Germany 2016: Christmas Markets, Cathedrals, Castle, Cousins, and Candy (Part One)

My kind and wonderful cousins, Josh and Geneil, have lived in the Frankfurt Germany area for the last 7 years and have always told me that I was welcome to visit any time. This year I finally took them up on their offer!

My Aunt Laurie and I had been planning this trip since July, so I had plenty of time to anticipate this trip and build up some pretty high expectations. 

SPOILER: this trip did not disappoint!

Greg took off the entire week from work and played with Charlie while I was gone! No mom guilt! I was a little apprehensive about trying to manage my food allergies in a country where I don't speak the language, but Josh and Geneil have a lot of experience with food allergies and both speak very fluent German, and I would be with them almost the entire trip, so it was a pretty ideal situation for my first trip overseas.

Day 1: The Flight and Frankfurt

I was lucky to get a direct flight from Dallas to Frankfurt, so I only had 10 hours of flying! By the end of the flight the blood had pooled in my feet and ankles and it really hurt. Poor baby Steph.

While I was waiting for Laurie in the airport, a local guy who was roughly my age randomly started speaking German to me, and only stopped when I pointed to myself and said, "English". This kind of thing happened to me at least once a day in Europe. I was flattered by it, taking it to mean that I blend in with the locals. 

A Christmas miracle allowed Laurie and me to find each other in the airport even though I couldn't get my phone to work and we were both in the wrong part of the airport. 

After that we took a train from the airport to old downtown Frankfurt so that we could go on a riverboat tour of the Main River. We got SUPER lost but eventually found the boat. The tour itself was a little underwhelming. but it was something to keep me awake because no matter how much you prepare for jet lag, the struggle is so real. 

The outside of the Frankfurt Christmas Market

We found the Frankfurt Christmas Market, and it was one of the most crowded public areas I've ever seen. We didn't buy anything, and just tried to stay awake took in the scenery of (post-war-rebuilt) old downtown Frankfurt. We just don't have buildings like this in America.

Archway on City Hall building

Rebuilt City Hall from the street

One of many cathedrals, from the riverboat

Old Downtown buildings

More pretty old buildings from the river

The Romerberg

The enormous Frankfurt Cathedral next to the market 

We went inside this cathedral and looked around. Laurie, being Catholic and very well read, was a very knowledgeable cathedral companion, telling me about the symbolism in the statues and paintings.

The construction of the Frankfurt Cathedral started in the 800s and finished in the 1500s. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 1800s. The architecture was big and blocky, with huge interior pillars to hold up the roof. Look at that steeple! So tall! The emperors of the Holy Roman Empire used to be crowned here. NBD.

After touring downtown, we got back on the train to the airport, where Josh would be waiting to pick us up and take us back to his house. When we got there, we were greeted by the cheerful and hospitable Geneil and girls. We ate dinner and afterwards I had my first taste of German ice cream.

Such chocolate, so milkfat.

Day 2: You Had Me at Heisse Schokolade

I slept in and for breakfast ate my way through 2 servings of Froop yogurt. I regret nothing. Then we got ready for the day and went to pick up L from school. She goes to a German kindergarten, and I got to take a little tour inside. It looks like a whimsical and kid-appropriate place for young kids. There is lots of play time involved and the days are short. I met the teacher, who speaks some English, and she kept telling me how young I look. (I didn't tell her that I have a 5-year-old at home.)

Then we packed all the kids in the van and went to Mainz to look around. Our first stop was another cathedral, this one was from the 900s. Also enormous, sections of the original cathedral were Romanesque, others were Gothic, and others Baroque.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a good photographer. At all. I'm usually "living in the moment" and don't take nearly enough pictures. Also I have no eye for this. Please don't hate me for the low-quality photographs.

View from the market

Chapel section of the cathedral

Courtyard, with view of steeple

Those windows tho

This cathedral had beautiful stained glass windows that often involved the heraldry of different families, as well as a chronology of all the Bishops of Mainz from the 900s. In the cathedral, deceased patrons were buried in the floor. For the most part, we couldn't see them, but sometimes they would have a relief carved in the concrete slab on the floor that looked like the person who was buried there. I felt weird walking on the floor in those sections, but apparently it's totally fine to walk on someone's remains inside a church. (Who knew?!) 

We spent quite a bit of time in this cathedral, soaking up all the history around us. And magically, as we were leaving, the bells of the cathedral started ringing. Geneil said that many towns in the area have a 30-minute period during each day of the Christmas season in which they ring the cathedral bells nonstop. Tell you what, it was like being in the Sound of Music. The bells were melodious and enchanting.

No joke, I saw a churro stand at every market. Germans love churros.

Mainz Christmas Market

My first German hot chocolate AKA love at first sip

The photo doesn't capture the magic. Sorry.

Old downtown Mainz

These nativities are everywhere in Germany. In all sizes.

The market was fun. The Christmas markets there are usually next to a cathedral in the old downtown area. They're outdoors, with lots of vendors selling hot drinks, hot food, handmade Christmas decorations and gifts. Of course, I got a hot chocolate and was pleasantly surprised by the generous amount of whipped cream on top. Best whipped cream of my life. Each market has a collectible mug that all the vendors sell their hot beverages in. You pay a small deposit on the mug when you get your drink, and you can return the mug and get your euros back, or keep the mug and the vendor keeps the deposit. Other hot beverages include mulled wine (Gluhwein), eggnog, or Kinderpunsch (hot spiced fruit juice, usually grape or orange).