If this trip was a sample of what this year will be like, I’m happy. It was easy, we got more than we bargained for and had great weather and beautiful scenery.

We had been worried about driving there, since we don’t have winter tires, but the weather couldn’t have been nicer (for winter, anyway). The drive was smooth and we made a stop in Cologne.

I’m glad I can finally say I’ve been to Cologne. The cathedral is impressive and the Christmas market was super cosy. However, I don’t think it live...