Christmas markets in Europe and Caribbean cruise (RTW)

[VPS]

Lovely blue skies in some of those photos and then a bit greyer - enjoy

 

[OZDUCK]

Lovely photos bringing back plenty of memories - thanks. Has the cold weather caused the huge gaggle of drug dealers, prostitutes, beggars and the like to move away from the entrance to the Dusseldorf HBF?

 

[RooFlyer]

Lovely blue skies in some of those photos and then a bit greyer - enjoy

Ha ha - you pinged me.

It was grey all day with occasional drizzle while I saw the sights. I was back in my room in the mid afternoon when I saw the skies clearing so I rushed out and had to do all the photographs of the cathedral again didn’t I?

The radar on AccuWeather turns out to be pretty good so I was expecting a clearing but not the blue skies.

 

[RooFlyer]

Very disappointed to find that the German-Roman museum was closed for renovations, but they had moved the exhibits across town a bit to a temporary display location. A pretty small selection only and probably not worth the 7 euro admission.





Some fine glassware - these glass thongs?



From the neolithic



Some randoms from walking about town.









No snow, but we can pretend

 

[RooFlyer]

Lovely photos bringing back plenty of memories - thanks. Has the cold weather caused the huge gaggle of drug dealers, prostitutes, beggars and the like to move away from the entrance to the Dusseldorf HBF?

I didn't notice any when I arrived - but then I had my eyes glued to my phone and the directions to my hotel.

No-one around this morning at 7am, dark and cold!

 

[TheRealTMA]

Don’t forget one of the fabulous Koln brew houses for pork knuckle or steak and chips, and Kolch!

 

[RooFlyer]

Tuesday morning, time to head down to Strasbourg on my first long distance journey by train with DB. Change at Karlsruhe. When booking, I put in a minimum hour transfer time for all of my connections, but a timetable change soon changed that to 35 mins which in the end was OK.




I was a bit apprehensive after @OZDUCK 's experience last year. I bought a 1st Class BahnCard 50 discount card, and then First Class 'Flexipreis' tickets throughout. This gives me my choice of trains for the day of booking and the next, 'lounge access' and of course better and more spacious seating. And, I hoped, some better service recovery in case of IRROPs.

Tickets bought 3 months out via the DB Navigator app, which, once you got the hang of it was very good, especially with the multiple timing and platform changes that ensued.

Downer. the DB lounge at Cologne was beong refurbished, so there was a temporary one .... 500m away from the station! Pass on that.

Other than that, my strategy seemed to be of benefit from the outset. The train from Cologne was shortened, so Second Class was packed to the gills with luggage all over the place. Would have really struggled with my large bag and carry-on.



You can check in via 'Komfort' check-in on the app, but that had a few problems at first; it got switched on abt 10 mins into the journey.



Its the same situation as in aircraft - if you don't get on early (and find your seat) the shelf space above you can get taken and you have to go against the flow to put it up elsewhere in the carriage. I was OK.



First class was about 2/3 full and is in a 1-2 configuration. Second class is 2-2



There is wifi, which started out just OK but soon deteriorated to useless.




I was surprised to find there is no USB charging at the seats. There is a cafe car, but snacks and coffee etc can also be ordered from your seat.



The DB Navigator app kept updates coming throughout the journey.



We arrived in Strasbourg more-or-less on time, after departing Cologne 8 mins late.

 

[RooFlyer]

In Strasbourg, I'm staying at the Mercure Strasbourg City Petit France. Booked about 6 months out but still horribly expensive - abt 250 euros/night. Its the time of year - other places were similar or more expensive.

I had planned all of my hotels in the Christmas Markets portion of my trip to be within easy walking distance (with luggage) from the train stations, anticipating there might be snow about and knowing that many of the locations (such as Strasbourg) are within pedestrianised zones.



I was upgraded (as an Accor Plat) to a Deluxe room, on the 3rd floor (the top floor which is not within the roof). Pretty typical for a Mercure in Europe.







The room was small, but huge compared to the other rooms!!



Accor gives you 'welcome gifts' in your room. It might be fruit bowl, and/or some macaroons or similar, little box of chokkies. Here, I thought at first it was a bag of popcorn. But no - it was a 500g of Christmas-themed pasta.



And not even a kettle in the room to cook it up with! Totally bizarre.

