Christmas Market #3 - Ravennaschlucht - Ravenna Gorge

This may have possibly been the quaintest market I’ve attended. I didn’t even care that it was going to be a long day trip - it’s 3 hours one way from the Ramstein area. The website for the Christmas Market is very easy to navigate & has tons of details. There is also a language tab on the menu.

Details

Instagram
Facebook
Website
Tickets
Vendor list - products & food
Dates: 3-5/10-12/17-19 December in 2 hour tickets
This market is 2G+

The market is restricting the number of people & has strict rules in place. The website now states that onsite parking is sold out. Your best bet is to purchase tickets from 1 of 3 locations & shuttle to the market. Tickets are 5€ on Fridays & 5.50€ on Saturday/Sunday. Your bus ride is included in your ticket price. The 3 locations are Titisee (which is where I parked), Hinterzarten, & Himmelreich. In addition there is a shuttle from Freiburg. It’s a farther bus drive so the cost is 17€, but it’s about 30 minutes closer to the Ramstein area. If you are looking at doing an overnight, Freiburg would be a great base for you. When you get in line for the bus, your vaccine is checked (I have Cov-App so I don’t know if they take the paper CDC cards), your negative COVID test is checked & your admission ticket.

At Titisee, a public lot was used for market pick up. There was a section for us to park in & it was 6€. I left early to allow for plenty of time. I had enough time to use the restroom at the tourism office, walk to the lake & stroll around town. Before I left Ramstein, I took a rapid test from a center locally. The Ravennaschlucht website also has a listing of testing areas in the Black Forest.

Food selections include: smoked meats, raclette, various brats, sweet & savory crepes, & kartoffelpuffers. Glühwein was available in red, white & rose. The red glühwein from the potato soup vendor was yummy - it’s also where I got my black mug. They are in the back left under the bridge.

When the bus dropped me off, there are a few buildings & cute photo opportunities. These are outside the market area. The toilets are also located here. Once I got through security, which was no time at all, all I could think of was “I have 2 hours Focus!” Lol, I had plenty of time to eat, get my glühwein & mug, peruse the vendors & wander for photos. I somehow lucked out with my time slot. I bought my ticket the night before I decided to go. For me, it was perfect. I had the 1545 arrival & 1800 departure. I had daylight, dusk & night time. In my second season of Christmas markets, I’m really enjoying the markets at night.

This market was all about the experience & ambiance for me. I was also lucky that it started snowing the day before so it was that much more magical. The event was well organized, Friday 26 November, was opening day. I didn’t feel too crowded at any time. There were plenty of table areas to eat/drink. I have very little knowledge of the German language, but didn’t have any issues finding where to get myself. It was also the first time I had visited the area. I will be back after this trip!

Christmas Market #2 - Bernkastle-Kues

I have always had a soft spot for Bernkastle-Kues. It’s the town I keep coming back to. I visited late one summer to find out most of the store owners had gone on vacation so I had the entire town to photograph. I came back later that year for my first season of Christmas markets. Last year, it was the only Christmas market I attended. This year, I went at night & it was a whole other side of magical. (I also visited the castle ruin above the town during lockdown & will include that on another post. The views of town are spectacular.)

Bernkastel-Kues Christmas mugs from 2019, 2020, 2021

The town is small & very easy to navigate, even for this self proclaimed Magellan. Bernkastle is the side with the castle, tourism center, market & where I park. Kues, is just on the other side of the bridge. It’s fun to wander - make sure you visit all the little corners. I love how quaint the town is. These type of towns with amazing half timbered buildings make my photographer heart happy.
After visiting in the evening I’d definitely recommend a night visit to this town. This market is well known for its Advent Calendar. Beginning 1 Dec a window covering is revealed to count down to Christmas.

FOOD & DRINK

My favorite this year was the flammlachs. Do NOT miss it! I had the flammlach brötchen and it was fantastic! There were also crepes (I had a Nutella one for desert), brats, & kartoffelpuffer among many yummy food choices.

There were options of red & white glühwein. I bought from the food vendor square pictured. There is another vendor in the same square with mugs from past years if you are looking.

