Krampus Wrapup

   Thanks to everyone who has read and enjoyed this blog.  After traveling around the alps and seeing lots of Krampus activity but no snow, it was so fun to come home to a White Christmas (Eve) and Agatha, my own little Krampus.

 

 

 

   BONUS!  Check out this extended trailer for the new Krampus movie.  It features one of my hats!  You have to watch very carefully as it flies by somewhere around the 35 second mark.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

http://screencrush.com/krampus-featurette-legend/

 

Last Day in Paris

   This morning we went to the giant flea market in the north of Paris and even though we looked at fabulous antiques for a couple of hours, we only saw a fraction of the market (apparently there are over three thousand stalls- it is reputed to be the biggest flea market in the world).  Lots of vendors specialized in one item, like mirrors, or silver, or paintings.  It made it very fun since we each liked looking at different things.

 

 

   Then we put together a wonderful picnic and went to the Luxembourg Gardens and people-watched while we munched.  Then we watched the boule games in the corner of the park.  Those people are really good!  We would love to put in a boule court at home.

 

 

 

 

 

   A trip to Paris wouldn't be complete without a stroll down the Champs Élysées.  We veered off on the Avenue George V and walked across a bridge right by the Eiffel Tower to get home.  All in all it has been an amazing trip, and Dad says it was his most memorable birthday ever!

 

 

 

Pere Lachaise and Notre Dame

   This morning we had breakfast at a nearby café.  We took a bus through the city, seeing many of the big sights, before arriving at Pere Lachaise Cemetery.  We wandered around and looked at old graves for ages, visiting old favorites (Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Heloise and Abelard) and saw lots of other beautiful ones too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  We had a picnic lunch near Notre Dame, and went to Shakespeare and Company, the nearby bookstore.  We sat at one of the cafés and had drinks with a lovely view.

 

 

 

 

   We stopped at Jacques Genin chocolate shop, and walked by Napolean's tomb on our way home.  Another lovely day in Paris!

 

 

I Love Paris in the Winter

   We arrived in Paris yesterday.  It is so warm it doesn't feel like December at all.  It was 59 degrees today and we didn't have to wear our coats last night.  We rode the funicular up to Sacre Coeur and wandered around Montmarte until dark.  It was beautiful and there was lots to see.

 

 

 

   We headed down to the Eiffel Tower next.  It was a strange night, warm, but foggy and the sky had a golden brown glow.  The top of the tower disappeared into the mist.  We walked through the nearby Christmas Market, and then got to see the tower sparkle on the hour before heading back to our little neighborhood.  Lovely!

 

 

 

 

A Marvelous Medieval Market

   Today we trained to the village of Esslingen, a picturesque little town with canals and half-timbered buildings.  There were lots of vineyards on the nearby hillsides, some of them were very steeply terraced and looked almost scary to work in.

 

 

 

   We spent ages at one of the biggest medieval markets around.  There were many people showcasing ancient crafts like pewtering, broommaking, printmaking, and blacksmithing.

 

 

   There was a lot of food cooked on fires, and a lovely little coffee and cocoa booth set up to look like a kasbah.

 

 

 

 

 

   Our favorite part was the wooden Ferris wheel, which was hand cranked and could go very fast!

 

   Afterwards, Allie and Marc and I went out to another town, Ludwigsburg, which had a baroque theme market.  It was very lovely too.

 

 

 

   Then we came back to Stuttgart where we listened to a. Tass band play Christmas carols on the steps of the Rathaus with Mom and Dad and Tio before going to dinner (where Mom had goose ravioli in pumpkin sauce).  The Stuttgart Rathaus is set up like a giant advent calendar and as each window is opened it shows the coat of arms of the nearby community sponsoring that evening's music.  Very cool!