Leipzig.

Home of Bach and chocolate!

I'm sent off with Xmas cake, apple and water and I'm leaving for Leipzig, which boasts the biggest railway station in Europe. It was built in 1842, obviously rebuilt after the war and added onto but it's beautiful and is all dressed up for Xmas. My Hotel 24 is not far from the station and after dropping off my bags, I'm off to more Xmas markets! This is my career of choice - going from one to another in the spirit of Xmas.

These are amazing! These, as in more than one. They have a Medieval, Austrian, Finnish and a Children's market. Smaller markets than Hamburg but so festive. I follow the scent of spices to find the one in the main square, cinnamon, cloves, apple, nuts roasting and being tossed in caramel. I have a wholemeal bun stuffed with hot cheese and ham from the medieval market; chocolate Kirsch hot wine from the Austrian market and I leave with another mug to pack into my bag.

I finish my Xmas shopping here, there's a shop of tiny gingerbread Xmas houses, delicately decorated biscuits and marzipan cakes. By the late afternoon the market is packet with people standing at the wine stalls, gluwein is de rigueur in the cooling early evening.

I go to the town hall for a view out over the square and the markets and then I find a lovely old restaurant, Zill's Tunnel, 1785. I have duck with the softest feather light dumplings, apple and cabbage with a rich cider sauce. The clientele is impeccably dressed. The cafes and restaurants full at 6.30! Loving it here where they eat early. Walking home under a full moon past the markets all lit up, it's like a scene out of a Xmas movie. Soft flakes of snow fall on me. My idea of heaven.

The next day starts at the Riguet cafe, an art nouveau beauty topped with a pagoda tyle turret, it's beautiful inside and out. Then I'm off to see the two main churches, St Nicholas and St Thomas where Bach used to be the music director.

I lunch on a selection of Quarkballen - nougat, gluwein and apple flavoured. All out carb fest!

There are beautiful arcades here and interesting shops so I walk it off or so I tell myself. The markets beckon me in again. I love all the different themes. Dinner is a mushroom and leek stew with - you guessed it - dumplings. Oh, and sour cream served in a tavern/beer hall from medieval times with wooden booths and buxom waitresses in traditional garb. Don't bother to come to these northern countries without cream being the star of the menu.

Tomorrow I'm off to Prague in the Czech Republic.