My favorite Christmas market is coming up on December 10-11. It's only about a 15 minute bus ride from Kaiserslautern. With handmade and local goods and delicacies on offer, and set on grounds that abut the woods, it's a charming market.
Check out my more extensive guide that I wrote last year, with this link.
To experience fewer headaches with transportation, take the bus from Kaiserslautern. Driving there and parking are a nightmare but the bus is worry-free.
Showing posts with label Christmas markets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas markets. Show all posts
Monday, December 5, 2016
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
2015 Trippstadt Christmas Market Review
I visited the Romantische Waldweinacht in Trippstadt earlier in December. Hosted by the Haus der Nachhaltigkeit (House of Sustainability, which seems similar in idea to a nature center), it's probably one of my favorite Christmas markets and I gladly planned a trip C+K and their friend M. We met at the Kaiserslautern train station and hopped on the bus that was marked for Johanniskreuz, the area where the market is held. We knew that it would be utter foolishness and a load of stress to attempt to drive there because the forest roads are already narrow and there is extremely limited parking during the event.
This year, I suggested that we try to arrive earlier. In previous years, we arrived when it was dark out and didn't have as much time as we would have liked. This year, we arrived at 2:30 p.m. It was so different to be at the market during the daytime! I think that there was a different layout too, so it made my third year there a little bit disorienting. Next year I would plan to arrive and stay a bit later since it's even more magical when it's dark and the grounds are lit by campfires.
We started by sampling some organic Glühwein. I think it tastes so much better than the regular stuff and this market has plenty of it -- usually directly from the vintners themselves, and I can't bring myself to drink non-organic Glühwein any more. We bought from two separate vendors; mine was less sweet than C's serving but both were quite good.
There was some entertainment options too. During our visit we listened to the brass band. There was also a pony ride vendor. Well, they were miniature horses, which are even smaller than ponies are, so they are suitable for small children only.
We also browsed the goods for sale from the vendors who set up both outside and inside of the reception center. Goods are handmade and include things like wooden kitchen accessories, hand lotions, Christmas decorations, foods, photographs, jewelry, and more. One of my favorite booths was the miniature book maker. He posted sweet messages around his booth with quotes (in German) like "pictures allowed," "questions allowed," "buying allowed." The books are really neat; most are fewer than two inches big and include text (though I'm guessing it's just an excerpt of the book). Maybe I should have bought one; they were reasonably priced at 4 euros or so.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Some impressions from the Trippstadt Christmas Market
I'm working on a review of this year's "Romantische Waldweinacht" Christmas Market in Trippstadt. Until it's finished, I'll leave you with some impressions from our visit on Saturday.
(Note: this Christmas market continues on Sunday, 13 December, from 1000-1800. More info from the host of it is available here. Take the bus -- don't drive there because it's very congested in the area on the narrow forest roads.)
Get your Kringelfritz on! No, seriously, if you are an enjoyer of funnel cakes, these are the German version and apparently you can even get the dough to-go to make at home if you'd like. Beware of the powdered sugar on top though; see the lady in front wiping it off her coat? She's a victim of how messy it is.
This poor guy seems to need a bathroom. Doesn't he know that there are nice ones inside and that they even use rainwater for flushing?
(Note: this Christmas market continues on Sunday, 13 December, from 1000-1800. More info from the host of it is available here. Take the bus -- don't drive there because it's very congested in the area on the narrow forest roads.)
Get your Kringelfritz on! No, seriously, if you are an enjoyer of funnel cakes, these are the German version and apparently you can even get the dough to-go to make at home if you'd like. Beware of the powdered sugar on top though; see the lady in front wiping it off her coat? She's a victim of how messy it is.
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| Brass band |
This poor guy seems to need a bathroom. Doesn't he know that there are nice ones inside and that they even use rainwater for flushing?
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Trippstadt Christmas market: organic and handmade! 12-13 December
My favorite Christmas market is this weekend! The Haus der Nachhaltigkeit (House of Sustainability) in Trippstadt hosts its annual market on Saturday and Sunday.
To learn all about it, check out what I wrote last year.
