Christkindlmarket and Dog Friendly Carmel

It was a busy and exciting day before as I took my service dog (then still in training) Teddy to Carmel, Indiana. My friend Jaimee stayed over with us at the Home2 Suites by Hilton. It was a bit of a tough night getting the little guy to sleep on his first overnight in a hotel.

 

We had requested a corner room, so no one seemed to be disturbed, but we were ready to get out of the hotel suite and let him run around outside.

After breakfast, which is included at all the Home2 Suites, we decided to check out one of the pet friendly city’s dog parks. I had asked around and Clay Terrace was mentioned as a good one by a few people. Teddy definitely agreed and it gave him a chance to burn some energy before he was back on my lap on the scooter “working.”

 

We were on our way next to the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. This was my second trip there and I was happy to be back as it was my favorite in the U.S. The market, which does not have an entry fee, is a yearly event filled with food, gifts, performances, and an ice-skating rink.

 

I had to sample the Glühwein, a spiced, warmed wine that I had enjoyed when I visited Christmas markets in Europe. I can also never resist a warm Bavarian pretzel when I go to one of these markets.

I purchased a few things from holiday booths (they have Christmas and Hannukah), and we walked around for a while, but it was an extremely cold day, so we headed to the car after about an hour.

 

Before leaving Carmel, we stopped at a chain famous in this area, Jack’s Donuts. I got a peanut butter roll to take go and even found some doggy bakery items for a treat for Teddy.

 

I dropped Jaimee at her Indiana home.  It was just under two hours west to Champaign and I was driving with the sun as it set. It was a beautiful way to end the day, and what would be the first of many trips with Teddy. 

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Tasting Chicago during the Holidays

Brittany and I woke up pretty early at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago. 

We had a pretty full day and I didn’t want to overdo.

We had breakfast downstairs at Fisk & Co. as we planned our day.

Our first outing was to the Christkindlmarkt. I had never been to one in Chicago before, but had a good time at the Carmel one last year (and really loved the ones in Europe). 

The Christmas Market is a great place to get handmade souvenirs and German treats. 

I picked up a few Christmas tree ornaments and warmed with hot chocolate, while bringing home some potato pancakes and a pretzel.

I didn’t want to eat anything at the market because we had a brunch plan—and it turned out to be a big one.

After a nap, we took an Uber to the restaurant.

River Roast  turned out to be an excellent choice for brunch. The location was scenic along the river and there was live jazz music in the background.

We put in an order for the freshly baked cinnamon rolls while we were deciding on our entrees.

The cocktail list looked wonderful and I went for a Bellini, while Brittany had the Chocolate City Cold Brew. 

The rolls were about the best I’ve ever had, as was my meal choice, a roasted acorn squash was stuffed with cranberry, apple, parsnip, and faro.

Brittany enjoyed her fried chicken sandwich and we shared a side of the macaroni and cheese. We also had some tasty biscuits with honey.

All of the dessert menu looked fantastic. 

We decided to hang out, listen to the music, and enjoy another cocktail while we worked up an appetite for it.

We did find the room for an Adult Sundae Funday, vanilla ice cream with a spiked macaroon, whiskey cherries, rum soaked pineapple, and a Brûléed Banana, and PB & J Cheesecake. Yes, they were scrumptious!

Brittany wanted to go to the Blackhawk store, and I headed (on the same block) to Trader Joe’s, a store they really need to bring to Champaign.

We gathered our luggage from Hotel Monaco and made one last stop. Although we were pretty full, we did take home quite a bit from 

Stan’s Donuts.

For the holidays, they rolled out a Peppermint Chocolate donut, as well as a gingerbread one and one that was Crème Brulee filled.

We left with the boxes of donuts, which included my favorite, Peanut Butter Pocket.

We also had some Peppermint Hot Chocolate for me, and a Chocolate Lightening for Brittany for the road.

It was a sweet ending to my last trip for a while as I was heading back in for another back surgery.

Holiday Time is a Great Time to be in Chicago

I was back in Chicago right before the holidays with Brittany and my scooter. We had a few more things to discover before I took some time off for more back surgery. 

We checked into the Kimpton Hotel Monaco, which has a perfect location downtown.

I had never been to a Kimpton before. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get a chance to take advantage of their wine in the evening. 

What we did get to see was one of the best rooms I’ve ever had in Chicago. The one-bedroom suite is reasonably priced (compared to most of the suites in the Windy City) and very big. 

I loved the separate bedroom, with large window seats. We were in a corner, so they provided a beautiful view and also had cushions large enough for kids to sleep on. I’d definitely recommend this room as comfortable for a family of four, or even six. 

The original plan was to check out some outdoor activities, such as the Lincoln Park Zoo lights or the Christmas tree at Millennium Park. The weather was frigid and wet, so it didn’t seem like a good time for either. 

On our way to the hotel, we had thought about stopping by the new Starbucks, which has a Roastery inside. The line was two blocks long. We noticed a few stores down, at the AT&T store, there was a Central Perk pop-up. 

We are both huge Friends fans, so it seemed like a good idea to check out this (inside) attraction. 

We were not disappointed.

If you have a chance to go to any of the Central Perks’ popups, it is an amazing experience for a Friends lover. It’s filled with memorab ilia and pieces from the set, as well as video clips, timelines and even a place in “Central Perk” where you can take pictures.

