Boxing day on the Ridgeway

Sunday 26 December - To work off some of the Christmas calories Sam and Jez drove us to the Ridgeway for a nice long walk. We had a good time enjoying the views, petting some ponies, and giving Sam her first taste of sledding. After the walk we drove back to Swindon for a snack and to help Sam get ready for her party in the evening before heading back to Bristol around 4.30.

Christmas in Swindon

Saturday 25 December - After a lovely Christmas morning with baked french toast and lots of presents, Ian and I walked the 2 1/2 miles to the only available street car, in Redland, drove back to the flat and loaded the car with food, presents and goodies for our trip to Swindon. We arrived a little after three, where we shortly began on cocktails and appetizers. Sam had done a wonderful job with the Christmas place settings, good enough for a magazine shoot. We had a very festive meal and played trivia games with much mirth. Then we watched the Christmas episode of Dr. Who before packing it in for the night. A very merry Christmas

Farewell to fair weather and Prague

Monday 13 Decemeber- We only had a short time in Prague before we had to head to the train station and back to Germany. Fortunately it had been warmer in Prague but rainy. Today we had crisp blue skies which made the city look even better. We took a quick trip across the charles Bridge and back before hopping in a taxi and getting dropped off at the train station. We had another magical journey on the train, even better this time as we had a small compartment for six all to ourselves on the river sided of the train, with its own adjustable heat. It was an ideal way to relax after all our running around. As we were passing from the Czech Republic into Germany the weather turned very snowy, which made the journey even more pleasant but was not so promising for our flight. Once back in Dresden we had a couple of hours to see the market stalls around the train station before taking another train to the airport. We were delayed about 2 hours but the plane finally arrived and we made it safely back to Heathrow without missing our bus to Bristol. A late night and a busy trip but well worth it.

Ding Dong Merrily on High

We ended up going across the bridge and to a restaurant just around the corner from where we had dinner the previous night (also recommended by the hotel). I had the "special" roast duck and Ian had steak with a sausage, it was a nice meal and very atmospheric as we were in the buildings basement with domed brick ceilings. We then wandered around the city some more making our way to the famous astrological clock, despite a mad dash through the crowds we just missed the chiming of the hour. We wandered around the stalls of the Christmas market there, picking up some very nice blown glass ornaments. As the hour approached we made our way to the cafe just opposite to have an eye level view. despite the anticipation and the crowds the chiming of the hour was less than thrilling and we were glad to be inside and enjoying hot chocolate and fried apples when it happened. Then it was some more shopping before a heading back to the hotel for little break. Then out for dinner at the same pub as we ate at before (the food was that good and much more reasonably priced then elsewhere), a short stroll and some last minute shopping then back for bed.

Prague Castle

Sunday 12 December - We woke fairly early and had a very basic breakfast at the hotel then it was back across the bridge and up to the castle. We enjoyed exploring as we wound our way up to the castle and seeing all the colourful and ornate buildings. At the castle we got entry tickets which covered about 8 different aspects of the palace complex including two art galleries, a museum of the castle and entry to the Cathedral. We went to all 8 stops and thoroughly explored the complex. One of my favorite elements was a nearly lifesize nativity made completely out of straw which was just outside the cathedral. The cathedral also had some lovely mosaics outside as well as beautiful stained glass inside. Just outside the castle we visited another palace which is now an art gallery. In each of the galleries and museums we encountered a number of ornate and unique doors, each one seemed to have its own type of door handle with intricate designs of engineering and aesthetics. We enjoyed the lovely view of the city from the castle hill before heading back down towards the bridge in search of lunch.

Good King Wenceslas

We had an excellent meal at a little pub recommended by one of the hotel staff. Good food, well cooked, large portions and excellent beer; the only down side was that smoking is still allowed in restaurants here so it was quite smoky. We quickly finished our meal and raced back to the church to secure seats shortly before the performance began. It was a lovely concert with only an organist, a trumpeter and an opera singer. It featured three different Ave Maria's and had a special Christmas encore of Silent night in Czech. After the concert we wandered along the river to a nice cafe/diner for cake and hot chocolate both of which were way too rich and I couldn't finish mine. Then we walked all over the city visiting Wenceslas square and the statue of Good King Wenceslas. We tried navigating by using the spires we could see but there are so many that we got quite lost. We finally managed to find our way to the famous astrological clock and slowly made our way back to the hotel from there.