The most crowded area was the food square. You can easily take your food & wander to one of the other areas. There is also another glühwein vendor tucked in a corner.
Bernkastle-Kues is just over an hour drive from the Ramstein area. If you have never driven to a town on the Rhine or Mosel Rivers, most of the drives include a winding switchback with corkscrew turns down to the town & water. It can be a bit nerve-racking at first, but you get used to it. Take a deep breath & take it slow :) You’ll also drive through a forest which is an amazing winter wonderland once it snows!

My Favorite Market souvenirs

I love collecting these wooden cut ornaments. The vendor selling these is located in the market square where the advent calendar is. These also make great gifts to go in German goodie boxes or stocking stuffers.
There’s a pin for it on my google map below.

My game plan is to normally park (I have the parking lot pinned on my Google map below), find a restroom and head to the tourism center (also on the google map). The parking lot is open & spacious. I drive a big SUV so I’m always on the hunt for good parking. Friday night I only had to pay for parking until 2000. Parking is along the river & fairly inexpensive - bring coins. There are restrooms in the food square.
The tourist office may be closed if you visit on a Sunday or later in the day. It’s a great place to visit to get information about the town or surrounding areas. The home page for the Christmas Market, listed in the details below, has a calendar with various events including music & tours.
I’d love to hear your experiences about the market. Feel free to tag me on social media @NerissaAlfordDesigns or leave a comment!

DETAILS

Tourism website
Market website
Vendor list
Market IG
Google map list of pins
Dates: 19 Nov - 19 Dec

First Christmas Market of the Season: Alzey Germany

This local market included a couple of food huts (various brats, flammkuchen, crepes), one with sweets & my favorite - the glühwein. There aren’t any other vendors at this time but the local businesses are open. I included a cute boutique & a local yarn store on my google map list below. This is one of the early markets to open this season & is open daily (make sure the check their schedule for holiday closures). This is a great little market to get your feet wet, drag the kids along, or visit on a random Monday (I may have had glühwein in hand before noon). From the Ramstein area the market is only 40 minutes away. It’s an easy drive, low stress parking & very chill vibe to just wander around town.

Alzey is probably the smallest market I’ve visited since I started market chasing but it was oh so good to be back. I’ve passed this town countless times going to other towns but it’s always been on my list to visit. It’s a quaint German town with some great buildings. The tourism center is currently closed, but they have maps outside the building that you can pick up. (Pin is below on my google map)

DETAILS

The town’s tourism page
The town’s market page
The official market page
Google map with my pins for the market, parking
Dates: 12 Nov - 24 Dec / 27 - 30 Dec open at 1100

Make sure you follow me on IG! I’m updating on my stories & feed as I travel to as many markets as I can take - lol!

Five-ish Faves on Friday - Paris Edition

Paris has been a bucket list dream item of mine for awhile. We took a quick 3 day trip. Although tired, I came home inspired & refreshed to create.

1. Eiffel Tower, Eiffel Tower, Eiffel Tower
For me, the ultimate symbol of Paris. Go see her! The tower recently re-opened to visitors for entry. If you want to go, I suggest buying tickets ahead of time. And make sure you catch a glimpse of it at night with the *twinkles*. I was giddy.
Official Website for tickets
Pricing & available options 

2. Louvre: Mona Lisa
Again, another icon of Paris. This was my first visit to the Louvre & it was with family members who are not art fans like myself.
*Pro Tip* download a copy of the museum map & plan the pieces you want to see. That’s what this art nerd did!
Tickets to the Louvre
Art Collection

3. Get the 10 metro tickets for 16€.
I’ve written a few times about Kaiserslautern Day Tripper. This tip is directly from them! Paris is very walkable, but there are so many neighborhoods. Even with the metro rides, I had 20K step days. This is such a great value if you are staying within the city (look at other options if you are going to Versailles or Disney Paris) If you need help planning your Paris trip, check out Kaiserslautern Day Tripper’s collection of Paris posts. I used their post to buy train tickets for the first time.

4. Place du Tertre
This was such a welcome surprise for me. I planned this trip in a short period of time & with a ton of self imposed stress! While I knew I wanted to go to the neighborhood of Montmartre to see the Sacré-Cœur, I didn’t know much else about the area. This square is full of eateries & artists. This is on my go back list. I want to purchase a piece of art to commemorate Paris. I love to support other artists by buying their art & how amazing is this to be able to meet them in person.

