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Our Last Day in Germany

It's hard to believe how quickly time has flown and that we fly home tomorrow. We spent our last day enjoying the Städel Museum.
The Städel Museum, Frankfurt
The Städel Museum in Frankfurt has art from medieval through modern eras. Being an art lover, I was thrilled to see some classic pieces that were on my art bucket list.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's Aurelia

Vermeer's The Geographer
 And others that were by artists I admire.
Simonetta Vespucci by Sandro Botticelli
Sculpture of a ballerina by Degas
A Rodin sculpture
Renoir
Kirchner's English Dancers
Chagall's The Rabbi (1912)
Another Chagall - The Holy Cabman (1911)
Picasso's Seated Nude
And a couple by artists I'd never heard of before.
Ophelia by Victor Müller (1869)
But nothing topped the moment when I turned around and saw one of my all time favorite paintings by one of my very favorite artists - Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. 
Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi
Before you think me terribly weird, you should know that Gentileschi was one of a handful of female artists during the Baroque era. She is considered one of the first feminist painters and her work was strongly influenced by the fact that she was sexually harassed by several male artists at the time and raped by her tutor, Agostino Tassi (who was found guilty of raping her and accused of raping other women). 
Also, the story of Judith and why she beheads Holofernes is Biblical in nature and very interesting.
After contemplating all of this incredible art, we went to a Greek restaurant called Parthenon. At first, we were in a panic because between the Greek and the German, we couldn't read the menu. Thankfully, they had English menus! Our meal was so yummy. I got my tzatziki fix and had a Greek salad (which was most welcome - I have not had a lot of fresh vegetables since I arrived in Germany!) and fish soup. Madison had some lamb chops, Gabrielle a chicken dish, and Mom had what she thought was some of the best salmon she's ever tasted. 
After a brief rest at our hotel, we ventured back out to the Weihnachtsmarkt. As lovely as it was yesterday, there is something magical about it at night.

When we arrived at the Weihnachtsmarkt, a choir was singing Christmas carols.

Madison watches the carol singers





I was a bit sad leaving the Weihnachtsmarkt, but so thankful for this tremendous experience. Hesse, Germany was beautiful and the people we have encountered have been so kind and welcoming. It was particularly wonderful to see Gabrielle and are so grateful that she shared her time and knowledge of the area with us.
We fly home tomorrow and are very excited to see our family and friends and tell them all about our adventures in Germany! Tschüss!

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Location: Frankfurt, Germany

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