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Day 8

 Guten Tag from Germany! (Jessica writing).

Our morning started off the same as most. Luke woke up to watch his tv show and eat breakfast, and Adam and I slowly came to life while trying to survive without coffee. We packed our stuff up and said goodbye to Ribeauville and made our way to Strasbourg, a major city about an hour away. It took a little bit of time to find parking, but once we did, we were off on our next adventure. The thermometer read 4 degrees Celsius, so we thought it might be a little warmer than the past few days. We were wrong. The wind and cloud coverage made it feel much, much colder! We quickly made our way towards the city center, stopping for pictures and to look at the Christmas Market stands. Even though it was a Monday morning, the city was still bustling. 

Adam found the cathedral and stood in a line that he thought would take him inside. Luke was having no part of that. A nearby carousel had caught his eye, so he needed to ride it. While Adam went in to the cathedral, Luke hopped on a giraffe and had the time of his life! Once the ride was over, we walked through the Christmas Market stands and managed to snag a cheesy pretzel while we waited for Adam. When he emerged, he informed us that the line was for the tower (which he climbed) and not the church entrance. We walked around but found out we had just missed the last entry time. Oh well....

It was getting close to lunch time, so we settled on some more snacks from the market stands, a tarte flambee for Adam and a crepe and waffle for me and Luke. We realized that there was just too much to do in this city for the limited time we were there, so we took some final pictures, and started walking back to our parking spot. Our next destination was Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany - a mere 3 hour drive away. 

The drive was uneventful and quick. It started snowing once we got further east and there was a light dusting on the ground. We stopped at a Lidl (grocery store) once we arrived in the city. I was even able to find milk! Hopefully this means coffee tomorrow morning. The drive to our B&B was short, and before we knew it, we were checked in and unpacked. Our B&B is fairly modern, is on the ground floor, and even comes with free parking nearby - all of which are much appreciated when carrying around luggage and a 2 year-old. Also, it even includes breakfast! We relaxed for a few before deciding it was time for dinner. Most businesses and restaurants in Germany are closed on Mondays, but our host recommended a nearby restaurant that was open, and we didn't want to risk it filling up, so we headed over quickly. 

When we arrived, we were told that only certain face masks were allowed in Bavaria. Thankfully, the restaurant had some for us. And thankfully, Adam realized before we went that we needed a different app and QR code for Germany to prove vaccination status. We settled into a booth and ordered a delicious dinner. I had the schnitzel (breaded pork) and Adam had a game goulash (venison, we think). Both were amazing! If we have the opportunity, we might go back before we leave. We wrapped up dinner, made the short walk home (it was freezing, literally!) and put Luke to bed. Tomorrow is a full day in Rothenburg. No Christmas Markets (they were shut down in Bavaria due to the spike in Covid rates), but still lots to do!
















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