 

[Flashback]

Tuesday morning, time to head down to Strasbourg on my first long distance journey by train with DB. Change at Karlsruhe. When booking, I put in a minimum hour transfer time for all of my connections, but a timetable change soon changed that to 35 mins which in the end was OK.

View attachment 418235


I was a bit apprehensive after @OZDUCK 's experience last year. I bought a 1st Class BahnCard 50 discount card, and then First Class 'Flexipreis' tickets throughout. This gives me my choice of trains for the day of booking and the next, 'lounge access' and of course better and more spacious seating. And, I hoped, some better service recovery in case of IRROPs.

Tickets bought 3 months out via the DB Navigator app, which, once you got the hang of it was very good, especially with the multiple timing and platform changes that ensued.

Downer. the DB lounge at Cologne was beong refurbished, so there was a temporary one .... 500m away from the station! Pass on that.

Other than that, my strategy seemed to be of benefit from the outset. The train from Cologne was shortened, so Second Class was packed to the gills with luggage all over the place. Would have really struggled with my large bag and carry-on.

View attachment 418226

You can check in via 'Komfort' check-in on the app, but that had a few problems at first; it got switched on abt 10 mins into the journey.

View attachment 418229

Its the same situation as in aircraft - if you don't get on early (and find your seat) the shelf space above you can get taken and you have to go against the flow to put it up elsewhere in the carriage. I was OK.

View attachment 418227

First class was about 2/3 full and is in a 1-2 configuration. Second class is 2-2

View attachment 418233

There is wifi, which started out just OK but soon deteriorated to useless.


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I was surprised to find there is no USB charging at the seats. There is a cafe car, but snacks and coffee etc can also be ordered from your seat.

View attachment 418231 View attachment 418240

The DB Navigator app kept updates coming throughout the journey.

View attachment 418234

We arrived in Strasbourg more-or-less on time, after departing Cologne 8 mins late.

You missed some amazing Christmas markets in the industrial town of Karlsruhe! The best we had on our 5 day road trip through the Black Forest region last year, and that's saying something.

 

[RooFlyer]

Strasbourg calls itself the Capital of Christmas and it certainly puts in an effort. The Mercure is just left of the red circle Vous et ici . In the afternoon and evening, vehicular access to the Grand Ile is closed, but the trams still run.



I was here last year and knew my way round pretty well. As soon as I arrived I took a walk to check out the various markets and to re-visit the glorious Petit France area. Very crowded, though.

The market areas themselves aren't as nicely themed as in Cologne and in the daytime a little disappointing in appearance. That will change after dusk.

The various Chrìstkìndelsmärik are Place Broglie, Place de la cathédrale & Place du château, Place kléber, the Quai des délices - terrasse rohan, place du marché-aux-poissons, the Carré d'or market Place du temple neuf, and a couple of others.

Plenty of security - squads of 6 machine-gun toting soldiers very common. And that was just what you could see.





Like Cologne, the Cathedral hulks above the market there.

 

[RooFlyer]

The stalls sell much the same as in Cologne - Christmas themed everything, baubles, decorations etc





But vins chaud dominate - red and white (often with cherry in the latter), here presented in nice big pots. However the drinks containers you get are just plastic, not the ceramic mugs (different in each market) you get in Cologne.



Food was disappointing - mostly just sweet or fatty cough - like pizza-like toasted buns with toppings. Its all oretty cheap and like Cologne, big servings. A serve will be typically about 5 euro and I never finished more than half.

Like this - cheesy potato gratin, deep fried.



I tried one of the three in the serve and called it quits.

 

[RooFlyer]

Of course after dark the place comes alive. Pardon just the gallery of pics.























Since I was so very good in not having much of the deep fried mush in the afternoon, I allowed myself a crepe - with Nutella of course! It was either a crepe or a huge square of waffle, smothered in Nutella, so I chose the healthier option.

 

[Pushka]

Of course after dark the place comes alive. Pardon just the galley of pics.

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Since I was so very good in not having much of the deep fried mush in the afternoon, I allowed myself a crepe - with Nutella of course! It was either a crepe or a huge square of waffle, smothered in Nutella, so I chose the healthier option.

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We were there exactly a year ago too.

 

[RooFlyer]

At Place kléber, there is one of the highlights of Christmas at Strasbourg, the grand sapin .







