2024-11 - Blog Posts

I'm a bit low on inspiration and time today (work starting to pile up), so here's a train in the snow from the recent trip to Mulhouse and Thann. The train itself is a bi-mode Regiolis B84500 set, waiting at Mulhouse as the Sun sets.

First Christmas Market of 2024

Not as early as Ebisu, but still, just over a month before Christmas, I got to my first market on 23 November. On our way to Thann with two fellow hikers, our train was delayed and we had half an hour to kill in Mulhouse. I know the city centre is quite nice, so we went there, and found the Christmas market!

Place de la Réunion is gorgeous with its trompe-l'oeil facades (walls that have bricks, columns and other ornaments drawn on them) and church, which, unusually for a major French town, is a Protestant temple. It's extra-special with Christmas decorations, such as the town hall seen above. The water mill wheel is the emblem of Mulhouse, referencing the name's origin, Mülhausen, "mill house".

Engelbourg: the castle with the hole!

A less glamorous variation of the 10 yen coin photo, but I did say back in March that this place made me crave Polo mints!

More seriously, I returned to Thann this weekend with two Japanese people working in France this year. The timing was impeccable, as there had been some snowfall in the previous days, giving us some spectacular views from the summit.

Also, just in time for the start of the Christmas market! Getting into the festive mood early this year... and no need for fake snow! At least, that was the case yesterday. Today, the weather got much warmer and it's probably all gone.