Strausborg at Christmas for Thin?
 

What fabulous resident of Fodorville has been to the Strausborg/Alsace region of France during the holiday season? What will the weather be like?

I am looking for a Christmas getaway for just myself because I can't celebrate the holidays this year. My husband, who is Jewish, will be going to his mother's in Rochester.

I have always wanted to visit the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar to view the Isenheim Altarpiece.

I do not like a bleak, wintery atmosphere, sweetie darling. I want a little bit of warmth and festivity.

>My husband, who is Jewish, will be going to his mother's in Rochester.<

Now that's a good son. Rochester in Dec, brrrrrrrrrrrr. :)

Sorry, can't help with Alsace.

However, since Colmar is on your list you might want to contact the very nice Family Schillé-Gisie at the Hotel Schwendi in Kientzheim, just outside Colmar about what to expect.

http://perso.orange.fr/schwendi/index.htm

We will be returning there in May.

((I))

We usually spend part of our December holidays just over the border in Baden-Baden, Germany, shopping, dining, attending concerts, doing the spa scene. Our default hotel is the Dorint/Sofitel. The atmosphere is warm (if not the temperature) and festive. The past few years have been warmer in BB than in Philadelphia, although not by much. From BB, it's a very easy train ride to Strasbourg and Colmar. BB has an excellent contemporary arts museum, if you like that kind of art, or you could train down to Basel for a whole range of museums.
Can you persuade Muffy to come along?

The warmth in that season is provided by the ubiquitous 'vin chaud' at the Christmas markets.

I hate to break it to you, Thin, but Strasbourg could be cold, quite cold. Even bleak, if it is overcast. I spent a very chilly, bleak Christmas there and in nearby Colmar a number of years ago. But kerouac is right, a little vin chaud goes a long way to warm things up, and the Christmas market in front of the cathedral is gorgeous.

Alternatively, we found last Christmas in Rome to be much warmer (highs in the 60s) and festive.

Why not head to Provence? Not nearly as cold and with lots of Christmas festivities.

I don't know about the rest of your questions, but for an idea of the weather, you should go to www.wunderground.com and click on "trip planner" in the top right part of the page. You can enter your city and dates and it gives you historical weather info from the last 10 or so years - very helpful for giving you an idea of what to expect!

Live dangerously. Surely, Thin, you've been looking for a reason to break out the Chinchilla.

Well, here is the deal. I really do NOT want to celebrate Christmas at all. I was thinking about going to Cairo, but that would entail traipsing all over Egypt to see Karnak/Luxor/Abu Simbel. I just got back from running around Greece, so I thought it would be a good idea to just stay put in one spot with maybe a quick train trip to another city.

As many of you know, I have travelled all over the globe. I have been to Provence, I have been to Rome. I have never been to Alsace.

I'll keep on trying to figure out where to go. Thanks for your help.

Muffy, by the way, always goes Christmas skiing with her family in Cortina. They have a house there. I DON'T want to go with them, however, because they would drive me nuts.

The Great and Powerful Thingorjus