Back to Holland & France

This picture was taken for us by a British tourist visiting the "Kerst Markt" or Christmas Market in Valkenburg, Holland. Valkenburg is a small town with a large Christmas Market held entirely in a cave. The caverns are expansive with literally hundreds of Christmas displays and booths.







Down the street from the market in a cave was a pleasant sidewalk cafe called "Au Soleil" The "warme chocomel" sure tasted good.


On to the northern part of France to the town of Lille, which also has a Christmas Market. Lille is a major transportation center for Northern France so it's Christmas Market attracts many tourists from Great Britain and other European countries. It is also a university town and the seat of government for the northern region of France. It seemed to me that the average age of folks we observed in Lille was about 25 years of age.
On our final night in France we visited an unplanned for Christmas market along the Champs-Elysees. The trees along the strreet were lighted with blue and white lights and it was delightful. The Eifell Tower light display at night was also spectacular. Paris is pretty anytime, but especially at Christmas time.

I fell out of my wheelchair on the sidewalk along the Champs-Elysees and was rescued by a very large (6'8" -280 lb) French and English speaking man who was strolling the markets with his wife and two young children. He literally picked me up and put me back in the chair. I am sure he must be a professional basketball player in a French or Euro league, but I never got his name.

We had dinner at Melanie's favorite restaurant in France, King Ludwig's Castle. Ask me where it is located some day.