Merry Christmas! (?)

 

Hello Friends,

This holiday season will be different as we all know well. I have not been in Freiburg for Christmas before, first time for everything. Therefore my decorations are quirkier than usual, making do with what is here, as you know I do.

These glass marbles were bought years ago for a project Bruce wanted to make, they are pretty so I kept them and brought them out for this season. The picture is one of my fondest of us taken at Lake Louise, Alberta, early in our courtship when my hair wasn't grey and he had some.

Germany has been under lockdown since November 1, restaurants closed, it became more severe December 16 with retail shops closed and hair salons. If you didn't get your shopping done before, you won't, or get creative! Of course online shopping is regular now but then you contend with shipping and arrival times.

This is going to sound like an advertisement but I had a great online shopping experience this week. I met a fellow selling soups in jars at our Rieselfeld market a couple of weeks ago. The product is sourced locally, freshly made with a shelf life and organic. You order online (it was easy) and they deliver to your door which they did. Here is the website if you are curious but they only deliver locally they don't ship due to the four week shelf life and requirement to keep in the fridge.

 www.mm-lieferbar.com I found it to be a personal and friendly experience. 

This is why I don't have a tree because you know this is what would happen...

I have been enjoying the changing views from the flat and here are some.

Merry Christmas to you! Virtual hugs, Bev and Lexi Cat

A local day trip and some links

Christoph drove us into the Black Forest to a glass blowing factory and, what I didn’t know, a wood carving factory as well, in Wolfach at Dorotheenhutte. The woodcarvings are large statues done with chain saws. The glass blowing had two fellows working mostly on Christmas ornaments. 

I love to watch the process and have spent much time peering in the window at the Granville Island one in Vancouver. It was another bright sunny day and the leaves were at their fall best. 

We lunched at Gutach at a German style pub called Gasthof Krone and had their very local beer called Ketterer. 

What a great day and very grateful for it because five days later all restaurants and bars were shutdown for the month of November. 

I’m back cooking again and sometimes Christoph comes over, so kind, I find it better to cook for someone else.

Now some links for you.

This one is carpool karaoke, although when I see the word karaoke I cringe, thinking of botched examples, exactly what would come from me, but, this link features Paul McCartney and is very enjoyable!

 https://gallivance.net/2020/11/20/blindsided-in-liverpool-an-unexpected-beatles-journey/

This is an article written about Ivan, my friend and former guide in Sevilla.

https://www.expatsinmexico.com/this-spanish-expat-found-his-perfect-place-in-ensenada/ 

This one is Ryan and Angela's website which holds all our Switzerland trip pictures by place, look through the August ones which apply. Best picture of us on the wooden bridge in Lucerne (in my opinion).

www.jetsliketaxis.com

Belated Happy Thanksgiving greetings to my American friends!

I asked Pepe to mail me my Canada Goose parka, he thankfully did because it's getting rather cold here in Freiburg.

I guess Lexi thinks so too, my laundry basket is a good place to sit.

Cheers, Bev and the cat

Happy Thanksgiving!! and Day Trip to Villingen-Schwennningen

 

I am grateful for this view

This Thanksgiving may be quite different for those of you in Canada if it is not possible to get family and friends together. My hope for you is that you stay safe and enjoy perhaps a smaller turkey.

Christoph drove us on a day trip into and to the edge of the Black Forest to Villingen-Schwenningen, (say that three times fast!) about an hour and half from Freiburg. 

Munster church, it's steel doors had raised Carnival figures on it.

The two towns were merged as an area but remain individual.

The drive was beautiful through the forest and canyon. Villingen is a charming town with painted murals on the fronts of the buildings, four entry gates at the corners of the town. It was a grey day but I found the town absolutely charming!

The Carnival or Fastnacht is celebrated, hence many statues honour it. You can read more about it here https://www.wt-vs.de/de/tourismus/geschichte-und-brauchtum/fasnet.html

And here https://www.villingen-schwenningen.de/tourismus/ueberblick/fasnet-in-villingen-und-schwenningen.html

Carnival fountain

Images on all sides depicting life.

You know I like doors!

We lunched at a Swabian restaurant called Wirtschaft Sudhaus, Villingen am Münster which is run by an Italian family in a former brewery with the copper fixings still there. Food and service were excellent, but we didn’t get one of the unique tables that are housed in gigantic wine barrels. 

On a personal note I've had a cataract operation on one eye and the other will be done this week. It is a clinic that specializes in eye operations recommended to me by my trusted Optician. 

The procedure is fast, painless and efficient. Self administration of the drops is not always so efficient, takes a bit of technique and getting used to.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families! Yes, I will write about Switzerland soon.

Cheers, Bev and Lexi Cat

Comar, France

 Ryan, Angela and I started our three week "summer vacation" in Colmar, France for four days before heading to Switzerland. Here are some pictures with comments.

We had a really good lunch here of Tunisian food.

According to Ryan and Angela this is a Bev sized door, hmph!

Efficiency!

This is where we stayed, very old building on surprising noisy pedestrian street.

• All for now, Cheers, Bev
• 
  

Thann and Eguisheim, France

Christoph knows the Alsace region of France well so he took us on a drive through the area with the destination being Thann. We lunched at Le Caseus which is a smallish restaurant with good food and then wandered through town, as we tend to do. As said before lunchtimes in France and Germany are strictly between 12:00 and 2:00 so lunching on arrival is usually first before exploration. 

Stopped at a family run winery to sample Alsace wines called Nicollet.

Eguisheim is often compared to the German city of Riquewihr which is also a tourist destination for many. Christoph likes Eguisheim better and since it was on the way back to Freiburg we stopped in for a cold drink, as it was a very hot day. Eguisheim continually gets voted the "One of the most beautiful villages in France".

We will stop in Colmar, France for four days before going into Switzerland.

Cheers, Bev

Baden-Baden - The Famous Spa Town

 Baden-Baden is a (or was) a ritzy town about an hour's drive north of Freiburg. Honestly, it resembles an older era but still viable. The richy rich have moved on, however the casinos and spas are still active although less so of course in the current situation. First off we took the vernacular up to the top of the mountain to watch para-sailors get ready and glide off the mountain. Then a walk through town which is divided by a stream. The town naturally has many fountains and statues.  

Baden-Baden is worth a visit in my opinion, there are many art deco style buildings and the older opulence is still evident.

Cheers, Bev