Ringing in 2025 with a European Christmas and New Year Trip

What to do after a busy last couple of weeks for work, traversing San Francisco, Austin, San Francisco, NYC, San Francisco, Washington, Indianapolis, Denver and Washington all within 11 days?

Of course. A trip to Europe! Four cities, family and friends, and six shows. Just as I like it!

My Sunday departure to Berlin from SFO via Frankfurt went fine and was uneventful. Got a late upgrade to Premium Economy so the Sleeper Hold was packed away.

No delays, arriving Berlin early and the luggage made it out fast. Off to my parent’s neighborhood. The Lilienthal “Flight Hill” was quite atmospheric in mixed weather, and the Lichterfelde Neighborhood had not changed much.

It’s “stranger in a strange land“ for me when coming back. Feels like home, but I do not quite fit in anymore.

As normal around Christmas, there were a lot of family and friends to see. Geese were killed in the process and were quite tasty. Downtown Berlin was quite atmospheric too, with old time Trabant’s for show as well.

From here I am off to Hamburg to see a friend for a day. It’s wet but not rainy. We dare a walk around the “Inner Alster” and get rewarded with an atmosphere I have never quite experienced here in Hamburg before. Quite a sight. The wellness Hotel Aspria is close and quite affordable when booked in advance.

From here I am off to Frankfurt. The German Train System has seen better days. We start late but end up arriving in Frankfurt only about 10 minutes late. Apparently the driver had to be replaced due to sickness.

Frankfurt downtown was nice. It’s easy to forget that it was mostly flattened during WW2 so the old town feeling is somewhat recreated. Loved the coffee house scene around the dome!

The evening has the first show of the trip, at the “Old Opera.” I have been a fan of “Elizabeth” since its opening in 1992 and am not aware of an English version. It is a very Austrian – German theme and I have it seen in Vienna several times. This was the “Schoenbrunn” semi-staged version I had not yet seen.

The Restaurant Opera offered a stylish setting to open the night and the performance was quite amazing. The dynamic between the characters Death, Lucheni, Sissi and the Emperor was fascinating as always, and the somewhat politic themes of darker things to come felt as timely as ever.

Off to London. Europe in winter has some traffic issues built in. And health issues, apparently. We had a ground delay due to weather and were boarded on the plane about 3 hours while not moving. During flight air gets recycled every three minutes. A very sick teen, coughing and sniffling like crazy, sits down in the middle seat next to me. To his credit, Mr. Waterpolo swimmer – I recognize the swim bag and all the attached tournament badges – is coughing mostly into his arm, but still. I got my mask out, later doubled up on more D3+K2 and Oscillococcinum in the following days. Fingers crossed.

My plane came in 2 hours late at the end,

And then this threw me in a loop somehow:

No Heathrow Express? Oh well, the Piccadilly Line it was instead and I checked into the Zedwell at Piccadilly – unbeatable location but the Cocoons work best for me when I am traveling alone.

Piccadilly was a zoo and walked halfway to the Sadler Wells Theatre and made it with 15 minutes to spare to Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake.

I found it as fresh and amazing as ever. Just as Torvell / Dean’s Bolero never quite left ice dancing the same, Bourne’s Swan Lake changed ballet forever and is still a feat.

Next morning London offered some OK weather – for London standards – and the walk from Piccadilly – a stop at Carpo, of course – through Kensington to the Empress Museum with a lunch at Chucs on the way at offered great views!

The Empress Museum hosted the show “Come Alive” promising tunes from “The Greatest Showman.” It’s best described as a variety show set to the hymns from the movie, with a light back story to hold the acts together. Sung live and some amazing acrobatics made it a fun experience. It is best thought of as to what happens in the ring vs. the storyline around Mr. “Humbug” Barnum’s life.

A fun afternoon at the circus, literally.

Back to Piccadilly for dinner at the Ham Yard Hotel and Les Mis. The show claims a special spot in my life as it prompted major stations in my life and some of the best things in my life depend on its existence. It also grounds you to put often “First World Problems” in perspective. Ian Macintosh delivered one of the best Valjean’s I have seen, right up there with Ramin Karimloo.

A nightcap at the Ham Yard Bar, some journaling and checking in with my daughter made it a perfect day.

New Year’s Eve in London is busy.

Breakfast at Refuel at the SoHo hotel – visiting all seven Kit & Tim Kemp London hotels is now officially on my bucket list!

Off to the Long Bar at the Sanderson hotel – the bar is quiet at that time and ideal for a yearly review. Then visiting Mrs. Priestley in the Devil Wears Prada. Loved the movie and Vanessa Williams is brilliant on stage and Sir Elton John’s music is a lot of fun.

Time for a brief break at the hotel – I am returning home tomorrow afterall. I am closing. The evening with “Why Am I So Single” from the creators of “Six.” It’s somehow unexpectedly deep and great.