5. Shopping
One of my favorite things to do! When I shop I love to search for local small businesses & artists. I tried to do some research before we arrived, but I found these 2 shops as I wandered Montmartre.

The first shop is Paul Art & Design. I got a pencil with little Eiffel Towers on them & a couple of post cards with illustrations of Paris landmarks. They will probably end up on my inspiration board or travel journal. The picture above is of the side of the store. I didn’t think of getting one of the front-duh moment-but I did just climb 200-ish stairs to get there.
The next shop is Galerie Valerie Valentini. What a gem of a store. I met the artist/owner. She has her own collage artwork, watercolors & handmade jewelry. I bought some of the original watercolors as gifts.

Time to Travel: Colmar France

Colmar was the first town in the Alsace area of France that I visited. It was most definitely not the last. I love the entire region.  I've done 3 day trips to Colmar - my first was the Christmas market. It was back in the day when I'd type the city name into my map & just go. At that time my research consisted of finding pretty places to photograph. I hope you find some helpful information & are inspired to visit this picturesque town. 

Driving from the Ramstein area:
From the Ramstein area, the trip is about 2.5 hours one way. As a day trip, it may not be ideal for families with little kids or those on a time crunch. You may want to consider spending the night or making it your base for a few nights to visit different towns in the Alsace area. Some of my favorites: Riquehihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, & Strasbourg. (Stay tuned for more videos & posts on these towns).

There are a few routes if you drive to Colmar. Most of the quicker routes require you to drive on the A4 in France with tolls. For a day trip, I normally pay it, at least one way. When you approach the toll booths the first time, you will take the printed ticket. Look for the lanes with the Euro signs. You pay when you exit. The machines take tap & pay, credit cards & cash. Tolls are 3.95 - 7 euro depending on the route. There are a few routes with no tolls that can add up to 30 minutes.

Parking
There are lots of areas available for parking including garages, lots & street parking. I was able to fit my older model Ford Explorer in this lot (Parking Montagne Verte). It's also is a short walk to market 2 of the Christmas Market. I really enjoyed parking at Parking Turenne. It is very close to La Petite Venise but qualifies as European tight parking spots. I had our other car & not sure I would have gotten the Explorer in there. The payment machines take euro, card, tap & pay or parking apps. Pay first then take the ticket & display it in your windshield. Make sure you know your license plate number as well. 
Parking Apps: https://www.colmar.fr/paybyphone-easypark-flowbird

Getting Acquainted with the Colmar
The first thing I do after parking the car & finding the toilet is to head to the tourist center. Keep in mind, the tourism offices in Alsace close for at least an hour in the afternoon. Current hours are Monday - Saturday  1000-1300/1400-1700 and closed Sundays. They have information about Colmar, nearby Alsatian towns & souvenirs. 
Alsace website
Colmar Tourism website
Both of these websites offer a wealth of information. If you like to plan there is information on museums, restaurants, hotels, etc. The Alsace website allows you to order paper maps & brochures to be sent to your local address or download.

Shopping
I love shopping in the Alsace region for gifts. I shop a mix or small businesses, creative artisans and the grocery store - stay with me on this one!

Avenue d'Alsace:

This is a boutique with hand sewn goods. The fabrics are designed by the owner. There are some cute French inspired prints. I bought a kitchen towel with line drawings of Colmar buildings & a zip pouch I’m using to hold my masks. There were a variety of kitchen/housewares, accessories & clothing.

Starbucks

How many of you collect Starbucks mugs? I was excited to get a Colmar mug to add to my collection. There is also a general France one available. Sometimes they have it, I saw it last at the Starbucks in Strasbourg.

STEMPELFABRIK

For those of you that like to create cards or travel journal, I found a local artist that creates her own stamp line. There are quite a few designs that are Alsace related. These can be purchased at the tourist office. She also has her own location, but that’s on my list to visit next time!

GROCERY STORES

I have a few favorites I visit when I go to France. There’s Cora, Leclerc, & Monoprix. In Colmar, consider visiting the Cora on the way out of town. This location is huge & clean. (You can also see the traffic circle with the Statue of Liberty.) I buy baked goods to bring home to the family. I’ve also picked up fresh baguettes & the salted butter for newcomers as part of their welcome package. If you want some goodies to send in care packages, there is a good selection of housewares: hotpads, dish towels, mugs, wine glasses. I even found some Alsace themed baking supplies.

