Northern Germany Christmas Markets - Day 10 Hamburg

 

 

Northern Germany Christmas Markets - Day 9 the Trains back to Hamburg

No photos for this day as it wasn't photo worthy. I got up semi-early, had my free breakfast at the hotel, which was standard German fare, bread, cold cuts, yogurt, and eggs.  Oh, there was coffee and juice as well.  Then, I checked out and dragged my bag down the front stairs.  So many stairs the last few days and I'm glad I left one of my bags in Hamburg. 

There are no direct trains from Goslar to Hamburg, so I had found the one with the least connections..which was one in Hannover.  I had an hour, which was a good cushion for delays.  Miraculously, both trains left on time.  HOWEVER, there was a delay halfway through on the train from Hanover to Hammburg as a train that "took prescedence" was delayed and we had to wait for them.  Fun times.  Got to Hamburg an hour late.  Acutally, not a big deal as I only had to check in and I had no plans for the day.  

Got checked in without incident.  This hotel chain, Addagio Aparthotel has a laundy room.  It's always a fairly inadequate laundry room for the number of people staying here, but they have one. I found the room at the same time someone else did.  As there were two washers, but only one dryer, I thought I'd delay a bit and do some grocery shopping first. Got the basics, including the makings for grilled cheese and tomato soup...which I proceeded to make for dinner.  I am sad to report that the frying pan in the room was a scraped non-stick pan and I likely ingested toxic chunks of non-stick coating. 

After dinner, I packed up my laundry, went down to the desk to buy the required tokens, which were way to expensive, but I'm paying for the convenience...and I started my laundry. I had my tablet, so I went to the breakfast room to watch some TV.  When my show was over, I noticed someone else had started a load of laundry about a half hour after I did, so I quickly got my stuff in the dryer.  I had a few things to hang up in the room, so I went up to get that done and back downstairs with my tablet. 

The laundry room had no ventilation, so the dryer made it hot as hell in there.  The poor guy and I were in a sauna waiting for the last five minutes of the dryer.

I now have clean clothes for the rest of my trip.  

And that was my exciting day 

Christmas Markets Northern Germany - Day 8 Goslar

 Another long train ride, another opportunity to catch up on the blog.  This time, we are visiting Goslar.  This is a Unesco World Heritage site and has a lot of historical importance due to the silver, copper, and lead mines nearby.  While the mines are a tourist site and there is a market there, I opted not to visit them.   I decided to stick to the market and "Weinachtswald" in the old town.  

Once again, the train ride there was an adventure, due to delays and missed trains (try to look for connections that are a least a half hour apart...I keep reminding myself).   I got there without too much incident and asked Google maps to take me to my hotel.  It said 7 minutes away...but I later learned that the hotel is directly opposite the train station and I wasted time dragging my suitcase around cobbled sidewalks.  

This hotel was a bit of a splurge as it was only for one night.  Very worth it as i was to discover. I seem to get a lot of top floor rooms (except for my "cabin" my first night in Hamburg") and this was a particularly nice one.

Since I was only here overnight, I situated myself a bit (unpacked my backpack so I could take it exploring) and headed toward the market.  Now, there is a per night tourist tax in Goslar, but you get free transportation around with the local buses and discounts on tourist sites with it.  I did not need it, but it's nice if you plan a few days to explore.  The old city and marketplace is within walking distance, so I didn't need to take a bus.  

The first sign that you are in the Altstadt is the remains of a part of the medieval wall that used to surround it.  Pretty cool.

The architecture here is lovely too.  It's a great setting for a Christmas Market.

This church was pretty cool.  Did I bother to learn the name of it...nope.

However, I soon came upon the first signs of the market.  Very charming with the carved and painted timber buildings.

Of course, there is the ginormous tree (not the only one I would soon learn) but it was all a very charming and lovely setting.

I found the tourist information center where I bought my Goslar ornament (it's glass, so I have to be careful of my luggage now) and a gluwein mug...so I don't have to take a sticky one back to my hotel room.  

I soon found a stand selling "Honig Eierpunsch" (honey egg punch) so I started off with that.  Well, I'd gotten some mushrooms earlier, so I had food in my stomach :).

After finishing my punsch, I wandered a bit more until I found the "Weinachtswald."

Lots of very tall lit trees in one tiny square.  You can walk inside and get a gluwein.  I walked in for a bit, overheard a family speaking American English and said hello...then I exited the land of claustrophobia.  After taking a selfie...

I then wandered around for a bit, absorbing the atmosphere...and having a gluwein.  I also bought a pair of alpaca wool socks that were made in Goslar. 

This is the Market Fountain topped by a golden Imperial eagle.  I swear it looks like a rooster to me.  Anyway, this is a copy of the original, which is in a museum.

After one last pass of the ginormous tree, I decided I'd seen it all.  While not a tiny market, it is easy to see everythign in a couple of hours.  I got there early, which I recommend.  After 5 (especially on a Friday) it gets very busy.   It is one of the loveliest markets I've seen. It's a tiny bit commercial, but not overwhelmingly so.  Not a lot of those stalls that you see everywhere, which is nice.

To get back to the hotel, you walk down a lot of pedestrian shopping streets.  I thought the residents of this building had a lot of Holiday spirit.

Once I got back to my room, I puttered around a bit, got ready for bed and actually turned in early.  It had been a long day and I was sleepy.  Tomorow, I return to Hamburg for the rest of my stay. 

Christmas Markets Northern Germany - Day 7 Bremen

 Ok, we're gonna try this posting on a train ride again.  While I'm heading toward the next town on my whirlwind Christmas Market tour, I'll tell you about my previous day.

Bremen is a gorgeous town, once you get into the Altstadt (old city).  I took a tunnel under the wall that surrounded it and emerged into old Germany.  It was easy to find the market, but I went past a store that specialized in local Bremen products...so of course I went in.  I found locally roasted coffee, liquor flavored with ginger and lemon, and so much more.  I spent about 60 Euro in there. The staff was super helpful and gave me a guidebook and a map of the old city.  

Then it was off to the Christmas Market...

I found Santa Claus!   I see him much more often than I do St. Nickolas here in the North.

The town hall...

A Germann gargoyle!

More of the market around every corner

The famous statue of Bremen's city musicians.  Another Grimm fairy tale.

This is the HUGE tree. 

And some lovely holiday decor down a side shopping street...

I found a candy shop where you could watch them make Christmas candies through the window.

A sign pointing you to the market with the famous musicians

The next market was by the waterfront, so you had to go past this lovely tall ship.

This market (Schlacte-Zauber) was along the promenade by the river.  It had a seafaring/pirate theme with a lot of the vendors costumed in historical garb.  

My dinner, with gluwein in a mug I could take home (I asked and they even gave me a clean one!).

Pirates...ARGH!

The nice thing about that market is that it was in a straight line, so it was hard to get turned around.  Up one side, down the other and you knew you'd seen everything.  I restrained myself from buying some jewelry.

Then, it was back to the main market.  It was getting dark and I wanted to catch it with all of the lights.  

I found some chandeliers down an alley, just like those in Vienna and Innsbruk.

 Back to the big tree...

I was starting to get tired, and it was time for another drink.  Eierpunsch it was!

It was around this time I discovered that I had forgotten to put my Fitbit back on after I took my morning shower.  I know I did a ton of walking, but no proof of it.  Darn!

Headed back to my hotel and got my stuff in order as the next day is a trip to Goslar.  That's a story for later...