29 on The Rhine

I got to celebrate my 29th birthday here in Germany. Can’t believe I’ll be entering a new decade next year. Most of the time I feel like I’m still 21.

Ryan celebrated his 29th birthday during our honeymoon in Italy so I guess celebrating our birthdays in Europe is becoming a tradition…one we could get used to it.

November 26 just so happened to also be the opening night of the Wiesbaden Christmas Market so the whole town came out to celebrate with me.

The night started with a special tree lighting ceremony complete with angels in the air, twinkling lights, live Christmas music (sang in English) and Gluhwein served in signature mugs – the first of many for our new collection.

Ryan treated me to a romantic dinner and we ended the night with drinks at one of our favorite bars in town.

The birthday festivities continued the following weekend in Strasbourg and Baden-Baden.

Strasbourg

This was Ryan’s first time in France. Luckily getting to a new country is just a hop, skip and a (train or bus ride) away. Strasbourg sits on the border of France and Germany – and is known as the Capital of Christmas. The entire town was filled with sparkling lights, Christmas decorations, and tasty treats – with a Christmas market at every corner.

We especially enjoyed La Petite France, a charming district that looks like something straight out of a storybook…and is even more magical during Christmas.

If you happen to be in this part of the world during Christmas, be sure to also check out The Great Christmas Tree and ice skating rink located in the Place Kléber.

Next stop on my birthday weekend getaway was a nearby spa town in Germany.

Baden-Baden

We said au revoir to the historic charm of Strasbourg and checked into the ultra modern Roomers hotel in Baden-Baden (a recommendation from a couple we met at a bar in Stuttgart). Any hotel that gives you complimentary sparking wine at check-in gets high ratings from me.

Like most European cities, Baden-Baden also has a Christmas market. It’s a lot smaller than the ones in Strasbourg but filled with just as much Christmas cheer.

The Christmas market is located right near the infamous Baden-Baden casino…which brings me to the next part of our adventure.

Anyone that knows us knows how much Ryan loves blazers. Well, the one time he forgot to pack one was the one time he needed one (to get into the casino). We didn’t want to miss out so Ryan rented a blazer for 8 euros and it was money well spent.

As soon as we stepped through the casino doors, we felt like we had walked into a James Bond movie. We tried our luck at the slots but were too intimidated for the tables.