After another break, I headed a few doors down from the Hotel Monaco to the Virgin Hotel.

This was my first time there and I hope to go back to explore more and check out the restaurant. This trip was part of Chicago’s holiday tour.

Cerise Rooftop is not just for summer anymore. It was decked out in Mele Kalikimaka Christmas mode, with heated domes to keep warm in!

I thought it was really fun and I enjoyed the Hawaiian themed rum punch.

There was one more stop for the night and that was to see Dave Cavalier, whom I had met at Bourbon & Beyond a few years ago. He was playing at the Elbo Room. You can see my story about that event here. 

Discovering Slovakia with Viking River Cruises

Our Viking River Cruise along the Danube was coming to the last two days and my friend Tracy and I were having a great time discovering a part of Europe neither one of us has previously been.

It was time for Slovakia and we were bundled up and ready to see its capital.

The ship docked right in the city of Bratislava so we could walk around ourselves, but we chose to first take the bus tour to Bratislava Castle and then on a downtown walking tour of the city.

The Bratislava Castle was quite impressive and also had a great view of the city. Unfortunately, it was a cold and cloudy day so we didn’t get to fully appreciate it.

In fact, I liked everything about Slovakia and the people we met were all very friendly.
It represented a European city in perfection, with its architecture, cobblestone streets, and craft filled markets.

Every building from the Opera House to the Court House looked like it was filled with history for me to spend a day exploring.

We spent a bit of time at the market near the church before heading back to the ship. 

The Glühwein came in quite a selection, made with different wines and a variety of fruits. I really liked the Pinot Blanc.  We also found lots of cheeses at this market, but it was something I knew I couldn’t store to take home with me.

I loved watching the children ice skating on the rink in front of the Christmas Market when the finished with school, or examining the candy in the market. I really wished we had more time here and vowed to come back some day.

I couldn’t wait to tell my friend Bibi at home how much I liked her country.

We had lunch as soon as we got back on the ship. I enjoyed a Riesling Soup, a flat bread with grapes and cheese, and couldn’t resist finishing with a hot fudge sundae.

In the afternoon, we relaxed before Slovakian Tea Time, the Captain’s Cocktail Hour, and our final Daily Briefing about our next port before the Captain’s Farewell Dinner.

When we sat down, there were spoonfuls of Camembert cheese wrapped in prosciutto for tasty bites. We then had a scrumptious salad, made with caramel, apricots, blue cheese and cornbread.

The next course was a flavorful Roasted Mushroom Soup. The entrée was a pan-fried red mullet. For the main course, we had a grilled filet, topped with foie gras.

The White Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding with ice cream was an incredible finish to the meal.

I don’t know if it was because we had only had a half day of touring or because we knew our trip was coming to an end, but this night Tracy and I stayed in the lounge a bit longer with some of our newly made friends.

We sailed away in the evening on our way to our very last stop on the Viking Embla... Budapest, Hungary. 

*Christmas in August? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until July. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low!

Gingerbread in Germany with Viking Cruises

I’m not sure which my friend Tracy and I were more excited about, being on a Viking River Cruise along the Danube, or going to our first Christmas Market*, but it was clear from the start of our day in Passau, Germany, that it was going to be a magical one.

We were up by 7:00 and had breakfast in the main dining room, enjoying the selection of fruit, cheese, pastries, omelets and yogurt. It was then time for our walking tour of Passau.

The Viking Embla had been decorated for the holidays, but it didn’t begin to compare with what we would see in Passau.

Tours are included on Viking River Cruises and while we had buses available to us at all ports, Passau was a place we could walk.

We were divided into groups so that we could experience the sites and hear our guide along the river and through the cobblestone hills.

She told us about the town’s flood the previous year and how this town fared during the war. Then we were off to a gingerbread demonstration at Simon Confectionary.

I really enjoyed watching this family make the gingerbread their family had been creating for generations. And, it was delicious – especially watched down with Glühwein.

I finally had my introduction to Glühwein in Passau. I had actually only heard about it for the first time just before I left. It was, after all, my first trip to this part of Europe.

I had been told it was a red wine, filled with spices such as cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. I would soon learn that there were many different versions of this warm drink using all types of wines.

We stopped at St. Stephen’s Cathedral where the Christmas Market was held. The art inside the cathedral was stunning, but I was anxious to get to my first European market.

The market was filled with much more than I ever expected, from drinks to foods such as bratwurst and baked goods (donuts are especially popular in Germany), to candles and crafts.

To me, everything was either a Christmas decoration or a potential gift, though a part of me wanted to take one of everything home.

We went back on the ship for lunch before returning to the market. Though my Monte Cristo Sandwich wasn’t a traditional German meal, it was quite good.

I knew I had many more markets to go, so I just left with the Glühwein and some chestnuts, something that reminded me of warming my hands on cold nights in New York.

We had a ravioli appetizer which was quite good. Then Tracy enjoyed the scallops for dinner while I ate the beef, but we both sipped the Austrian wine.

We finished dinner appropriately with a local favorite, Apple Strudel. I had been a bit worried that there wasn’t a lot going on after dinner on the ship at night, but it soon became apparent why – the days were long ones and we were all more than ready to retire by 10:00 pm.

Another long day was ahead of us and this was a place I had been waiting to get to for a long time, Austria, my grandmother’s birthplace and home to all those breathtaking scenes in the Sound of Music.

*Christmas in July? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until July. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low!