Are you interested in all the locations I’ve visited? It’s all together in one list on my Google map of Colmar.

𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞-𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲

I'm going to start something new. I get around the area, a lot. If the EU was open, I'd be getting out a bit more. I have daily & weekly adventures that are a part of everyday life. For me they are a part of my artistic inspiration. I am constantly looking at colors & patterns, but also new to me cultural tidbits. Quite often I end up with a story/laugh or two. While I'm an explorer, I am also Magellan. I have not always been this adventurous. If I can inspire someone to try something new or step out of their box, then I've done my part. It does me no good if I don't share. 

ABOVE
I literally hid in this mansion we were living in. 3 floors, 6 or 7 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 dining rooms, 3 living rooms maid’s quarters…

BELOW
Photo 1: Clubhouse, Photos2-4: Idstein, Photos 5-7: Limburg an der Lahn, Photo 8: Butter Pretzel, Photo 9: Rainbow Radishes

1. Clubhouse: Girls Love Travel Solo Traveling - Every week I moderate this chat with 6 other worldly and amazing ladies. Last week it was on Road Trips, next Sustainable Travel. Need an invite to Clubhouse? Message me your mobile number & I'll send you one. I spoke about Alsace as one of my favorite road trips. I’m hoping to do a Christmas Market road trip & hop from market to market.

2. Speaking of road trips: I found out about the stunning "Deutsch Fachwerkstrausse" the German framework road. It is literally my new obsession. Last week I visited Idstein & Limburg an der Lahn. Oh. My. Word. I walked around both towns with my jaw on the ground. It was a sight! I'm doing more research & will be visiting more towns on the road. I'll keep you updated.

3. Butter Pretzel: Globus is my go to for weekly groceries. I am now picking up a butter pretzel on the way out. At the front of the store is the to go bakery & butcher. It's a fresh baked pretzel sliced in half & buttered. My favorite has chives in it. Divine.

4. Multi-color radish bunch: I have never seen a bunch like this before. It was calling to me for my salad this week. Another buy from Globus.

5. Military Spouse Appreciation Day: I've run the gamut from being super involved & hiding like a hermit. While my situations may change, LOL, the fact that I am surrounded by amazing milspouses no matter the season or country has been a constant. I don't know where I'd be without my friends. Thank you for all of the above. Feel free to share & send a digital thanks to your friends. 

Time to Travel: Rhineland Palatinate

With the challenging times of COVID, I had to get creative with travel. My goal was to stay within the state of Rhineland Palatinate. There were so many finds, that I couldn’t fit them all into the video. This video highlights my favorites & some lesser known gems of Rhineland Palatinate. I have a mix of hikes, castle ruin visits & village wanderings.

As a visual person, I have a very unscientific way of finding locations. I scour Facebook pages & Instagram accounts. When I find something I like, I click on the map to see how far it is. With this post, you won’t have to do that - lol!

These are my absolute favorite groups in the area for travel & hiking information:

Kaiserslautern Day Tripper
Ollie & Nellie are amazing! They run their blog, have an engaging Facebook community and even share their hikes on Komoot. I’ve been a follower since we first moved to the area. Not only do they supply so much information about the area, they will absolutely help out with questions & comments. They have weekly updates so it’s always easy to find some place to go.

The next 2 links are Facebook groups for the KMC area:
KMC Trail Adventures
Nature Strolls and Urban Hikes - KMC Germany
Please make sure to answer all the questions when you request membership and read the rules. The communities share photos, pins/maps for locations, parking info, all sorts of details about degree of difficulty, dog or stroller friendly, etc. I found several hikes & castle ruins with a combo of both pages.

Komoot: Komoot has been my app of choice for hiking. We started with the free version of the app and our family decided to upgrade. You are able to download a map with your route, which is great with the spotty phone service. You can plan hikes based on highlights (I did one on the Eagle Arch below), area, difficulty and duration. Besides hiking, the app has several types of biking tours & running. Germany has well marked trails & the app serves as a great overall map for me.

View of the town of Bacharach from the vineyard hike.

