Chriskinder Market, Baden Baden

December 22, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer 1 Comment

What a fascinating event and a very unique experience. By taking two buses and two trains and taking a walking Adventure I came across the Baden Baden Christmas Market here and bad wartenberg Germany.

Upon entering the market the first thing I came across was a live nativity

scene complete with donkeys and goats the fresh scent of straw and wood shavings lining their bed in the manger. It was quite a sight to behold and the air smelled of all things Christmas and of all happiness. I spent over 6 hours just alone in the Christmas Market and I think I ate enough for 3 people for 2 days, sampling everything from specialty sausages to mustards 2 pastas to Crepes and vegetable, fruit Delights in all kinds of sauces and creams. My waistline is surely expanding this Christmas but it is well worth it and I figure if I keep walking around maybe I’ll burn off a fraction of the calories I’ve consumed today.

Chirstmas

Christmas

Chriskinder Market, Frederichsplatz, Karlsruhe

December 3, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

A nativity Scene on display

A walking path through the lights inside the market itself

A hand crafted, wood working vendor

Thomas enjoying a hot glühwein in the market

A dining venue located inside a rotating wind mill

I am drinking hot red glühwein, too!! It is so good and really is lovely on a cold night, walking around the market

A great adventure this evening with Thomas–we went to the Chriskinder Market on Frederichs Platz in Karlsruhe. A little gift shopping, a little mulled hot wine and a lovely evening out on the town.

Make an Impression

December 1, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

Make me an offer!!!

$700 or best offer, 20% of sale price benefits Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Colorado Click on image or link to purchase

Making a good impression …with beautiful, original art.

As seen in a January post I wrote, I dream of selling an art piece of my very own, an adventure in eBay sales for sure!!!

The price is currently at $700–but this is negotiable for sure, so make me an offer!!

Van Gogh inspired, original impressionistic oil painting of dreams and blooms during a raging storm. Original, signed 16×20 inch framed on stretched canvas, ready to hang. Oil painting, vivid brush strokes.

While this is a dream of mine to sell a piece of my artwork, 20% of the sale price also benefits the Human Society of Boulder Valley (located in beautiful, colorful Colorado)

Ratstatt Beauty

November 30, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

Ettlingen Christmas Market

November 25, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

La Cubanita Stand-Stall–Chili con Carne in a bread bowl yummy

Glüwhein–the best winter drink in the world (in my opinion)

My favorite vendor–the Ettli Glüwhein stand

A large bag of chestnuts to roast–amazing.

A large, encased nativity scene

Breakfast for Dinner

November 21, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

Pancakes a plenty, raisin, chocolate and regular-plain Pancakes

Thomas, German Friends and I eating breakfast for dinner.

We had an ‘American’ style breakfast of pancakes, apple cinnamon compte, bacon, farmers omellete, juice, coffee, and an egg assortment (over medium, scrambled with cheese, sunny side up, and more!)

For the last several weeks, we (my german lady friends) and I have been for coffee, conversation, and culture—well, mostly just to talk in English as both desire to improve their English communication skills–and had asked me to meet with them more often for practice–always a fun way to learn and I really enjoy spending more time with my ladies.

Thus, every week we meet…and the laugther follows. Last week, the topic of favorite foods and cusine from our own cultures incorporated itself into the evening, as we ate (naturally, what is better than food with friends?)

The ladies, being both German, eat German breakfast–but have never tasted the delights of an American or ‘farmers’ breakfast so this week, as planned, they drove over for our weekly conversation and I made ‘brinner’ (breakfast for dinner)–a favorite of mine.

The menu included:

An Assortment of Pancakes-cinnamon raisin syrup–Apple Walnut compote

An assort of eggs cooked in a variety of ways

A Farmers omellete (large), topped with melted cheese

and Bacon (what breakfast is complete without bacon?)

Coffee, Juice

Black Forrest National Forrest and a Village

November 2, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

15 kilometers in one day makes a very happy woman, and very tired feet!!!

The adventure began with a tram ride to the North, and disembarking in Raumümzach–which only has one stop for the village (which also boasts a lovely place called ‘Hotel Waterfall’).

I packed my lunch, grabbed my rucksack and off I went exploring, the visual experience was stunning this autumn season but nothing compared to the scent filled fresh air that prevailed itself upon my senses.

I ate my brown bag lunch, overlooking the Murg River near Erbersbronn and a house in the country had chickens as i heard the rooster crow in midday.

Walking leisurely through the hills and valleys (both minor) of the area provided an over abundant wealth of beauty and excitement and a day filled with much peach, quiet and joy.

Directions Post, Erbersbronn, Germany

Black Forrest National Park

The Murg River, near Erbersbronn, Germany

The Black Forrest National Park

The Water Fall Hotel, Raumünzach

Raumünzach, a village in the Black Forrest

Giving a Schwarzwald tour

October 26, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

Woohoo!! My Grandfather came to visit me….and I marked off another item on my dream-list. I gave a family member a tour!!! Yes, it is true and I found it fun and exciting.