Border crossing

The train ride to Prague was amazing, we passed lots of lovely chalets and gingerbread style houses covered in snow, perched and rocky ledges along the Danube. It was like being in a Christmas model railway. We spent the entire ride looking out the window at the passing landscape. There was no passport control and after we left Germany and had entered the Czech Republic there were no announcements about the various stops. We luckily managed to get off at the correct station for Prague, locally called Praha. Although the hotel was supposed to send someone to pick us up there was a miscommunication and no one was there. Luckily the tourist information office at the train station was very good and she phoned the hotel then booked us a taxi. Prague has lots of winding streets and even with Sat Nav our taxi driver got a bit confused at times but he got us there and we were settled into the hotel. Of course we went out exploring as soon as possible. The hotel was in a great location and within minutes we were crossing the famous Charles bridge toward Prague castle. After a quick meander across the bridge and to a large church we turned back across the bridge. Just on the other side of the Bridge some trumpeters were announcing a concert at the Church of St Francis. We decided to grab a quick bite to eat and try to make it for the concert.

Fraunkirche Finale

Saturday 11 December- Since it was most likely our last opportunity to visit the Fraunkirche, the church for which Dresden is most known, we got up in good time and had breakfast in the grand cafe, just opposite to wait for it to open, We had an excellent breakfast of apple pie and finally some decent coffee before making our way to the church. There was a large crowd to get in but the line was constantly moving. We enjoyed seeing the brightly painted dome's interior and visiting the crypts which housed the stages of the cross as well as a mini museum about the churches history. We visited a few more stalls in the market and the German department store, Karlstadt before heading to the haut ban hof (train station) to catch or train to Prague.

All is merry and bright

We wandered around the city some more enjoying the spires, domes and christmas lights which created a very festive atmosphere. We then decided to make the most of our last evening at the markets. Visiting favorite stalls and taking a ride on the ferris wheel. I had a mug of gluvine, the German version of mulled wine. And we soaked up all the music and lights and christmas goodwill before heading back to the hotel (successfully catching the tram this time). We intended to eat at the nice restaurant across the street from the hotel but they were full up so after venturing up and down the street we returned to the hotel restaurant for dinner and to unwind.

Discovering Dresden

Friday 10 December- Our only full day in Dresden we were determined to make the most of it. We made our way into town via the tram and had breakfast while we waited for the shops and museums to open. Our first stop was the Zwinger a baroque style palace with a lovely courtyard and several museums. We visited the fine arts museum with its Rembrandts and other treasures. Then visited the arms museum and finally parts of the extensive porcelain galleries. Then it was back out into the cold to walk along the Furstenzug- a mural made of small tiles and depicting the kings of Saxony. Then a walk along the Elbe and past the Opera house to the Fraunkirche. Unfortunately the church was closed for the day. We wandered through the christmas markets and had another bratwurst for lunch along with a hot waffle with chocolate and whipped cream. Some more shopping and we made our way back to the operahouse to take a tour of the interior. The building has be lovingly restored and it is a beautiful operahouse with all the baroque charm and modern amenities one could want.

Snow drifts in Dresden

Thursday 9 December- we woke up early to walk to the bus station to get the bus to Heathrow. After a bit of a wait at Heathrow we were winging our way to Germany. We had to circle the airport for an hour waiting for the weather to clear and the runways ploughed. After landing and collecting our luggage we booked it to the hotel dropped our stuff off and made our way directly to the Christmas markets. We found them by following the sound of music and looking for the festive lights. Luckily, unlike things in England the market and many of the shops were open until nine so we had a couple of hours to peruse the markets and explore. We had a quick dinner of Bratwurst and had an amazing time looking at all the stalls and enjoying the festive spirit. When things began to close up we decided to warm up by have cake and coffee in a cafe before heading back to the hotel. Of course we misjudged the trams and ended up walking quite a ways to get back. It was an exhausting but excellent evening.

Happy Thanksgiving

Sunday 27 November-we celebrated a bit late this year as it was the most convenient time for all involved. Saturday night we went to a play with Sam and Nat and Sam spent the night with us. It was up and out the door early to visit the vintage and hand made fair in Chiping Sodbury, while Ian stayed home to toast bread for stuffing. Back home we began the cooking. Nat and Tom soon arrived with their vegetarian main and Jez was a bit late arriving but we were only just starting to dish up the sides when he arrived. It was a lovely meal and a nice get together with friends.

Christmas in the Orangery

Saturday 26th November-I took a quick break from getting ready for our slightly delayed Thanksgiving feast and popped into the christmas fair at Goldney Hall's orangery. Although there were quite number of new stalls from last year, I didn't find anything I had to have. However, it was very pleasant to enjoy the festive atmosphere and see the grounds covered with a dusting of snow.