Christmas Market

The first weekend of December, we met some Fulbrighters and Ron’s new friend from the museum at the Christmas market. It was the opening weekend and we arranged to get there at 4:45 to see the opening of the Advent window. Unlike years past, there were no live musicians playing on the balcony of Gerbreud’s restaurant as a prelude. There was some recorded music and one of the windows opened to display some unusually non-holidayish gaudy picture of modern art. Each window is sponsored by a different company. The first year we were here, they were all a holiday theme. Since then, they have been the same ugly pictures of abstracts in hideous colors.

The booths are the same year after year too. Once you have been there, you know exactly where each vendor will be year after year. When I regret not buying something one year, I know where to head first the following year. For the uninitiated, it is new and exciting. This is our sixth year, so we go for the gluhwein, the hot spiced wine that is served all over the market. We had dinner there too, some fat sausages with thick mustard and perfectly deep fried potatoes.

It was so crowded, we could not walk around as a group, so we only lasted an hour before others decided to call it a night. The only booth I knew I wanted to return to was where I bought our sugar bowl, creamer, and butter dish last year. We needed another creamer for when Ron makes pancakes for serving the syrup.

Lynn, one of the Fulbrighters came home with us to use our WiFi and called all of her family for a post-thanksgiving greeting via Skype. Normally, she does this at cafés. I can see her sitting in cafés, looking like she is talking to herself in English.

Pin It Now!