtenstein (or trying...)

Liechtenstein is a very interesting country. With only 36,500 inhabitants, they rely on neighboring Switzerland for military support. They have rock-bottom tax rates which have helped them attract several large companies. The Prince of Liechtenstein, Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein, who himself is worth over $4B, proposed a referendum expanding his powers in 2003, then said he and his family would move to Austria should it not pass. Thankfully, it passed, and again in July of 2012, over 76% of the Liechtenstein people backed the Prince's powers by rejecting a referendum to reduce his authority. His castle is seen below - I personally think it would be amazing to wake up and see your entire, beautiful country every morning, particularly if I had $4B to play with as well...

We stayed the beautiful, recently renovated Hotel Oberland on the mountain. Not only did they have free breakfast buffet (standard European cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and meat), but this was our hotel room view:

Unfortunately, most everything in the capital city of Vaduz was closed on the Sunday before Christmas; however, I can tell you that there weren't many places on my list anyway. We did check out the beautiful tourist information building and shamefully paid the €2.50 to have our passports stamped.

Note to drivers: if you are driving to Liechtenstein via Austria, the €2 Korridor Pass does not take you all the way to the exit the GPS wants you to take. You either have to spring for the 10-day, €8.30 full vignette or exit the freeway and find a non-highway route into the country. Silver lining: Liechtenstein does not have their own vignette. 

Our Local Weihnachtsmarkt!

Walking in a winter wonderland

Who has two thumbs and can walk to a wonderful Christmas market in under 10 minutes? This girl. There is something for everyone at the Amberg Weihnachtsmarkt - no fighting over the fabulous nutcracker stand for me, kebabs for Patrick, and hand-cut wooden ornaments with the Amberg city square for our tree!  Oh - and the Glühwein was the cheapest yet at €2! 

Glühwein stand 

Hours for the Amberg Weihnachtsmarkt below:

November 29th - December 23rd

Monday - Saturday: 10.00 - 20.00

Sunday: 13.00 - 20.00

P.S. Though we have not witnessed it ourselves, our good friend Donnie claims to have participated in a Christmas karaoke on the stage in the center of it all. George Michael Christmas songs? Amazing. 

Heidelberg Weihnachtsmarkt

If I didn't make it clear enough from my August post, Heidelberg is a great German city. While in the city for a military ball (always a great time!), we had the opportunity to see the city in a different light - figuratively and literally since daylight is now limited to 8 hours compared to 15 hours in August!
Heidelberg covered in snow is beautiful.  Unlike the other Christmas markets we have been to so far, Heidelberg had several small markets spread across the city. There is one long pedestrian-only street spanning the Altstadt, which was the perfect setup for a Glühwein (or three) in between the Christmas stands and the other great stores that line the Hauptstraße.
We had a great Saturday afternoon strolling through Heidelberg - the perfect setting for serious Christmas shopping of all kinds!

Paris in Pictures

Spending a week in Paris without the pressure of seeing all of the sights was wonderful. The city truly is amazing! Below are the things I was most thankful for during our Thanksgiving trip:

Eating at the wonderful cafe at the
Musee D'Orsay - isn't that clock beautiful?

Spotting the statues with Rudolph noses across the city

Macaroons!

Beautiful Metro stations - this is not just decorated for Christmas...

Eating at Le Grand Colbert where Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Keanu Reeves filmed Somethings Gotta Give

The beautiful ceiling on the top floor of Printemps

Watching the traffic (and the view, of course) from the
top of the Arc de Triumph - note that you have to walk up!

Schloss Guteneck Weihnachtsmarkt

Though I know Nuremberg holds the title of "biggest Christkindlesmarkt" in Germany, I think the Weihnachtsmarkt (another word for Christkindlesmarkt or Christmas market) at the Schloss Guteneck, which our friends thankfully took us to on Sunday, should have the title of "most enchanting." Here is why:

1. There was a small entrance fee, which seemed to have warded off the masses
2. The market was situated around a privately-owned castle with no modern structures or stores to be seen, making it seem as though you were walking through history
3. The castle actually had booths and restaurants inside - and they were heated!
4. There was a bugle, trumpet, and trombone concert from the windows of the castle at 6:00
5. It was snowing
6. The Glühwein was cheaper (€3 compared to €5.50 in Nuremberg!)
7. There were two camels offering 5 minute camel rides. Yes, I admit this is touristy, but the camels were so peaceful (drastically different from those you can ride in Egypt) and their trail was lit by Christmas lights! Plus they looked like they popped out of a Christmas movie - check out the picture above!

Maybe it's just me, but this is what I really wanted to see from an authentic German Christmas market. If you have the opportunity to make it out to Schloss Guteneck (about 45 km east of Amberg, 35 km south of Weiden), you will not be disappointed!

Hours for this Christkindlesmarkt below, and be sure to check out the program of events beforehand!
Saturday, December 8th: 14.00 - 22.00
Sunday, December 9th: 11.00 - 21.00
Friday, December 14th: 17.00 - 22.00
Saturday, December 15th: 14.00 - 22.00
Sunday, December 16th: 11.00 - 21.00
Friday, December 21st: 17.00 - 22.00
Saturday, December 22nd: 14.00 - 22.00
Sunday, December 23rd: 11.00 - 21.00
Admission: €3 Fridays, €4 Saturdays, €5 Sundays