My Grandfather visited from Sunday through Tuesday evening here in Southwest Germany and willingly adventured with me around the area. We had so much fun!! I enjoyed being a tour guide more than I had anticipated. Grandfather was a great companion and we had so much fun together–I found it super nice and enjoyable to experience new coffee places as well with him–while going to some of my favorite places.

We went to the Monastary Ruins in Bad Herrenalb, the Kloster ruins in Frauenalb, the Schloss in Karlruhe and Ratstatt, and enjoyed the lovel art and architecture in St. Alexanders on Marktplatz in Ratstatt. A lovely fountain, bridge, and river tour in Ettlingen also had taken place, with coffee and lunches intermixed in our ventures–we used the tram and sometimes the car, making transportation very versatitle and easy.

All the places we went to gave us the beautiful sites and scenes of the Black Forrest, also being able to see the changing of the leaves this autumn–all in all, quite an event.

Want to check out some of the hot places we dined and enjoyed coffee?? The links and references are below.

Golden Mann Cafe Am Schloss Ratstatt

Schwarzwald Stub (Restaurant) Bad Herrenalb, Germany (no website) Kurpromenade 5, 76332 Bad Herrenalb, Germany

DLounge (Coffee shop), Karlsruhe, Germany

Täglich (Restaurant), Ettlingen, Germany

Drinking from a fountain, Karlsruhes Downtown

The River Alb, Running through downtown Ettlingen

Schloss Karlsruhe Statue Tours

The River Alb, Frauenalb Germany

We stopped at a local Bakery for snacks and coffee, a German classic

Taking a break from touring the Black Forrest at the DLounge, Kronenplatz, Karlsruhe, Germany

1000 year old ruins at Frrauenalb, Germany, in the heart of the Black Forrest

My grandfather in Frauenalb, standing next to a very old, established trees by the ruins.

Grandfather and I riding the trams to adventure together

The Verranda on Schloss Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe,

The Crest of the Markgraf Wilhelm von Baden Baden, primary resident of the Schloss Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Baden Wurtemburg Germany

Exquisite Cappucinos at the Cafe Am Schloss, Ratstatt, Germany http://www.goldener-mann-rastatt.de/kontakt/

the Tour guide (me) outside of St. Martins Church, Ettlingen, Germany

Grandfather crossings the Lockets of Love Bridge, Ettlingen, Germany

The flood water marker on St. Alexanders Cathedral, Marktplatz, Ratstatt, Germany

Wooden Pews and grandfather, St. Martins Church, Kirch platz, Ettlingen, Germany

Roman Ruins, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

Grandfather and I, Kloster Ruins, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

Dropping postcards in the post for loved ones back in the States

Roman Ruins near the Protestant Church (1650) Bad Herrenalb, Germany

A tradtional German lunch at Schwarzwald Stub, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

Riding the lines

October 6, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer

The view of my tram

The ‘stop the tram’ button

Adventuring is so much fun, easy, and convenient while using the tram.

I rode the rails today to view the country side during this love autumn season and the changing of the leaves in the Black Forrest.

I stopped off in Bad Herrenalb and enjoyed a lovely breakfast at a Backerei–and warmed my hands with cup of coffee—

I hopped back on the tram and headed towards the Karlsruhe Hauptbanhof, where I could get other trams to other areas, while I waited for another tram, I enjoyed yet another coffee (Coffee Crema) at Dlounge on Kronenplatz–an easy walk to the tram platform where the s41 tram would arrive and transport me through wonderous landscapes.

I learned something new today–while the concept of ‘regions’ within the tram network system is not an unfamiliar concept, I discovered that the tram stops in smaller towns and villages have yellow signal boxes, often seen on posts in the cities to allow pedestrians to cross the street (pushing a button ‘alerts’ the system that people want to cross.)

Well, this same style yellow box, with a button, is required to get the tram to stop on such said platforms, an error that I made as I watched the tram blow right past me. So, my ignorance cost me a 35 minute wait—but I did get to see the sunset in the heart of the Black Forrest in Autumn—with my river below me and the sunset on the horizon…breathtaking.

My River, Near Kirschbaumwasen, Germany

Breakfast in Bad Herrenalb

Cafe Crema

A Sunday Drive Home

October 2, 2016April 25, 2017Anna--The Adventurer 1 Comment

Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going to fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.

Eddie Cantor

Driving to Freiburg was a simple, direct drive on the Highway but…

the adventure began as we drove home, the ‘back’ roads, meandering through small towns and villages along our way.

Sure, the drive home required more time to get to our final desitination…and yet, we thoroughly enjoyed the scenic route, laughing, joking, and eating italian ice-cream along the way. What is not to love than sharing fond memories, making new memories, and laughter with your sweetheart??

We made a pit-stop in Lichtenau, a small town at enjoyed great ice cream at Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau (see photos below). A young boy was riding his bike around the plaza and visually became distracted, crashing into a feature item in the plaza, got up, danced about for a minute, and continued to ride his bicycle like nothing had occured, which made Thomas and I roar with laughter.

On the Sunday drive, we witnessed a German corn harvest (see the Combine in the video), lovely towns, funny kids, and the beautiful German country side on our way home.

Corn Harvest