Feeling Like a Local in Würzburg, Germany

On November 3, 2020November 3, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany1 Comment

One of the weekend trips that we took when we were in Frankfurt was to Würzburg. Although we had only been living in Germany for a little over a month, this particularly getaway made us feel as though we were becoming locals. It is a short train ride from Frankfurt to Würzburg and we arrived right around lunchtime. We found a tiny little restaurant that obviously catered to several regulars who were chatting with one another, reading newspapers, and simply relaxing. The owner offered us a seasonal beer, which of course we had to try, and we had an appetizer platter with blood sausage, potatoes, and cheese.

From there we started walking around the town, which was decorated for the holidays. We stopped to listen to a local band playing holiday music and entered a raffle to support the local school. Children were running around and playing, making us smile at their excitement for the season. Even though we entered the raffle just to support the local community, we actually ended up winning a bottle of Riesling wine. Later we found a restaurant that was over 600 years old where we enjoyed a trio of soups and a holiday meal.

The Christmas markets were in full swing and we spent time on both days enjoying them. We walked through the town feeling welcomed by everyone we met. We found a restaurant called the Weinstube that placed little plastic monkeys on the wine glasses. We couldn’t help but play with them to make a heart with them holding hands and their tails curling above them. We went to the Residenz, which is the palace in Würzburg, but the highlight for us was just feeling like we were part of the local community as we strolled the streets and shopped in the Christmas markets.

Unique Crafts at European Christmas Markets

On October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria, France, GermanyLeave a comment

Other than the crowds, there isn’t much not to love about the Christmas markets that can be found throughout Europe. With beer, wine, savory food, and sweets, they will definitely leave you with your senses satisfied, but the main reason for going to the Christmas markets is to see the unique vendors selling interesting crafts. We found several items throughout our various visits to cities to bring home as a reminder of our time there.

Obviously we were limited on what we could buy without having to ship things home, so we did more “window shopping” than actual shopping. That didn’t stop us for enjoying some of the more unique items that could be found for sale in the markets. In fact, in many cases we had to take a photograph of the items just so that we could remember them better. This year will likely be far different than years past with large crowds and hundreds of vendors selling their items, but hopefully they will occur in some shape or form.

Colorful Details on the Holiday Figurines

We Bought a Mozart Luminary from this Vendor

You don’t have to live in Europe to enjoy European style Christmas markets. We have been to wonderful ones in Denver as well as Chicago and we’re sure that there are ones in most major cities, especially those with a heavy European influence.

Christmas in New Orleans

On January 2, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Louisiana9 Comments

We decided to spend our holiday week in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it was definitely an enjoyable trip. We stayed in the French Quarter and spent our days wandering the streets, doing some tours, and eating wonderful meals. New Orleans is one of those places that has its own unique take on the holidays, especially in the French Quarter, which is the old town section of the city with a history that goes back hundreds of years.

Although it was the holidays, the French Quarter remains pretty much the same as it does throughout the year, meaning that it is basically a big party. The streets were a little quieter on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but generally there were a lot of tourists in town and the restaurants were very busy. Many of the buildings were decorated for the holidays and we enjoyed seeing some of the more whimsical decorations. As with many other cities, hotel lobbies are adorned with elaborate decorations as are many of the restaurant interiors.

To really get a feel for how festive the streets are decorated, it is best to see them at night when the lights are all lit. We happened to do a carriage ride one evening and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the balconies all brightly decorated throughout the French Quarter. There are many other places to see holiday lights in New Orleans, but there is something special about seeing the decorations in such a historic atmosphere. In many ways it reminded us of the decorations that we saw throughout Europe on other trips we have taken.