EuroTravelogue's 2011 Highlights Including Favorite Pictures of the Year

A stop for la café and people watching is a must-do at the quintessential Parisian sidewalk café. Photo: Property of EuroTravelogue™. Unauthorized use is prohibited.    

It's hard to believe another year is over and now we are standing on the threshold of a brand new year full of new opportunities and new beginnings!  I can hardly wait!  But before we flip the calendars to 2012, let's reflect for a moment on where we've been in 2011, an extraordinary year for me and for EuroTravelogue. What started out as a part-time hobby has grown into a second full-time job for me, however, I use "job" extremely loosely as contributing to my blog and sharing the content with all of my readers, followers and friends has become my addiction, my enjoyment; my passion runs deep.

ArtSmart Roundtable: Tintoretto’s ‘Sistine’ Ceiling at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice

Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, Italy, is home to Tintoretto's Ceiling.  Photography in this post is via Wikimedia.org and is public domain. 

Welcome to ArtSmart Roundtable—a monthly series published by travel bloggers who are passionate about combining art and travel while exploring destinations around the world. This month’s topic is “Ceilings” and I chose “Tintoretto’s Sistine Ceiling.” Intriguing title, huh?

NORAD Tracks Santa Claus on Christmas Eve!

NORAD Santa Tracker--an exciting new Christmas tradition for the 21st century.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the lands, the people tracked Santa on NORAD’s webcams … “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” with a 21st-century spin. There’s a new Christmas Eve tradition in my family that has proven to delight young and old alike—tracking Santa Claus on his flight. With help from our friends at NORAD, you and your family too can track Santa Claus as he journeys around the world on Christmas Eve!

Christmas in Bavaria, Germany – Impressions of a Wintry Wonderland

Winter splendor in Bavaria, Germany.  Castle Hohenschwangau is seen here above the village against the backdrop of the Alps.  All photography in this post: ©BrianJannsen Photography. Unauthorized use is prohibited.  

Snowcapped mountaintops, fairy tale castles and Alpine villages glistening in white—this is Christmas in Bavaria, Germany! Along Germany’s Romantic Road from Würzberg in the north to Füssen in the south, this wintry wonderland blankets almost one-fifth of Germany and offers some of the most picturesque settings in all of Europe. Home to capital city of Munich; Nuremberg with the oldest Christmas market in Germany; Augsburg; Würzburg and Ingollstadt to name a few, Bavaria is also home to the one of the most recognized castles in the world and one of my favorites – Castle Neuschwanstein. During the Christmas holidays, Bavaria’s aglow in its blanket of snow with vibrant Christkindlmarkts, storybook villages and mighty castles set against the backdrop of the majestic Alps.

Christmas Markets in Alsace, France—Fairy Tale Villages Light Up With Christmas Cheer

Christmas enchantment abounds along Rue des Marchands in Colmar, France. © CRTA - Zvardon. All images in this post are property of Alsace Tourism and are copyrighted. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Do you believe in Christmas magic? You will by the time you visit the enchanting Christmas markets of Alsace, France!  The Christkindelsmäriks or Christmas markets of Alsace have long attracted visitors as well as locals since the 16th century, namely Strasbourg with its Christmas Market established in 1570. From the moment you arrive, you find these storybook villages come to life with vibrant markets, twinkling lights and delightfully decorated stalls brimming with hand-crafted gifts and ornaments not to mention the tantalizing aromas wafting through the air with the promise of gourmet delights and spicy mulled wine. Alsace celebrates the Seven Lands of Christmas from Haguenau in the north to Mulhouse in the south and is a journey of holiday splendor from one village decked out in its finest to the next—all welcoming visitors and residents alike to revel in the sights and sounds of Christmas! If you enjoy Christmas as much as I do, you must visit one of these Alsatian Christmas markets during the holidays!