Strasbourg deems itself the Capital of Christmas, and I’d have to agree. The main market in place de la Cathédrale has been going strong since 1570. But wait, there’s more! • Three Christmas markets: place de la Cathédrale, place du Château and place du Corbeau; • The Bredle Village (small cakes prepared during the advent […]
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Porta Nigra
Some gate! Porta Nigra is the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. The name originated in the Middle Ages for the dark color of its grey sandstone, which has been further darkened by exhaust fumes and general air pollution over the years. The gate was constructed between 186 and 200 A.D as one […]
Dom St. Peter, or the Trier Cathedral
How fitting for the oldest town in Germany that its cathedral, Dom St. Peter, is the oldest church in Germany. To this day, it remains a working Catholic cathedral. Trier is the oldest seat of a Christian Bishop north of the Alps. In the Middle Ages, the Archbishop of Trier was an important prince of […]
Trier Market
The first Christmas market we checked out was in Trier. Trier is the oldest town in Germany and located in the picturesque Moselle region near the Luxembourg-Germany border. Previously, I had only been to Trier to purchase essentials in its enormous furniture stores, so I was delighted to see what else it had to offer. […]
Eierpunsch
Europeans love hot alcohol and I’m not complaining. The latest hot drink I tried was Eierpunsch, which is an eggnog-like beverage, only not as rich and topped with whipped cream. Ingredients include egg yolks, white wine, vanilla and sugar. Mmm. I can’t say it went down as easily as eggnog, but it definitely contained about […]
European Christmas Markets
‘Tis the season for holiday markets! I always love to support local businesses and there’s no better place to do it than in the quaint Christmas markets (yes, that’s right – these are all Christian, all the time) that pop up all over Europe. Grab a glühwein or nog and wander the aisles for unique […]
Glühwein
I first tasted glühwein years ago in Vienna. I wouldn’t say I was immediately smitten. What is more accurate to say is that when you’re standing in overcast winter weather, hot wine is the most genius idea. Ever the red wine lover, I figured (in my atrophied, frostbitten mind) that flavor was overrated anyway. Bottoms […]
Gulab Jamun
My favorite part of any Indian meal is gulab jamun. I was relieved to find out the dessert I’ve devoured all these years outside of India is pretty much the same as it is in India. With food, there’s nothing more annoying than knowing exactly what you’re missing. What is gulab jamun? It is delicious […]
Coffee Bean
There’s nothing like seeing an old friend before boarding a 3 a.m. flight. I first became hooked on Coffee Bean when I lived in Los Angeles. My friend Holly and I would hit the one on Main Street in Santa Monica. We always, always got Ice Blendeds. Big ones. With whipped cream. Then, when I […]
Goa Boats
I didn’t realize how much I notice boats until I found myself snapping away in Goa. I saw, among others, busy ferries, working boats (although, I’m not sure what these boats accomplished since I saw many of them going back and forth carting unchanged volumes of dirt), and beached boats.
