Skating into the New Year

(As you can see, I am still playing catch-up from when my family was here over the holidays.)

My brother and his wife left Heidelberg at the crack of dawn on New Year's Day (and had to fight for a taxi to the train station with a bunch of still-drunk-and-beginning-to-be-hungover partygoers on their way home). That left my parents and sister and her husband to celebrate New Year's Day with us. Everything in the town was closed except for the last remnants of the Christmas Market, which included the outdoor skating rink. And you're never too old to strap on a pair of skates and give it a go.

Aunt J and Uncle M in Karlsplatz, in front of the remaining market stalls and the skating rink


the four of us ice skating/ice standing


ice dancing (shhh! don't tell the obstetrician the patient is skating)


navigating our way through the gobs of little kids (one of whom decided it would be fun to throw snow balls in the father's face)

Grandpa and our little cheerleader

the cool old couple who had better moves than we did

and there's nothing like a hot mug of gluehwein and a bratwurst to keep you warm afterwards