Sojourn in the Netherlands - Amsterdam

We were lucky this year to spend time Christmas, once again, with family.  This year with youngest daughter, Alexis and family in Amsterdam.  Winter is not the best time to visit this lovely city - it is wet, cold and overcast.  But we did manage to go out almost every day and actually had a little sun.

On our walk to the Albert Cuyp Market my granddaughter pointed out these goblins on a roof top.  I had not noticed them before.

We always have to stop at playgrounds.  This small one featured a swing.

This wall art is new since the last time we were in Amsterdam.

I was attempting to photograph this section when the gentlemen stopped to rest.  So I included him as his blues matched the art.

Youngest granddaughter, Natasha.

The entrance to the Albert Cyup Market.  Our favorite frites stand is the first thing you see.

The piano player - the girls loved this!

The girls cuddling with Mom - and looking at their favorite thing - a screen!

And all the family on screens!

Lia is more serious and loves to read and do crafts.  Natasha is a little more goofy.  Things may change when she learns to read.

How our family spends evenings together.

Getting ready for Sinterklass or Santa Claus.  They also celebrate Saint Nicholas day on December 6.  He arrives by boat on the canals and also comes to your house.  There were many questions on how Santa Clause would get in with all the doors and windows locked and no chimney.

Natasha choose the cookies.

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Lia wrote the letter to Santa.

Christmas morning.  We made the girls wait until all the adults had showered before they could open presents.  The presents have been in stacks under the tree according to who gets them for weeks.

And the sun appears!  at least for a little while.

Early on on the walk Lia took a tumble off her scooter - and had to go home to be bandaged up.

For breakfast we had pancakes and bacon.  Around 2pm we had our traditional homemade pizza.  Yum!

Strasbourg Christmas Markets - Last Day

We have already seen all eleven different markets.  All in the daytime and most all at night.  What is there left to do?  Well - eat more of course.  And who can take too many pictures?

Mike filled one of his foodie desires at dinner last night.  We came back to the hotel after taking photos in the rain - to change out of our wet clothes before we ate.  Easiest thing was to eat in the hotel - woe, sticker shock.  For two appetizers and two drinks it was 90 Euros! By far the most expensive meal here.  All that to say he had foie gras - so we will not be going back to that market stall.  We did want the salmon and the white mulled wine, crepes, and maybe the 1/2 baguette with melted cheese and ham on it.  All these things are at different markets.

Mike had researched the best bakery in the area.  We waited in line to get our pain de Chocolate and pain de Raisin.  They were good - sort of made up for the meh beignet.  (They did not make beignet here.)

These photos were on our walk between markets.

We ran into this impromptu band at Place Broglie.  There were some excellent players amongst them.  But it sounded like that had not practiced together.  I would have to give them an A for enthusiasm.

As we left to go to the next market - they followed us down the street. They were going to play at the next market as well.

I love this homemade instrument.  He played the trumpet - but also this traffic cone, weird pipe thing as well.

We ended up having donor kebab and a hole in the wall close to our hotel.  So still not satisfying those food desires.

We had talked about just staying in - but at the last minute decided to go out without our cameras and try to find the last of the food wishes.  The day before we had stopped at a market that specialized in humanitarian causes.  One served soup, from recipes from famous French chefs.  That day it was chestnut soup - which didn't sound that great.  Today it was creme of mushroom - which was very good. 

Then on to the next market to find the salmon and maybe the baguette.  We did get the salmon.  It was very tasty, but also very salty.  We could have gotten the baguette there as well - but I'm thinking this might be too much food.  So we skip it and head for the canal.  As we walk along, we found a bench to rest on.  After a while Mike got cold and said, if I had a glass of hot mulled wine I could stay here a lot longer.  And I said, how about those crepes.  Of course, there was  a market very close - first we found white mulled wine and took that back to the bench.  Usually you think of hot mulled wine as being red - but this was quite tasty - and white wine is the specialty of the region. 

After the wine we are thinking it is time to head home - but wait - what about those crepes?  Back to the market we went.  We stopped at the first place that sold crepes.  On the board was listed Grand Mariner crepes.  That was what I ordered.  Mike got sugar and butter.  Swoon - my crepe is to die for!
It was just the crepe with some sugar and a small amount of Grand Mariner.  But the flavors were fantastic.  I can't wait to make them at home where I can use a fork and knife - it was very messy.

As we headed back to the hotel I saw all these people taking photos - I couldn't take it anymore.  Out came my phone - all the rest of these photos were taken with my LG phone.

Look closely at the carved wooded objects below.  They are very interesting.