Sankt Wendel from Tanae Sorenson on Vimeo.

Christmas is a pretty magical time in Germany! Yesterday we went to the Sankt Wendel Christmas Market, (which is one of my favorites) so I thought I'd practice some more video and try to capture a bit of the magic of Christmas time and markets with kids. A little more challenging than I'd thought it'd be without my husband to keep track of my daughter while I focused on shooting! Luckily I have pretty awesome friends! If theirs a Christmas market near you, I definitely recommend going! And if you have kids, going during a weekday is especially nice because while you may miss the night and lights, it's less crowded and has a special magic all it's own.

I'm always on the lookout for fun family outings around the Kaiserslautern area and the Barefoot Park or "Barfusspfad" in Bad Sobernheim definitely met all of those qualifications! Our kids loved climbing over the obstacle courses, walking through the muddy clay, trekking through the cold water, and basking in the general gloriousness of being shoe-free!
Growing up, playing outside barefoot was a common occurrence, so slipping off my shoes and skipping and shuffling over the varying textures of this trail felt like stepping into the past.

If you and your family like being outdoors and don't mind being barefoot, you'll love walking and documenting your family playing in this beautiful park.


Ticket's were $4 for adults and $2.50 for ages 3-17. We were on a bit of a schedule that day unfortunately, but otherwise could have easily spent the entire day there playing, exploring and eating goodies from the brat and ice cream stands.
If this looks like a place your family would enjoy, their website is below with more info.
http://www.barfusspfad-bad-sobernheim.de/

Today we explored the neighboring hills around our village and had a picnic. Alexa and I are so frequently on the move when we're outside, traveling and what not, that it was nice to just take it slower and enjoy nature together.

Alexa and I after a long day at the Plub pool in Pirmasens. I don't have any photos of the park itself unfortunately, but it is awesome! A huge outdoor pool with a wide slide, a tall yellow slide, kitty pool, and a variety of indoor pools and wading areas.  All for 5 euro per person too! We easily spent 3-4 hours there and will definitely plan on going back! Especially once I find the accurate address for the chocolate factory!

For Valentine's Day Scott surprised me with a trip. Our first since moving to Germany and he refused to tell me where we were going. We arrived in Heidelberg and I was whisked away into the beauty of the place... and a Thai Massage, but that's a different story. I am in love with this city! Historic old towns lined with cute shops, a cool castle with beautiful grounds and, my favorite, surrounding hills lined with hiking and biking trails giving gorgeous views of the river and city below! It's pretty much an outdoor lovers / photographers playground. I couldn't have asked for a more fun weekend or a better Valentine's Day.

Inside Heidelberg Schloss

View of city from the castle.

Old Town

Old Bridge

Philosophers' Way

A FEW TIPS WHEN VISITING HEIDELBERG:

PARKING:
If your first stop in Heidelberg is the castle, don't try driving right to it. There are a lot of houses and residents who live next to the castle and you wont find parking, but their are plenty of garages scattered in Old Town.
http://parken.heidelberg.de/

P12 or Kornmarkt / Schloss is the garage located below the castle and connected to the funicular that will take you straight up to the castle entrance. Weekends and holidays are crowded in Heidelberg so I wouldn't count on finding an available space in P12, but any of the parking garages highlighted in blue or red on the site above make for an easy and enjoyable walk through old town on your way to the castle.

GETTING "UP" TO HEIDELBERG SCHLOSS:
You can pay a few euros to take a round trip on the funicular to get to and from the castle. I had never been on one before and it was a fun and quick way to get up and down the hill. If you have small children or are stroller bound, I recommend it. If you're feeling a little more adventurous, directly to the left of the funicular is a small road that leads you to a staircase (around 300 stairs) that will also take you straight to the castle ground's entrance.

MY "MUST DO" WHILE EXPLORING HEIDELBERG LIST:
- Do walk the castle grounds. It's free and lovely.
- Do pay the few euro to go inside the castle and take a peek at their very very large wine barrel, the Heidelberg Tun and their historic pharmacy museum. Neither take long and the view just before you leave the castle is very picture worthy.
- If you have time, do walk across and admire the "Old Bridge" just down from Old Town. On and just after the bridge are great photo locations with a nice view of the castle, so snap a few "selfies."
- Right across the street from the bridge you'll find a cobbled walled trail that leads you to Philosophers Way. DO hike it! Even a portion of it! This was one of my favorite finds in Heidelberg! The path is beautiful and has plenty of opportunities to admire the city below. Scott and I walked the entire path. We were leisurely about it so it took about an hour, however, if you don't wish to walk the entire thing, even 10 minutes up would be well worth the view!

 I hope you enjoy your trip to Heidelberg as much as we did! Did you find something not mentioned on my "Must See" list that was a highlight of your trip? Please share! Happy Travels!

"Ich hab' mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren..." (I've lost my heart in Heidelberg).

Panoramic view from the bridge.