2011 Visits from Friends

We had some fun visits in 2011 from friends back home. From old college friends to new friends from foreign cities to an intern I dragged around London introducing him to the local food customs such as Fish and Chips, it is always a pleasure to see old friends, so let me know if you will be in London.

London Christmas 2011

It has been much milder weather-wise this Christmas.



No snow, and it has not been very cold.









Instead of snow and ice, we've only had a fine mist and occasionally rain.










One learns to accept the weather here as unpredictable, and I've come to enjoy the suspense of the uncertainty a bit.

















We went ice skating at the Tower of London, where they set up an ice rink in the moat. It is the coolest location I've seen in London to go skating and I enjoyed it much more than at the Somerset House where we went last year.









Both of us are mediocre skaters, but we are happy in our mediocrity.










We went with our friend, Fiona, who, though from Scotland, never learned how to skate very well.






It was a fun afternoon in an amazing location.












Even our little Frozen Yoghurt shop was in the holiday spirit with Festive flavors such as Cinnamon and Mulled Wine.









Starbucks won the coveted award for the 2nd best Mini Mince Pies. It lost only to Harrod's. Being a bit of a Mince Pie connoiseur, I thought they were okay, but the pies from Walkers featuring 12 year old Glenfiddich Whiskey are my favorites.






Buying a Christmas tree in London is very easy, and we walked 5 minutes from our place up to the High Street and bought a tree and carried it home again.











We decorated the tree with the ornaments we've collected over the years. They always bring back fun memories.










This year we added an egg ornament we bought in Salzburg.











We also put out our new Nutcracker that we bought in Nuremberg. We love buying something Christmasy on our travels, as we get to remember the fun we had on the trip each year when we put out the decorations.







Gluhwein from Nuremberg also played an important part in our Christmas festivities this year. Unfortunately, Tony doesn't like it - that just made all the more for me.










Even Pepper got into the festive mood.











We tried our hands at cooking an Italian themed Christmas this year with a Pork Roast stuffed with pine nuts and raisins.




And a Strufolli, which is made of a bunch of small fritters and hazelnuts with a honey orange caramel syrup drizzled over the top. It is shaped in the form of a wreath.









Christmas pudding was a running theme in gifts given to me. Tony isn't a fan of it, so I got some ribbing about how I like it. I got Christmas Pudding flavored smoothies, cakes, and mints.


All in all, it's been a lovely quiet Christmas this year after a year of so much fun and exciting travel.

Zurich - A space odyssey

For our journey home, the nice girl at our hotel in Nuremberg packed us a travel snack kit filled with stohlen and mini lebkuchen cookies. She was a really sweet person, and we had a great time talking with her each morning at breakfast.





For our return trip, we got to experience what almost felt like a trip to Star Trek land.











We got to Nuremberg airport, and rode this amazing glass elevator with curved doors. It almost looked like some sort of vacuum chamber.






But the high point came when we had to pass through Zurich airport. We accidentally ended up on their subway to the wrong terminal. However, the accident proved worthwhile, it was the coolest airport subway I've ever ridden.

Bamberg

For our last day in Germany, we made a train trip to a nearby town of Bamberg. We'd seen it on a travel program called "The Thirsty Traveler", where they went to visit this brewery where they made, Rauchbier (Smoked Beer). They smoke the barley, and then make beer from it.





We got up had a good breakfast, then walked over to the train station to catch the train for the easy 40 minute journey.








We arrived at the station, which is about a 15 minute walk from the center of town. To our surprise, they also were having a very nice lowkey Christmas market.






Tony was much happier here as it felt more craftsy, and was not nearly as crowded as the market in Nuremberg.









The weather was sunny and warmer, and it was a beautiful December day.







Bamberg is built up around a navigable river, and I'm assuming was an important point of trade.





Perched on the highest point in town, Bamberg Cathedral built around 1010 was a favorite church of Pope Clement II, who was the local bishop before becoming Pope.







After his death, his body was returned to Bamberg, and is the only Pope buried outside of Italy and France.



Henry II and his wife Empress Cunigunde, who founded the church are buried in the cathedral in an elaborate sarcophagus which took 15 years to sculpt.



There is a famous statue in Bamberg Cathedral. It is called the "Bamberger Reiter" (Bamberg Rider). It is unknown who the rider is supposed to be, but this image was taken by the Nazis and used as a propaganda symbol representing German perfection looking for new lands to conquer.





Another important art piece in the Cathedral is a wood nativity scene carved by the famous artist Viet Stoss. He carved it when he was 80 years old during the 1500's.




We walked the square by the cathedral which also houses the City Hall and some other buildings also dating back 1000 years.









The town is a real charmer. I can't imagine anyone not liking this place.
































Eventually, we made our way to a brewpub called Aecht Schlenkerla, which is famous for making the Rauchbier.



Notice what appears to be a Jewish star on their sign. This symbol actually is the "Brewer's Star". A symbol bringing together the triangular symbols for fire and water, which are used in the process of brewing beer.



It was a darker beer. Not as thick as a stout, but medium bodied and full flavored. It tasted a lot of smoke. Tony felt it tasted a bit like he was drinking a campfire.










Of course I bought a bottle to bring home.





We also saw a couple different versions of Gluhwein called "Feuerzangenbowle" (flaming fire tongs punch). One where they pour burning schnapps into a large cauldron of gluhwein. . .









And one where they pour schnapps over a sugar cube and set it on fire.









Tony passed on the flaming gluhwein and instead got a glass of some delicious Hot Apple Cider.






We wandered around the town for the afternoon, just enjoying the Christmas market and all the people out taking in the sunshine.





















We stopped at a bakery and bought a loaf of "Stohlen", a traditional German Christmas bread.









I learned that Stohlen is baked symbolically in the shape of the baby Jesus wrapped in cloth. So when you are eating Stohlen, you are symbolically eating. . . hmm. . .



Before long, it was starting to get dark, and it was time to head back to Nuremberg. That evening I finally got to have Sauerbraten, a pot roast made with vinegar, which I'd been craving the whole trip. Delicious, but a bit of an acquired taste.





And of course a piece of Apfel Strudel. What trip to Germany would be complete without it.