We decided to take the week leading up to Christmas and get away to a warmer climate. It turned out to be great timing since central Iowa had sub-zero temperatures and strong winds while we were gone. We loved our time in Jamaica, but the travel aspect could have been better. Check out the whole story on our Journeys – Jamaica 2022 page.
Month: December 2022
Des Moines Christmas Market 2022
We enjoyed a chilly but sunny afternoon at the Des Moines Christmas Market browsing the offerings by local artists and food vendors.
Each year we make it a point to visit Christkindlmarket to remind us of the fun we had the 2 times we visited the Christmas Markets in Germany and Austria.
Our first visit was in 2015 when we journeyed from Frankfurt to Berlin by motor coach. Our Trafalgar Travel Director Stephanie shared history and stories about the region. We visited the markets in Frankfurt, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremburg, Eisenach, Erfurt, Weimar, Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin. We really enjoyed Dresden and still felt the tension of East vs West in Berlin.
Our next adventure was in 2018 when we embarked on a Uniworld Cruise from Vienna, Austria to Nuremburg, Germany. Since we spoke so fondly of the Christmas Market atmosphere, James’ parents joined us. The cities we visited are located on the Danube River. The atmosphere was a bit different since we stopped during the day in Vienna, Durnstein, Linz, Passau, Regensburg, and Nuremburg. We extended our stay and traveled by train to Munich (with a day trip to Neuschwanstein).
If you have the opportunity, we highly suggest a trip to any of the European Christmas Markets. And if there happens to be a local Christkindlmarkt, show your local artisans some love!
