Christmas 2020 Adventures

December 19th we ventured out to Mainz to take in more of the Christmas spirit.

The shops were closed until January 10th, but the Farmers Markets were open and a few other stands.

The Gutenberg Museum in the background was closed due to Covid restrictions.

We were glad we came last summer to check it out.

Later that day, we took the U-Bahn to the Dom Romer to see Frankfurt's decorations. 

Wearing a mask is NOT one of our favorite things, especially when it fogs up our glasses!

We never tire of this view of the Frankfurt skyline with the old and the new combined.

The Andersons went down a few hours later and shared these awesome pictures with us.

The U-Bahn was pretty empty that night. 

We saw this post on Facebook featuring Elder Tabor Larson adding his "Light the World" painting to the Berlin wall. Quite impressive that he was given the opportunity to share his talents in this way.

On the 26th we went to Mannheim for a short trip.  The tall structure is an old water tower.

Christmas letter 2020

 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Michelle and Kevin Sutterfield were anxious to go somewhere after having quarantined in London and then again when they arrived in Frankfurt. This was the last weekend where the stores were still open with a lockdown announced beginning December 16th.

This scenic intersection is famous and shows off traditional German architecture. 

Käthe Wohlfahrt has two shops in Rothenburg. They have some amazing pieces with corresponding pricing. There were only two places where pictures were allowed.

St. Jacob's Cathedral

 

Early Christmas Gift

This puzzle was delivered from Santa a little early.

We're not the only ones who think this view of Staubbach Falls

in Lauterbrunnen is so picturesque.

And here's Z in the picture when we were waiting for the bus to take us up the valley

 for our walk last August. Such a fun memory of that trip and such a cute boy!

 

Würzburg

For months we have been hearing about all the different Christmas Markets being cancelled because of the concern for people's health due to the Corona virus. We had heard that there were still a few places that had some Christmas booths so we headed to Würzburg to find out.

When we entered the Alstadt (Old Town), we were pleasantly surprised to see several booths with food and holiday treasures. They were spaced further apart and there were a lot fewer people, so that made us feel a little better being out and about. We were sure to get in line for a good bratwurst right away, which didn't disappoint. It's so strange not to be able to sit down and eat a meal. Food is only available for takeout.

Joanne had been looking for a certain style of necklace and it was found in a little shop just off the main square. Now it is wrapped and under our tree. We had to stand in line since they were only allowing two people in the store at one time.

John and Shauna Richards were delighted to see a little of what a full-blown Christmas Market might look like.

The Andersons and a few other couples headed to Würzburg, as well. It was a popular destination.

We were told that wearing a mask was being strictly enforced with a hefty penalty of 250 Euros.

A little background on Würzburg from Wikipedia:  On 16 March 1945, about 90% of the city was destroyed in 17 minutes by fire bombing from 225 British Lancaster bombers during a World War II air raid. Würzburg became a target for its role as a traffic hub and to break the spirit of the population.

All of the city's churches, cathedrals, and other monuments were heavily damaged or destroyed.
The city center, which mostly dated from medieval times, was totally destroyed in a 
firestorm in which 5,000 people perished.

Over the next 20 years, the buildings of historical importance were painstakingly and accurately reconstructed. The citizens who rebuilt the city immediately after the end of the war were mostly women – Trümmerfrauen ("rubble women") – because the men were either dead or still prisoners of war. On a relative scale, Würzburg was destroyed to a larger extent than was Dresden in a firebombing the previous month.

Karen took some great pictures of the bridge, which she is always so willing to share. Can you see us waving?