Essen

The next stop is a familiar one, with Essen being the town in which I spent my third year of college way back when. An industrial and not aesthetically gifted place, it still carries an undefinable charm that has led to Claire and me revisiting on numerous occasions over the years. Right in the centre of town lies the landmark Handelshof hotel building. For years this was a five star hotel way beyond our reach, but has recently been taken over and given a refit by the Select hotel group. More importantly, this has brought the room rate into the affordable bracket, and thus we finally get to say we've stayed there!

I have only an hour or so to enjoy the accommodations before making my way to the north of the city to tick off another Essen first, and attend a Rot Weiss Essen match. It's the third division, and the standard of play matches up, but the atmosphere is excellent, with the stadium mostly full. Most fans go home happy, as Essen hang on for a 1-0 win.

Saturday is the day to get some shopping done and visit the Essen Christmas market. Unsurprisingly it's very busy on the main streets but after covering a lot of ground we are able to find a nice seat in a gluhwein hut to reflect on our purchases.

On Sunday, we head out on the U17 line to revisit my old student accommodation, before taking a pleasant stroll through the adjacent Gruga Park. And being the big children we are, we just can't resist a go on the flying fox zip line!

Back in the city, it's time for the final sporting event of the trip, which comes in the form of an ice hockey match. The home team Essen Moskitos (yes that translates to Mosquitoes, an unusual choice for a winter sports team nickname), are up against the Leipzig Icefighters. Essen start and finish the match well to earn a 5-1 victory. Our seats are in a decent spot, but in the final period, we stand down by the glass for the close-up view, and get a better feeling of how physical this sport is!

Nostalgia over, it's time to leave Essen and Germany, and head for the Low Countries!