The number one tip for attending this is: don't drive there! Take the bus. Traffic is heavy, the roads there are narrow, and parking is limited. Taking the bus is a much more relaxing experience and there are special shuttle runs arranged for that evening.
To learn all about it, check out what I wrote last year.
The number one tip for attending this is: don't drive there! Take the bus. Traffic is heavy, the roads there are narrow, and parking is limited. Taking the bus is a much more relaxing experience and there are special shuttle runs arranged for that evening.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Zombreadmen
BRAIIIIIIINNNNNNS!!!!!
Oops. Gingerbread men. Really. That's what we are.
(Seen as the ASZ Wintermarkt in Kaiserslautern last weekend).
Oops. Gingerbread men. Really. That's what we are.
(Seen as the ASZ Wintermarkt in Kaiserslautern last weekend).
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Rüdesheimer Weihnachtsmarkt der Nationen
This past Saturday, C. and I drove a bit more than an hour north to Rüdesheim am Rhein, a wine-growing city on the north bank of the Rhein. Our plan was to visit the Rüdesheimer Weihnachtsmarkt der Nationen, or the Christmas Market of the Nations.
Getting There
I had been talking to my dad about the plans for the weekend and he was excited about the trip; he had visited the city in the 70s. He mentioned that he had to take a ferry across the Rhein to get there. I doubted that a ferry would still be necessary; after all, it had been forty-ish years since he had been there and wouldn't a bridge have been built?
Well, I was wrong; indeed, a ferry is still necessary. Mr. GPS directed me to Bingen. We parked in a free lot and walked onto the ferry. During the winter, it doesn't run as often, but we didn't have to wait very long. Just be sure to check for the last boarding time! The trip is about 4 euros round trip, per person.
After the short ride across the river, we followed the crowd to the town of Rüdesheim, a short walk. I was glad that I had left my car across the river in the big lot because parking on the Rüdesheim side didn't seem to be super abundant and people were walking everywhere.
The Market
The international Christmas market lines Rheinstrasse, which faces the river, and continues north along the small side streets until it reaches Oberstasse. As an international market, it has more than 120 booths with specialties from 12 countries, according to the tourist information website.
Most of the offerings were German, which makes sense. There was plenty of wurst, Glühwein, potato pancakes (reibekuchen), lebkuchen, and other typical German things to eat and drink. The international portion of the market was much smaller; it included things such as African masks (perhaps slightly dubious in authenticity), Australian hats, a jaunty British bus with cocktails and snacks, and some others.
There was one booth quite unlike the others: the Hanf-Beckerey, or Hemp Bakery! It was an old-fashioned looking booth filled with cheery workers cooking up sandwiches with hemp seeds. On offer were chicken or vegetarian sandwiches, served on grilled bread. The workers were quite silly; if one ordered a vegetarian sandwich, he had to sing a song! The booth cracked me up because it all looked so traditional, including the cooks wear chef hats. However, the hemp stenciled on their hats and their flag broke that illusion.
Though some of the "international" offerings seemed a bit forced, we were enchanted by the Scandinavian (sub) market located in a courtyard in Drosselgasse, a small passage that's worth visiting on its own. We passed beautiful fachwerk buildings as well as the beautiful stained glass windows on the Rüdesheimer Schloss. Once in the market, we touched the soft elk skins and I very purposefully avoided touching the multitude of wool offerings as I'm allergic. Grilled elk and salmon were available from food vendors.
There is certainly enough within the market itself to make for a pleasant visit in its own right. In addition, the town has some other offerings of interest that make a visit definitely worth it. More information will follow, including details about our trip to the mechanical musical instrument museum and the ride on the cable car.
 |
| Rüdesheimer Weihnachtsmarkt der Nationen Welcome Sign |
Getting There
I had been talking to my dad about the plans for the weekend and he was excited about the trip; he had visited the city in the 70s. He mentioned that he had to take a ferry across the Rhein to get there. I doubted that a ferry would still be necessary; after all, it had been forty-ish years since he had been there and wouldn't a bridge have been built?
