November in Europe

November in Germany

For the last three years, my husband and I have taken a trip to Europe in November. The tourist crowds are gone and the flights and hotels are much cheaper. On the flip side, the days are shorter and the weather colder. I don't mind cold as long as it doesn't rain. I wouldn't do the countryside, but the big cities are fun. I enjoy going to the different Christmas markets and museums. We started doing this when my mother was still alive and I was visiting her as often as I could. This year, we went for ten days, spending a long weekend with my German family and friends—and four days in Berlin.
My husband and I flew into Frankfurt and took the train to Berlin, which is easy and provides a  scenic tour through Germany. I love trains and take them whenever I can. The Frankfurt airport is like a second home to me (just kidding but almost). There are two train stations, a local one and one for long distances. The Fernbahnhauf (long-distance railroad station) is where I usually take the train to my village or other European cities. It's attached to the airport and is easily reached. The ICE is the fast train, and a ride to Berlin is only three and half hours. I don't like changing trains when I have luggage, and this year we had too much luggage with lots of gifts and goodies for my family and friends. Each time I promise myself not to do it, but I always end up with too much stuff. After I give away the gifts, I buy things like chocolate, marzipan, some vinegars and spices or some cute handmade Christmas ornaments for my friends

Last year, we took an old Hungarian train from Berlin to Prague. It was an enchanting trip, with the old-fashioned train that went through some gorgeous countryside including the Elbe river valley and mountains. The train ride itself was a real highlight of the trip, which continues on to Budapest. I enjoyed Prague last year, but what I didn't enjoy was the Nürnberg Christmas market, which was totally overrun with tourists.

Germany is known for its coffee culture. In the afternoon, you have coffee and cake. Friends meet in favorite cafés and have something sweet with coffee or tea. When my mother was sick, I often brought cake to the nurses and and they loved it. As a child, if we didn't always have sweets, instead I would have a piece of bread with butter and jam. Birthdays are also often celebrated by being invited zum Kaffeetrinken (which literally means you are invited for coffee and cake). My girlfriend had bought some gorgeous cake from my favorite bakery (here is the link), my favorite being a Sara Bernhardt cake (named for a French actress). After a few hours of talking and having fun, dinner or Abendbrot (as it is called in German) was served. She made a very tasty sweet potato soup followed by a chicken salad with bread, cheese, olives, as well as some ham and lox. It was divine. My brother had a similar but larger party the following day in the local pub. We had sheet cake for coffee around three in the afternoon and later a German-style charcuterie. Fresh homemade wurst, ground raw pork tartar, and cooked bacon served with sauerkraut and fresh bread—a real country feast— washed down with beer, schnaps and a herbal digestive. 
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My brother buying rolls and cake from a bakery truck that comes to the village

I had to say goodbye too soon to the ones I loved and take the train to Frankfurt am Main (there are two Frankfurts in Germany) to catch a flight back home the next day. Frankfurt also has a Christmas market around the Altstadt (the old town). The old town center is the Römer, a medieval building that has been the city hall for over 600 years. The Römer is opposite the old St. Nicholas church. On the Römerplatz, as it is called, I ate a delicious goose leg with red cabbage and potato dumplings at the restaurant Schwarzer Star (black star) and it was delicious. My husband's spätzle (homemade noodles) was also superb. What a great way to end a beautiful vacation.

The city center in Northeim, 10 miles away from my village