Thanksgiving in Germany, with a side trip to eastern France.

What a blessed life we lead.  We are so fortunate to have this opportunity to travel in Europe, and we're certainly trying our best to see as much as we can with our time left.  Soren has been an amazing traveller.  I always worry that this trip will be the trip that I have 'that' kid on the plane or he won't nap, or it will be just generally a bad time, but by the grace of God it has never happened.  He is the sweetest boy, and everyone around him enjoys his darling smile and big blue eyes.

For Thanksgiving this year we visited our friends Steve, Colleen, and their adorable daughter Elia.  Crazy enough, we met Steve and Colleen two years ago when we took our Egyptian vacation.  We really enjoyed their company and I've kept in touch with Colleen ever since.  They were able to visit us in Sicily, and we were thankful they extended an invitation to visit them in Stuttgart, Germany.

Once we arrived in Munich we met them just outside the city in a town called Aying.  They have a brewery and claim to have 'the best beer in the world'.  They may just be right, it is a very tasty beer.  You can read more about the brewery and beer here Ayinger Brewery.  We got in a bit late but they kept the kitchen open for us and we had a lovely dinner, for me perch with potatoes, for Patrick some of the best venison he's ever had with blueberry pasta.  The next morning the breakfast spread was even better.  My favorite part, pretzels!

On Thursday morning, Thanksgiving day, we left for Rothenberg, a very cute German town.  If I remember correctly I had actually visited the town before.  When I was younger I was in a choir that went on a yearly summer trip somewhere around the world.  When I was around 14 we went to Austria and Germany, unfortunately without jogging my memory with pictures or journal entries I don't remember much.  We had a lovely time looking at Christmas stores and eating a Thanksgiving meal of sausage, cabbage, and potatoes.  It was perfect.

I love 'wearing' our little boy.

My sweet husband took this picture of me.  

Friday we set out for Heidelberg to explore one of Germany's famous Christmas markets.  While the market itself is very cute, spread throughout the city center in adorable little log 'cabins'.  The wares were lacking.  I thought it would be more homemade crafts and 'Made in Germany' fare, but it's not.  I'm still glad that I got to experience it, but I did wish for a bit more.

Someone got chapped cheeks in the cold air.

All bundled up.

Enjoying some sausage and bread at the Christmas market.

Soren's first carousel ride.

Beep, beep!

My love.

The wheel of meat.

Our friends and I at the market.

'Love padlocks', you can read more about them here.
My father-in-law pointed them out to me in Rome, and now
I notice them everywhere!  Keep your eyes out.

Saturday was my favorite day, we drove about two and a half hours into east France, the Alsace region.  We visited two towns Ribeauville and Riquewihr.  I kid you not when I say they look like they are straight out of a fairy tale.  I seriously expected Belle to pop out of one of the houses singing, 'There goes the baker with his tray like always.'  It was beautiful and I'm so glad we got to visit.  Someday it would be fun to take some time to really explore the area.  We even stumbled upon a Christmas market in Riquewihr.  I managed to spend the most amount I've ever spent on cheese, but dang it, it was worth it!  (At least that's what I keep telling myself.)

I had my first Macaroons in France, how
fitting! 

He loves to be thrown.

Chewing on Sophie Le Giraffe in France.

Tickle, tickle.

Sorry, these are just too cute.

Now, time for a nap.

I thought he'd love to try a macaroon.

It was like I was feeding him brussels sprouts.

No more photos!

Gluhwein (mulled wine) in Riquewihr.

Our friends Collen, Steve, and Elia.

Colleen and I, with our babes.

Said expensive cheese.  Look at how big
the cheese wheels are!  It's kind of hard
 to tell how much you are getting.