Well, I was wrong; indeed, a ferry is still necessary. Mr. GPS directed me to Bingen. We parked in a free lot and walked onto the ferry. During the winter, it doesn't run as often, but we didn't have to wait very long. Just be sure to check for the last boarding time! The trip is about 4 euros round trip, per person.
After the short ride across the river, we followed the crowd to the town of Rüdesheim, a short walk. I was glad that I had left my car across the river in the big lot because parking on the Rüdesheim side didn't seem to be super abundant and people were walking everywhere.
The Market
The international Christmas market lines Rheinstrasse, which faces the river, and continues north along the small side streets until it reaches Oberstasse. As an international market, it has more than 120 booths with specialties from 12 countries, according to the tourist information website.
Most of the offerings were German, which makes sense. There was plenty of wurst, Glühwein, potato pancakes (reibekuchen), lebkuchen, and other typical German things to eat and drink. The international portion of the market was much smaller; it included things such as African masks (perhaps slightly dubious in authenticity), Australian hats, a jaunty British bus with cocktails and snacks, and some others.
There was one booth quite unlike the others: the Hanf-Beckerey, or Hemp Bakery! It was an old-fashioned looking booth filled with cheery workers cooking up sandwiches with hemp seeds. On offer were chicken or vegetarian sandwiches, served on grilled bread. The workers were quite silly; if one ordered a vegetarian sandwich, he had to sing a song! The booth cracked me up because it all looked so traditional, including the cooks wear chef hats. However, the hemp stenciled on their hats and their flag broke that illusion.
Though some of the "international" offerings seemed a bit forced, we were enchanted by the Scandinavian (sub) market located in a courtyard in Drosselgasse, a small passage that's worth visiting on its own. We passed beautiful fachwerk buildings as well as the beautiful stained glass windows on the Rüdesheimer Schloss. Once in the market, we touched the soft elk skins and I very purposefully avoided touching the multitude of wool offerings as I'm allergic. Grilled elk and salmon were available from food vendors.
 | ||||
| Entrance to the Drosselgasse; it's even prettier at night! |
There is certainly enough within the market itself to make for a pleasant visit in its own right. In addition, the town has some other offerings of interest that make a visit definitely worth it. More information will follow, including details about our trip to the mechanical musical instrument museum and the ride on the cable car.
Monday, December 22, 2014
German Christmas Words
Christmas time is a big deal in Germany. To more fully experience Christmas, you can learn some German words related to the holiday. We came up with this list in my German language class.
In General
Christkind - the Christ Child
Frohe Weihnachten - Merry Christmas
Geshenke - presents
Heiliger Abend - Holy Night, or 24th December
Nikolaus - St. Nicholas, who brings small gifts on 6 December
Plätzchen - cookies
Räuchermann - literally "smoking man," a wooden sculpture that is used to burn incense and looks as if he's smoking
Weihnachten - Christmas
Weihnachtskugeln - Christmas ornaments
Weihnachtslieder - Christmas carols
Weihnachtsmann - Santa Claus
Weihnachtspyramide - Christmas pyramid, a traditional decoration that often uses heat from candles to turn the figures on it
Things at the Christmas market
Bratwurst - pan fried or roasted sausage
Eierpunsch - a hot, egg-based alcoholic drink, similar to eggnog
Dampfnudeln - steamed buns often served with vanilla or cherry sauce (read more here)
Feuerzangenbowle - fire +alcohol = oh my! Rum-soaked sugar is set on fire then drips into mulled wine
Glühwein - mulled wine
Heisse Schokolade - hot chocolate
Kinderpunsch - basically like Glühwein but for kids, minus the alcohol, of course!
Mandeln - almonds; these are often roasted and coated in sugar
Maronen - (roasted) chestnuts.
