We just returned from Paris and Munich, where we toured the famed Christmas markets. It was magical.

A German Christmas market in the heart of Munich's Old Town.

 By SARA VANDEN BERGE

You might have noticed that things have been a little slower than usual the past couple of weeks on Beneath the Surface News.

That’s because The Husband and I took a few days off to explore the famed Christmas markets in Paris, France and Munich, Germany.

The good thing about getting a little older is that once you’ve raised kids and helped them through college, there’s a little extra money to start knocking things off the bucket list.

European Christmas markets was on ours, so on Dec. 4, we jetted off to Paris for a holiday adventure.

PARISIANS GET A BAD RAP

I was a little nervous about spending time in the “City of Love” because the only experience I had in Paris was a one-day trip there a few years ago when an old, angry woman scared the daylights out of me.

I have always been told that Parisians are unfriendly, but we found the opposite to be true.

During our time there, we met lots of locals who were welcoming, helpful and kind.

Almost everyone speaks English and no one ever made us feel inadequate because we don’t speak French.

And when I tried using the few words that I do know, everyone seemed to appreciate my effort.

This city itself, of course, is exquisite with so many things to do and see, and it’s extra special this time of year.

The streets are covered in twinkling lights, the smell of freshly baked goods float through the air and windows in big department stores are decorated like the ones you’ll find in New York City.

We stayed at La Demeure Montaigne near Champs-Élysées.

It was a beautiful hotel with tiny rooms, but a gorgeous bar and restaurant.

We visited two Christmas markets in Paris; one near the Tuileries Garden and another near the Eiffel Tower.

We found that the markets in Paris have a little more of a carnival feel; rides for kids, lots of places to pose with Santa statues and a joyous, overall feeling of famiy fun.

The food was amazing and we had tartiflette, a rich, creamy French casserole from the Alps, made with potatoes, cheese, bacon and onions.

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The Husband enjoying a tartiflette in Paris.

OTHER THINGS WE DID IN PARIS

My dream of touring the Louvre Museum and seeing the Mona Lisa was finally fulfilled.

We booked a semi-private, three-hour tour, which took us to all the highlights and gave us some valuable insight into the museum’s history and its vast art collection.

We saw the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Egyptian antiquities and paintings from the Renaissance artists.

(And yes, we even saw where the recent heist took place. Those thieves were a brazen bunch.)

The Mona Lisa is the most popular piece at the Louvre and she never took her eyes off me.

Trying to tour the Louvre on your own would be a mistake. Hire a tour guide. It’s not that expensive and worth every penny.

We also booked a show at Crazy Horse, which was a little risqué, but a fun experience I’m glad we didn’t shy away from.

We also enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Seine and hot chocolate at the iconic Café de Flore.

ON TO MUNICH…

After four days in Paris, we took a quick flight to Germany on Lufthansa Airlines and were there in about an hour.

We stayed at Hotel Bayerischer Hof in the heart of Old Town, which is surrounded by towering old churches and bells that filled the air.

It was magical.

This Christmas market in Munich was packed with holiday revelers.

Munich is a beautiful city and I favored the markets here a little more than the ones in Paris.

There were delicious foods, German baked goods, artisan crafts like hand-carved nativity scenes and delicious gluhwein, a warm spiced wine made with spices and cinnamon sticks.

There is a lot less to do in Munich than there is in Paris, so our trip there was far more relaxing.

And yeah, we ate the whole thing...

We had lunch at the famed HofbrauHaus where we dined on schnitzel and a pretzel larger than the size of my head, steins of beer and champagne.

IF YOU GO…

If you love Christmas as much as I do, you should add a tour of European Christmas markets to your bucket list.

We planned our adventure about a year in advance and had our hotel stays and tours booked and paid for months in advance.

One of the things I found most interesting is that American Christmas music was playing throughout all of the markets and shopping centers in both countries, so there was a nice taste of home.

A moment that will stay with me forever happened on our last night in Munich.

We were walking back to our hotel when we passed a group of men singing Christmas carols in German.

Something powerful came over me when they sang, “We Wish you a Merry Christmas.”

I was overcome with sadness of spending my first Christmas without my mom, but comforted by the beauty of the moment and realization that humanity still exists in a world where it doesn’t always feel like it. 

This trip taught me that no matter where you live or the language you speak, the Christmas spirit brings us all together.

So wherever you are – and whatever adventures you are enjoying this holiday season - I hope you are creating memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Merry Christmas, friends.