Algarve Glow, Alsace Show

December arrived already glistening. Across the Algarve, towns switched on their festive lights one by one—some in November, others waiting for the calendar to catch up—until the whole region shimmered softly. With the chilly air ushering out the last of the summer tourists, it becomes an especially peaceful time of year. The early sparkle spreads, and visions of storybook Christmas markets begin to dance in our heads.

A Very Algarve Christmas

Walking along the waterfront one afternoon, we ducked into the Mercado da Ribeira to see if anything was happening inside—and found it filled with children’s artwork. The exhibit’s name literally translates to Clotheslines of Rights. I was so inspired that I made this video to fully take it in. Once again, this little town finds another way to bring me hope.

The rest of the week unfolded in unscripted ways. We invited our neighbor to join us for an evening drive to see the local lights, and she ended up treating us to dinner at one of our longtime favorites, Nora Velha (we all had burgers)!

We enjoyed the little pockets of festive wandering: Christmas displays at Faro Forum, the playful decorations at MAR Shopping, and a stroll through Faro itself to find where they hid their lights.

And finally—because billboards can be surprisingly persuasive—we gave in to the cheerful sign urging us to visit the Christmas festivities in Odeleite. And it was exactly the kind of charming, small-village celebration that makes December here feel both grounded and quietly magical.

Christmas at Full Throttle

Now that we have our residency cards, we can explore other areas and we decided to take in some Christmas Markets in the Alsace. The route, Faro–Basel, only runs every four days, starting in Basel and looping back, which meant our entire journey unfolded Wednesday through Sunday like a tidy little winter itinerary.

But First, Estoi

Before trading the Algarve’s gentle December for something a bit frostier, our first task was making sure Melody and Maisy were in good hands. With cat sitters arranged and an early flight ahead of us, we decided to spend the night at the Palace in Estoi. After four previous attempts to see the gardens eluded us, we were convinced that there would finally grant us access.

As we approached the entrance we saw that the gardens were closed for a special event. Impossible luck! Fifth time’s the charm, apparently, because the event was just wrapping up. With an early flight to catch the next morning, our stay here was short but sweet.

Welcome to Basel

The Basel EuroAirport (EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg) is located entirely in France—in the French town of Saint-Louis, near the borders with Switzerland and Germany. It is its own kind of travel curiosity: the airport straddles borders, with two exits—one to Switzerland and one to France. We followed the France exit and hopped on a train to Colmar.

Alsace

The Alsace is a slender stretch of northeastern France tucked between the Rhine River and the Vosges Mountains, just across the border from both Germany and Switzerland. It’s famous for its Christmas markets, half-timbered storybook architecture, fairytale villages, and the Alsace Wine Route. To get our bearings, here’s the Alsace region with the three towns we explored—Colmar, Strasbourg, and Eguisheim—circled on the map.

Day 1: Colmar

We arrived in Colmar around 2 p.m. Our first move wasn’t glamorous—we ate at the first open restaurant we saw, which happened to be a Japanese place right beside the Unterlinden.

Fueled by noodles and curiosity, we headed straight into the markets. Having never been to a Christmas market before, I felt like I was walking in circles. Many of the stalls seemed to offer the same rotation of treats: bretzels, sausages, crêpes, hot wine, ornaments… and then the whole cycle again.

But Colmar grew on me quickly. The markets blended together after a bit, but the buildings were impossible to ignore. Every street looked like a film set—colorful facades, carved beams, and enough charm to make you forget you were lost in a loop of sausages and crêpes.

Day 2: Strasbourg

Strasbourg was never in the plans. But on the map it sat there—big, bold, and quietly beckoning. The decision made its self, and we dressed a bit warmer, and headed to the train station. We arrived to Strasbourg around 10:30 a.m., early by Christmas-market standards, which meant we caught the town in that rare moment before it fully wakes up. I fell in love instantly. Colmar may have been our starting point, but Strasbourg was where things went full holiday throttle. The scale alone was staggering: markets spilling into square after square, each one having its own unique vibe, and as the day progressed, the town shifted from gently busy to absolutely buzzing.

Strasbourg captured my attention immediately. The old town unfolded like a collection of distinct little worlds stitched together by bridges and waterways. The Grande Île is a maze of narrow lanes and half-timbered buildings, each one slightly crooked in the most charming way. Turn one corner and you’re in Petite France, with its canals, flower-lined railings, and postcard-perfect houses leaning cozily toward the water. Turn another and the cathedral suddenly appears, towering over everything—so massive and intricate that I couldn’t even manage a proper photo.

Next up was food. After Tom picked up a bag of marrons (chestnuts), we made our way toward one of the big Christmas Pyramids—those windmill-topped wooden towers that spin from rising heat—at a place called Chalet de l’Opéra. My eye locked onto the sign advertising half-meter white sausages while Tom was weighing his options with the spaetzle. We didn’t stand a chance.

As the light shifted and the crowds thickened, the markets came alive in a new way. We’d already seen every square, so we circled back to our favorites and watched them glow under the evening lights. When the experience changed from wonder to the crush of humanity, we wandered back toward the train station. By the time we left, Strasbourg was glowing behind us, and we carried a little of that glow back to Colmar for the night.

Day 3: Eguisheim & Colmar

The next day we visited Eguisheim, a small village with colorful facades and looping streets. Eguisheim is often said to have inspired the “provincial village” in Beauty and the Beast, and the moment we reached the central square—with its cobblestones, fountain, and perfectly preserved medieval charm—we knew why.

Tom got another batch of marrons, and we spent about 2 hours exploring this beautiful village.

Then it was back to Colmar. After the extremes of Strasbourg’s crowd-filled squares and Eguisheim’s compact sweetness, we decided to explore Colmar some more. We wandered the quieter back lanes and even talked ourselves into riding the ferris wheel, which turned out to have the best views in town.

Day 4: Basel Swizerland

Then we headed to Saint-Louis to be ready for our 6 a.m. flight the following day. With a full day to fill, we took the bus into Basel, which dropped us near the Town Hall—the bright red municipal building on Marktplatz, with its ornate frescoes and storybook façade. Wandering farther in, we found Christmas markets with whimsical touches all their own.

Basel’s markets stood apart from everything we’d seen in Alsace. They were smaller and more contained, with a focus on handcrafted goods and Alpine treats. We browsed them briefly but found ourselves more drawn to the historic side of the city. One of our favorite moments was standing by the cathedral along the Rhine, watching a small boat glide across the water, pulled by a simple cable. It was peaceful and oddly mesmerizing—a soft pause in an otherwise festive day.

Back to the Algarve

Returning to Saint-Louis, we found a quiet, friendly place for dinner, packed our bags, laid out clothes for the morning, then took a hot bath and tucked in. Our alarms were set for 3:45 a.m., with a shuttle booked for 4:15. The flight was smooth and almost entirely in darkness, broken only by a thin sliver of sunrise on the horizon. As we approached Portugal, we could see the water shimmering around Olhão before the plane curved toward Faro for landing.

The Christmas season arrived in so many forms this year—soft and quiet, bright and overwhelming, frosty and joyful. Sometimes December whispers; sometimes it roars. This year, we were lucky enough to experience both. And the wildest part? We’re not even to mid-December yet. More stories are already in the making—stay tuned.

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