Fröhliche Weihnachten (Merry Christmas)

Hallo! Grüß Gott! As you've probably already deduced, my latest adventure is centered around Christmas! I'd like to say it even took place in Germany, but alas, it did not. However, a great time was had and that's all that matters!

Originally the plan was to cross over to mainland Europe and check out a Christmas market in France; however, with recent events happening in France, it was decided to stay closer to home. Several friends and I drove to Birmingham to enjoy it's Frankfurt (German) Christmas market, Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt. To get the most out of our trip, we opted to spend the night and check out Stafford-Upon-Avon the following day. 

We made it to Birmingham in good time and with only minor detours due to construction or a tricky roundabout, ate lunch, checked into our hotel, and then the fun began! We decided to take the public bus transport to the city center. It was our first time navigating the bus system, and I for one think we did amazing! I mean, we did successfully make it to the city center and get off the bus. From the bus stop, it was a short walk to the Christmas market.

In addition to the various market stalls, there were also several street performers. One in particular was quite entertaining, a man dressed (and painted) in all white with wings and blacked out eyes. He was quite creepy and stared after one of our group members albeit, she was completely freaking over him which only encouraged the performer. Shortly after the creepy angel, we toasted with a rather belligerent man enjoying the abundance of bier (beer) offered. It was a fun start to our afternoon/evening of fun!

There were many stalls of food, drinks, Christmas items, and other items. Since it was a German market, I was hoping to find a Weihnachtspyramide (Christmas Pyramid). Not only did I get the pyramid, I also bought a Nutcracker too! As for the food and drink stalls, well, I was like a kid in a candy store! There was the traditional German Stollen, red and white sausages, speculaas, and so much more! I was ecstatic to find poppy seed roll! My friends didn't seem to quite enjoy it as much as I did, but that just meant more for me! I also had some apfelwein (apple wine) which was nice and warm and tasted just yummy!

And what would a Christmas market trip be without some outdoor ice skating and a ride on the Big Wheel?! One of my friends hadn't been ice skating before, and it's been a while since the few times I have been. While ice skating could have just been a disaster (especially since it was a warm-ish day and the ice was slightly melted, leaving a thin layer of water on top), it was so much fun! Luckily, I did not fall once while trying to avoid the little kiddos that were going around with their helper penguins.. 

The next morning, after a very slow start (maybe due to a little too much fun the night before), we set off for Stafford-Upon-Avon. We found a small market that we browsed, then had lunch, and just walked around the city centre. The plan was to visit Shakespeare's home, but we decided there was just too much to see in a day and we needed to come back when we had more time. You can bet there will be a trip back in the near future, but for now, I'll leave you with a teaser..

This is where I will leave you! Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Auf Wiedersehen! Tshüss!

The Peak District

Well, it has been a while since I last wrote a blog retelling our adventures living in the UK. I could say that for a bit, the weather was too beautiful NOT to enjoy. I could tell you I got busy working. Frankly, I was being lazy. Shame on me. However, I will have more than ONE blog to update you on.

The husband, the dog, and I drove out to the Peak District for a semi-spontaneous adventure. The Peak District was the first National Park in the UK. Within the Peak District you can find various landscapes from the moors to the sharp peaks to underground caverns. There are also many places of interest. I would guess that the Peak District's popularity probably arose from classic literature. Jane Austen wrote about the Peak District, Derbyshire in Pride and Prejudice. Still, anyone that would venture through this part of the country would no doubt be in awe!

We stayed at the Monsal Head Hotel just outside the town of Bakewell and along the Monsal Trail, a 16 mile hiking trail. The views from the hotel area were spectacular! The hotel itself was a little on the pricey side, but all is forgotten once you see the views.

What would an adventure be without a little mishap? While descending from the Monsal Trail to the National Forest, I, being the klutz I am, fell and muddied up my clothes somewhat. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but we were barely 5 minutes in and I already had fallen! We continued our adventure walking through the forest park. The scenery was just gorgeous! We walked around until it started getting dark and headed back to our hotel.

The next morning, we work to a rainy day. We would have stayed a second night, but the weather just didn't seem as if it was going to cooperate for what we had planned, unfortunately, outdoorsy plans. We didn't see Chatsworth house or get to explore any caverns, but we did stop in Bakewell for Bakewell's famous Bakewell Tart! If you're ever in the area, the Bakewell Tart and Coffee Shop is delicious, and not just the tarts! We did walk around the city centre a bit before heading home.

We will have to go back again to explore some more of the area and do some of the things we didn't get to do.