Joyeux Noël

The ambience of Christmas is abundant in the little town of Colmar. Every store is adorned with decorations, the streets sparkle with lights, carols play day and night, and Christmas markets fill every open space throughout the town. 

We have been staying right in the centre of town above one of the Christmas markets, set in the old church square. A super convenient location, which of course also means I have bought a few too many Christmas decorations!

Everyone is well into the festive spirit here, it's easy to feel like you're in a movie, sipping a mulled wine in the cold as you pick out your perfect Christmas tree.

Our first 'real' tree! How exciting!!

Christmas Day was a quiet affair. Just the three of us feasting on a traditional lunch and watching Elliot play with his new presents ... he was very excited that Santa brought presents all the way to France, and that he made it inside our apartment even though we didn't have a chimney!

Christmas magic ;)

That afternoon, the streets came alive again and we headed out for some fun - carousel rides, photos with Mickey Mouse and a ride on the fabulous tree in the centre of town.

So from our family to you and yours, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS all the way from France! 

A xx

Hello beer, my old friend

I'm some 16,000km away but I thought this would be a good share at this time of year.

Thank you grain, thank you hops, thank you yeast, thank you water.

Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne, FRANCE

Antibes, Côte d'Azur, FRANCE

Ballachulish, Highlands, SCOTLAND

Bruges, West Flanders, BELGIUM

Brussels, BELGIUM

Baja Sardinia, Sardinia, ITALY

Aix-en-Provence, Provence, FRANCE

Ménerbes, Provence, FRANCE

Goult, Provence, FRANCE

Passchendaele, West Flanders, BELGIUM

Saint Pantaléon, Provence, FRANCE

Beaune, Burgundy, FRANCE

Chantilly, Hauts-de-France, FRANCE

Fontainebleu, Paris, FRANCE

Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, Côte d'Azur, FRANCE

L'Isle-sur-la-Sourge, Provence, FRANCE

Lumières, Provence, FRANCE

Colmar, Alsace, FRANCE

Scott. 

Colmar for Christmas

Colmar is that quintessential fairytale village, perfect for our Christmas week here in France. Beautiful half timber houses painted in all different colours, cobblestone streets and a myriad of canals, beautifully decorated shops and restaurants, and of course the world famous Christmas Markets.

It's one of those little towns that you can just wander around, finding a new little square or side street each time you step out. The architecture alone is enough to have you whipping out the camera all day.

The traditional taverns are known as Wistubs and are dotted all over town. Usually tiny little places, all wooden and cabin-ish, and serving good traditional food and wine.

For centuries the region flipped between Germany and France and it has definitely retained a very German feel about it. I find the cuisine here more on the German side, big dishes with lots of meat and sauerkraut. There are a number of very famous Alsacian foods that we simply had to try;

Choucroûte garnie: The “national dish of Alsace” is a version of German sauerkraut. The fermented cabbage cooked in white wine, beer or cider and seasoned with juniper berries and black peppercorns. It's served with boiled potatoes and a variety of meats including ham, bacon, sausages. 

Tarte flambée: The Alsatian equivalent of Pizza, though extremely different. It is made of a thin layer of dough, covered with crème fraîche, cheese, onions, and bacon (lardons in French).

Spätzle: hand made noodles, served with just about everything.

Kugelhopf: Similar to a Bundt cake, is baked with almonds and raisins and topped with powdered sugar. We bought one of these for Christmas day.

Bretzels: Fresh baked, soft pretzels with lots of salt. Perfect with a mulled wine or hot chocolate!

Alsace Wines: Wash it all down with some regional wine. Vins d’Alsace are mostly dry rieslings. A nice change from all the rosé in Provence!

Well, we have filled our bellies and tomorrow we will fill our Santa sacs, because it's Christmas Eve, and theres no town in France that screams Christmas quite like Colmar. 

Stay tuned for Christmas photos galore! 

A xx