Tag: mulled wine

Hochheimer Market

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany3 Comments
Lovely Old Town

We didn’t go far this weekend since we needed to take care of some much needed shopping while the stores were open, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t have a good time over the weekend. As we have mentioned before, all of the stores in Frankfurt are closed on Sundays, so if you need anything, you have to buy it during the week or on Saturday, therefore we spent Saturday taking care of buying a few things for our new apartment. On Sunday, though, we took a short thirty-minute train ride to the town of Hochheim to visit a market that one of our new friends here in Germany had told us about.

Church at Hochheim
Crowds were Gathering
Sausages Galore
Sweets
Interesting Stalls

It is one of the oldest markets in Germany having been established in 1484. Based on the crowds, it is also one of the most popular, we can only imagine what the Christmas markets are going to be like once they start at the end of this month. There are stalls selling sausages, hot mulled wine called Glühwein, nuts, popcorn, and candy galore. There are also rides and carnival games, but it was hard for us to see much of anything through the wall-to-wall crowds.

Glühwein
Bratwurst, Currywurst, Rindwurst, and More
Crowds and Carnival Games
Plenty of Nuts
More German Architecture

We had some of the Glühwein and enjoyed a wonderful bratwurst as we scanned all of the crafts on display for sale. We even found a nice children’s book as a souvenir, but we did not take a photo of it to share. We shared a German market from Denver last year, but clearly it did not prepare us for the size of this market. They even jammed the use of cell phones so that there was no risk of anyone detonating anything with all of the large crowds. It was a quick trip, but definitely a fun one, but the size of the crowds made it a little difficult to enjoy everything that the market had to offer.  We look forward to many more festivals and markets during the months ahead.

Statue as You Enter Town
Banner at the Market
Another Interesting Display
Waiting for Food
It was Time for Us to Leave

 

Shakespeare and Santa Claus

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn England7 Comments

We were fortunate enough that when we went to Stratford-upon-Avon, we joined the locals in celebrating the arrival of Santa Claus. It was truly a magical experience and the town of Stratford-upon-Avon was everything that we expected for a small English village.  There is something special about walking the streets of a town so rich in history, thinking about all who have walked those same footsteps.  The shops, pubs, and people were all extremely welcoming as the holiday spirit certainly filled the air.

Stratford-upon-Avon
The Gathering Crowd
Punch and Judy Show

The town of Stratford-upon-Avon is a tourist destination due to the fact that it is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, but we were surrounded more by locals than tourists while we were there.  The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is located in Stratford where the plays of Shakespeare are still performed.  The original charter for the town was granted in 1196, making it over 800 years old.  Located in Warwickshire, England, nestled along the River Avon, it is truly a destination well worth visiting.  Seeing the home where Shakespeare was born is a memory that will stay with you forever.

Swan Theatre
Shakespeare’s Birthplace

The most memorable part of the visit, however, was when everyone gathered in the center of town outside of the Town Hall on Sheep Street to wait for the arrival of Santa Claus.  After it turned dark, the town officials came out onto the balcony to address the crowd.  Then, to the excitement of the children and adults alike, Santa Claus appeared on the roof, waving to the crowd below.  After seeing the arrival of Santa Claus, we went to one of the pubs where there were large punch dispensers with mulled wine to warm the belly as much as our hearts had been warmed.

Gathering Outside of the Town Hall
Arrival of Santa Claus

The following day, we joined other holiday shoppers in the market that had been set up to sell a wide variety of crafts and products.  We also visited the various shops that were all festively decorated for the holiday season.  We purchased holiday decorations for family and friends as well as some for ourselves.  We ended up buying another suitcase, just so we could bring home everything that we found while we were there.  There were also plenty of restaurants with local fare to eat, such as the traditional fish and chips, bangers and mash, steak and ale pie, and bubble and squeak.  Needless to say, besides the mulled wine, there were plenty of pints of ale to be found and we enjoyed several of them.

The Shops in Stratford-upon-Avon
The Market Place

This was truly one of the highlights of our visit to England.  We had been in London prior to heading to Stratford-upon-Avon and it was almost as if we’d travelled back in time.  I’m sure that it is beautiful during the summer, but if you get the chance to visit during the holiday season, we’d highly recommend it.  Stratford-upon-Avon will stay in our hearts for many years to come.

Preparing for the Celebration