Back with Our Dear Friends Scott and Gina!!
The Tandem Spirits spent Christmas in Germany. Our friends Scott and Gina, who live near Wiesbaden, invited us to visit, and we were happy to accept.
First we had to find a kennel for our cat Silvio. Our amazing cat sitter has been out of commission due to reconstructive knee surgery. Fortunately our vet was able to recommend a place in Perugia, GattHotel&Spa, which is run by a veterinarian. James brought him the day before our flight.
Nothing Like a Good Chili!!!!!
We flew to Frankfurt with Lufthansa. It was smooth sailing in the Rome Airport, the flight was fine, and our luggage didn’t take too long..
By the time we got to Scott and Gina’s house, we were pretty hungry. Fortunately, Gina had made a huge batch of Chile with Cornbread.
A Visit to Mainz, Fahrrad XXL - The Mothership of Bicycle Shops!
The following day we went to a bike shop on the way to Mainz, Fahrrad XXL . We had been there several years ago and wanted to return. They have EVERYTHING. We also picked up some new helmets and gloves.
Once our bike-shop Jones was satisfied, it was on to Mainz. We went to the Cathedral and the Christmas market.
The Mainz Cathedral and Christmas Market
Christmas Market Overload in Cologne!
The next two days would be Christmas Market Overload. We drove to Cologne Sunday morning. It was about a 2 hour drive. Along the way we had every type of weather possible, rain, snow sleet, hail. When we arrived it was too early to check into our hotel so we ditched our luggage and went into the Cathedral. We didn’t stay long because Mass was being celebrated. Although it was cloudy when we arrived, it was raining when we left the Cathedral. We hurried back to the hotel and had Irish Coffee’s in the hotel bar while we waited for check-in and for the rain to stop.
After we settled into our room, the weather cleared. We started our Market adventures at Dom Roncalliplatz, just outside the cathedral. From there we moved onto the Alter Markt, the NeuMarkt, Rudolfplatz, and Stadtgarten. Since it was close to Christmas, they were all very crowded, but each one had a different vibe. The lights were beautiful, and there were a lot of interesting booths. We managed to restrain ourselves and only had a couple of glasses of Gluhwein throughout the evening along with some potato pancakes and roasted pork.
Click On This Market Gallery
A Delicious Chinese Dinner
After the fifth market, it was time to have some dinner. As we were walking to the Stadtgarten market, we passed a number of promising ethnic spots. After pursuing the menus, we decided on Shanghai Küche Chinese restaurant. It was a good choice. We started out with two appetizers and each ordered a main to share. Everything was delicious.
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The following day we went into the shopping district in Cologne. We happened upon a shop, Manufactum, that seemed eclectic from the window display and turned out to be rather luxe. They had a bit of everything, kitchen appliances, sweaters from Norway and Scotland, exercise equipment, household linens, and more, all very high quality and very expensive. We did one more tour of the Dom Roncalliplatz market. It was less busy than the night before and we were able to spend more time exploring the various booths. By the time we left the hoards were returning.
Back to Cologne's Impressive Cathedral!
Before leaving, we returned to the Cathedral for a longer visit. The Cathedral (Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus) is an impressive building. It is the tallest twin-steepled church in the world, Construction began in 1248 over the site of the “old” cathedral, and was not completed until 1880. In addition to its tall steeples, it is also known for it’s beautiful stained glass windows, and the Shrine of the Magi.
Christmas Eve Choir Concert in Mainz!
On Christmas Eve we returned to the cathedral at Mainz for a Christmas concert. We arrived a bit over an hour early hoping to get a seat in the pews, but they were already full. We were able to get a decent place to sit on the steps behind the pews. It was a wonderful concert. The Cathedral has three choirs, and all of them were included with men, women, boys and girls of various ages.
Gina Cooks a Magnificant Christmas Dinner
On Christmas Day the weather was beautiful. We went for a long walk in the woods with our friends. Their neighbors came for dinner and we enjoyed a traditional Christmas feast. Gina cooked the Turkey breast in the crock-pot, and it was delish and James made his cranberry chutney.
A Nice Visit to Wiesbaden
On December 26th we went into Wiesbaden. It is a beautiful town. We started with a walk through the Kurpark, from there we wandered into town. They still had a small winter market going and we grabbed a bite to eat.
We had fun hanging out with our friends and their cat Jun, but we did have to go home. Although the flight back to Rome was fine, the luggage took forever and then it was time for the long drive back to Foligno. At least there was no traffic.
We picked Silvio up from the kennel on Monday and enjoyed the rest of our holiday time relaxing at home