Getting on in the evening I hunted down something to eat that wasn't everywhere and found it - Sandwich racelette! I knew @TheRealTMA would approve, so I got one. One of the longest quests in the whole market, so I think I chose well.



Many half wheels of racelette cheese under heaters



Expertly scraped and put onto baguettes, in my case with 'white ham' and gherkins. Washed down with hot white wine with cherry.

 

[RooFlyer]

A late morning walk around the sights of Petit France.





The Vauban Bridge was built as a dam in the late 1600s. Floodgates could be opened to drown attackers. Three of the arches were raised in the late 1700s to allow boats through. Unfortunately access to the top is currently closed.



There were originally covered bridges across the waterways here between the 13th and 17th centuries, whoch also formed part of a defensive walls. Three towers from that time remain; both they and the pointed areas in front have arrow slits for defence. The covered bridges were replaced by wooden walkways and then the current sandstone bridges in the 19th century.







Near there is the little Advent market, more family oriented.



Continuing walking towards the Grand Ile proper

 

[SYD]

Have you broached the snow line yet?

It was sleeting in Munich but a good sprinkling of snow and accumulation on the way to Salzburg yesterday.

Grey but pretty on the hills around Salzburg today. Forecasting clear skies tomorrow - which is good - I’m driving to Vienna!

 

[RooFlyer]

No snow, and very little rain. I'm off to Salzburg tomorrow (Thurs local) and was hoping for a bit of white. Will be in Vienna Sat & Sun.

Although I visited it last year, I don't think you can come to Strasbourg and not see the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Started in the 11th century and completed in 1439, it was the world's tallest building from the mid 1600s to the late 1800s.



Tympanum of the central portal



Death of the Virgin Mary





Only one of two planned towers was built, finished in 1439. I didn't climb it this time, but did last time, and some more detailed pictures

Post in thread 'Return to Europe (in style)'

Apr 28, 2023

Next day was again cold and a bit drizzly. Decided to head to Strasbourg by train. Got the *very last* spot in the free Colmar station car-park and it was closest to the station!





Strasbourg station



Abt a 13 minute walk to the Cathedral, which has been on my must-see list for ages. These pics will combine this day's vaisit with a re-visit the following day, when I had more time than I expected AND I took my Canon camera with good telephoto with me. Its a big Cathedral!!

Hard to get the bloody thing into one picture - so large and the...

• RooFlyer

• 
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The present astronomical clock dates from the mid 1800s, but earlier versions went back to the 1400s.



14 tapestries illustrating the life of the Virgin Mary, manufactured in the early-mid 1600s and purchased in 1739 (hence the date).





The rose window in the narthex was completed in 1345



The stained glass windows, dating from the 13th century (some were added in the 19th century), were removed by the Germans in WW2 and stored in a salt mine

 

[Pushka]

A late morning walk around the sights of Petit France.

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The Vauban Bridge was built as a dam in the late 1600s. Floodgates could be opened to drown attackers. Three of the arches were raised in the late 1700s to allow boats through. Unfortunately access to the top is currently closed.

View attachment 418289

There were originally covered bridges across the waterways here between the 13th and 17th centuries, whoch also formed part of a defensive walls. Three towers from that time remain; both they and the pointed areas in front have arrow slits for defence. The covered bridges were replaced by wooden walkways and then the current sandstone bridges in the 19th century.

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Near there is the little Advent market, more family oriented.

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Continuing walking towards the Grand Ile proper

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I didn't realise that this part of the river could be so calm. It was a raging torrent when we were there. We watched it for ages.

 

[Flyfrequently]

The stalls sell much the same as in Cologne - Christmas themed everything, baubles, decorations etc

View attachment 418262

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But vins chaud dominate - red and white (often with cherry in the latter), here presented in nice big pots. However the drinks containers you get are just plastic, not the ceramic mugs (different in each market) you get in Cologne.

View attachment 418263

Food was disappointing - mostly just sweet or fatty cough - like pizza-like toasted buns with toppings. Its all oretty cheap and like Cologne, big servings. A serve will be typically about 5 euro and I never finished more than half.

Like this - cheesy potato gratin, deep fried.

View attachment 418264

I tried one of the three in the serve and called it quits.

View attachment 418265

Your cardiologist will be happy with your choice of deep-fried cheesy gratin followed up with raclette - yum @RooFlyer