BACHARACH
Bacharach is about an hour and 15 minutes from Ramstein Air Base taking A63 to A61 then follow B9 to town. (The B9 is parallel to the Rhine River & a beautiful drive. You can continue on from here to other Rhine River towns Oberwesel and Sankt Gore. ) As you enter town there are parking lots on the right & a long row of spaces on the left. If you are looking for a quaint German town, Bacharach is it. I wandered through town & ended up hiking the vineyard side. I captured the most amazing photographs during both parts of my trip. My hope is to visit after COVID & enjoy a meal at a local restaurant. I also want to hike the other side of the town with the castle & chapel ruin.

MONREAL
Monreal is a hidden gem. I found this town via a sponsored post on Instagram - the algorithm apparently has me pegged! This town is amazing for photography. There is a river that flows straight through town with a few bridges for scenic views. While I visited to photograph the town, there is an opportunity to add a hike as part of the visit. There are 2 castle ruins on hills overlooking the town: Löwenburg and Philippsburg. Monreal hike possibilities
Monreal is about an hour & 49 minute drive north via A62 to A1. I ended up parking here and it’s a short trail walk into the middle of town. (The three photos are from the walk into town.) I am not sure what parking is like during “normal times”. It’s the train station lot. Also if you keep going till you reach the end you’ll come to a dirt lot for RV’s. It was perfect for my SUV. There are some parallel parking spots in town.

This church is Pfarrkirche Heiligste Dreifaltigkeit. You will walk right to it from the parking lot I mentioned. It is across from the Tourism Center & restrooms, which were closed when I visited. I was lucky enough that the church was open while I was there. During the time of my visit, masks were required to enter.

ALDERBOGEN HIKE IN DANNENFELS
I first heard of the hike with the “Eagle Arch” from the two Facebook communities above. People were posting the most amazing photos. There are so many variations of this hike. Ours included slides, swings, beautiful views of town, streams, & statues.  I picked an easy hike as I was taking care of a back injury. In typical “Nerissa trip form” we had to detour due to downed trees. Depending on the time of year, you may have to do the same - another reason to have a map app! This was the hike we did. We parked in parking lot 7 next to the kindergarten.

Are you interested in a list of all the places I’ve explored in Rhineland Palatinate? I have a map with a list of all the places I’ve visited in state. I will continue to add to the list & notes. My hope is to write dedicated blog posts with info & photos for all. Enjoy!
During this time of COVID, please check with all local, state, & national rules while planning.

Month of the Military Child

For the last few years, I've designed a Facebook cover for military friends to use during April for Month of the Military Child. I first started designing for Month of the Military Child when I worked for the Force Support Squadron at Incirlik Air Base in the Marketing Office. Little did I know that I would keep designing years later. Want a cover for your Facebook page? Download here. 

I'm mom to a Senior & Sophomore in high school. I often think of the sacrifices they have endured through out the years. These kids don't ask for this lifestyle, they were born into it. My oldest is currently in his third high school. Throw into that mix a year long deployment and three moves within 2 countries. It's been a complicated time for him but I hope he is one day able to realize the life lessons & friendships he's made along the way. 

When you think of the military, don't forget to thank the kids that live that lifestyle.

Originally posted: 1 April 2021

Great Falls Maryland - C&O Canal National Historical Park

It happens every time we move. I inevitably fall in love with a space, a moment, a place of complete inspiration. Thursday was that day for me. With winter wrapping up (maybe) I’m on a mission to get the most beautiful landscape photos. Wednesday I went driving, yes out in the storm to take photos. I’m sure people were terrified to see me & my Florida plates driving around. I arrived at the park & they were closed.

So I tried again on Thursday on a last minute whim hoping there would be snow still. I got snow, sun, blue skies & some of the prettiest photos. If you’re in the MD/DC/VA area I recommend a visit up to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
By the way, Military Families - did you know you get into National Parks for free? We got our pass when we traveled cross country after moving back to the states. I’ve been taking advantage of enjoying the scenery & getting some hiking/slow photo walking done.

Enjoy the photos below of Great Falls from the Maryland side.

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Happy 2019!

Do you have a word of the year? I'm looking forward to an artful year. I'm more focused than I've been in years past. Here's to a successful 2019 - whatever that means for you!