Christine in Colmar, France

What do you think of when you think Colmar, France?  I think of the Statue of Liberty.  Because it is in the round-about on the way into Colmar.  And What better way to spend a Sunday than drive to lunch in France?  Easy to do when you live in Germany.  We bombed the city extensively during WWII, so no really old buildings.

But they do have the Musee d'Unterlinden, which was once a medieval convent.

The museum contains a famous multipanel alterpiece of the 16th century, the Retable Issenheim, by Matthias Grunewald.  It consists of the Crucifixion and Incarnation, depictions of the Annunciation, the Resurrection, and scenes from the life of St. Anthony, including a Temptation rioting with monsters.  (From the Fodor's France 2011 book).  

This was one of my favorite lunches.  I ate at Rendez-vous de Chasse, which is a 1 star Michelin restaurant.  The servers were amazing and very nice (they seemed nicer than other waiters at other restaurants).  I loved the food as well.  Larger portions than other Michelin restaurants I've ate at.

Fois Gras served with apricot and bread (best one so far, or I'm starting to actually like the stuff):

The lobster, with pineapple, sweet peppers, and rice:

Fromage (the muenster cheese [top middle] tasted much better with the wine the waiter provided me; goat (right):

Best mini before you get your dessert dessert (Strawberry and champaign flavored):

Christine

Christine at the Ballet, Stuttgart, Germany

We did a girls night out at the Stuttgart Ballet.  We watched 3 separate performances.  Disappointingly, no tutus.  How is that even possible?  I do like watching the ballerinas on their tippy top toes.  And spinning.  Love that.  While ballet is not my thing per say, I also enjoy the piano player during the second performance and the Orchestra for the first and third performances.  I didn't take any pictures during the show, but I did get some inside the Opera House.

Ceiling

Christine

Christine at Frühlingsfest, Stuttgart, Germany

It's that time of year again:  Fest season starts!  The Germans essentially ski all winter long.  Well, that may be what I do.  Come April, they start out Fest season, with Frühlingsfest!  It's like Oktoberfest, only Stuttgart is smart enough to have 2 fests a year.  I drank my 3 beirs and ate my half chicken.  While I ordered 3 radler beirs, once they brought me a Stuttgart hofbrau beir.  I didn't realize this until half way through.  I may slow down the drinking next time.  haha  Not as much singing in the tent this year.  Not sure why.

This year we celebrated in the Gradl tent:

The Expat group (before the festivities):

Christine

Christine in Liechtenstein

I traveled through 4 countries in one day, visiting one of the smallest countries in Europe, Liechtenstein, this month.  Yes, I drove through Germany, Austria, Switzerland (illegally), and Liechtenstein.  In Switzerland, you have to purchase a vignette to drive on the autobahn.  I didn't realize I would be driving on the autobahn (hoping to skip Switzerland) so I did not purchase one.  This time it worked out.  If you get caught, there is a huge fine.  Usually paid on the spot (so they get their francs).

The folks in Liechtenstein speak German, but use the Swiss franc for money.  So I did not purchase anything there, as I don't want to end up with lots of different money.   Liechtenstein is totally within the Alps.  And one of the few countries that will stamp your passport (for a small fee of 2.50 Euro).  Of course I paid my Euros for this.  Most European Union (EU) countries don't bother to stamp your passport, even if you fly between them.  So when I flew to Amsterdam last year, no stamp.  

Vaduz Castle is a private castle, where the Prince lives.  The mountains in the background are real.  This is just what Europe actually looks like.

The Red House that the tourist bureau lady said everyone visits:

A church, under construction.  Go figure.  I think it's a requirement now that I'm visiting them all.  I mean, it's been hundreds of years since the place was cleaned/fixed, a couple more years won't hurt.

Christine

Christine Visits Castles

Germany is full of wonderful, old Schloss (castles).  I love them all.  And want one.  Except it would be ridiculously expensive to heat.  And Europe is kinda cold.  And I love being warm.  More than living in a castle.  So I only visit them.

Last weekend I visited a castle less than an hour outside of Stuttgart.  Burg Hohenzollern is private property.  It sits atop a hill, and you can see it well before you arrive.  But like most winter days in Germany, there was no sun.  Or great visibility.  So no spectacular pictures this go round.

 

You walk up thousands of steps to visit.

Or you can take a shuttle (but not if you are me-you walk).
And then you see:

I also drove 2+ hours south, in snow, to visit Neuschwanstein Castle.  This castle is different in that an artist designed it, not an architect.  Which is why it looks like a fairy tale.  Mad King Ludwig built the castle.  He died in Lake Starnberg, with his doctor.  Many think it is because he kept spending the kingdom's money on beautiful castles.  But where would Germany be without them?

As you can guess, it is being renovated, and has scaffling up spring-fall.  So I thought, I should visit now.  This is my 2nd visit in snow.  Years ago, I visited and toured the inside.   To be honest, kind of a let down.  This go round, I took pictures with my new camera.  I will visit again in the fall, with all the beautiful leaves.  Assuming it stops snowing one day.

My camera is so amazing you can see snowflakes.

Just inside the brown doors (you see above lower left corner).

Across the valley sits Hohenschwangau.  Which King Ludwig built as well.  This is at a slightly lower elevation, in that you do not have to walk 30 minutes straight up hill to visit it, like Neuschwanstein.  (There are horse carriages that take visitors to Neuschwanstein, but that seems cruel to the poor horses.)

I still have to visit the nearby Ludwigsburg Palace (waiting for spring because of the garden there) and maybe I'll visit Schloss Solitude, which is practically on my way to work (though you cannot see it from the road or anything), to take pictures as well.  I just wait for a nice, sunny day.

Christine