Mit Schuss - watch out for this one! You can add a shot of alcohol to many of your drinks
In General
Christkind - the Christ Child
Frohe Weihnachten - Merry Christmas
Geshenke - presents
Heiliger Abend - Holy Night, or 24th December
Nikolaus - St. Nicholas, who brings small gifts on 6 December
Plätzchen - cookies
Räuchermann - literally "smoking man," a wooden sculpture that is used to burn incense and looks as if he's smoking
Weihnachten - Christmas
Weihnachtskugeln - Christmas ornaments
Weihnachtslieder - Christmas carols
Weihnachtsmann - Santa Claus
Weihnachtspyramide - Christmas pyramid, a traditional decoration that often uses heat from candles to turn the figures on it
Things at the Christmas market
Bratwurst - pan fried or roasted sausage
Eierpunsch - a hot, egg-based alcoholic drink, similar to eggnog
Dampfnudeln - steamed buns often served with vanilla or cherry sauce (read more here)
Feuerzangenbowle - fire +alcohol = oh my! Rum-soaked sugar is set on fire then drips into mulled wine
Glühwein - mulled wine
Heisse Schokolade - hot chocolate
Kinderpunsch - basically like Glühwein but for kids, minus the alcohol, of course!
Mandeln - almonds; these are often roasted and coated in sugar
Maronen - (roasted) chestnuts.
Mit Schuss - watch out for this one! You can add a shot of alcohol to many of your drinks
Sunday, December 21, 2014
My week: December 21 ed.
-Thanks to a fun and relaxing weekend preceding this week, I didn't feel quite so frazzled.
-In the German class at the university, we talked about Christmas things and practiced other sayings.
I came up with this gem of sentence when we worked further with trennbar verbs: "Die Dummheit meiner Katze nimmt immer zu." Poor Moo.
In the Volkshochschule course, our teacher took us out for a drink following our last class. It was so sweet of her! I enjoyed her class and was always impressed with her mastery of teaching.
-I had a nice meeting with my German tandem speaking partner.
-Moo got his stitches out but must still wear the Cone of Shame because the surgery wound is not healed enough yet. He does everything he can to make me feel guilty about this. I can't wait until he's better so he'll stop sulking.
-I met up with some guys from one of our other groups and we sat by the fire outside at the Kaiserslautern Christmas market, a cozy place to meet. It was supposed to be a tandem speaking night but as is customary, we spoke mostly English. That's okay, because we spent most of the time laughing. For the record, they're German - the stereotype of Germans who don't like to have fun/laugh is certainly not right! To further shatter stereotypes, I'll report this: one of the guys gave me a hearty hug upon leaving and he had just met me. I haven't found the stereotype of unfriendly Germans to fit in my life. I have met so many kind, thoughtful, and generous locals here.
-C and I watched Detroit Unleaded. I loved this movie so much that I actually bought it, which is a rarity for me as I don't like to own a lot of books/movies. She was impressed and of course I enjoyed seeing it again. I love that it's a romantic movie with Arab-American characters set in Detroit that shows the city, warts and all, without exploiting it or the characters. I pointed out the references to Better Made, Faygo Pop (dear diet Red Pop: I miss drinking a can every so often), and I think even City Club pop. Plus, it's on Hulu now so it can be watched more easily. Here's an article about it.
-We went to the Rüdesheim am Rhein Christmas Market of the Nations on Saturday. It was about an hour and 15 minutes from Kaiserslautern. I'll write up more about it, but we enjoyed it and C said it's one of her favorites.
-On Sunday, I had a lazy day. I read two books for fun, enjoying my two weeks off from German classes. When I'm in class, I don't get to read for fun very much because I feel as if I should use any free time to study or do homework.
I then wandered down to the Christmas market in Kaiserslautern to enjoy some hot chocolate. It was hopping with a merry and festive feeling.
-In the German class at the university, we talked about Christmas things and practiced other sayings.
I came up with this gem of sentence when we worked further with trennbar verbs: "Die Dummheit meiner Katze nimmt immer zu." Poor Moo.
In the Volkshochschule course, our teacher took us out for a drink following our last class. It was so sweet of her! I enjoyed her class and was always impressed with her mastery of teaching.
-I had a nice meeting with my German tandem speaking partner.
-Moo got his stitches out but must still wear the Cone of Shame because the surgery wound is not healed enough yet. He does everything he can to make me feel guilty about this. I can't wait until he's better so he'll stop sulking.
-I met up with some guys from one of our other groups and we sat by the fire outside at the Kaiserslautern Christmas market, a cozy place to meet. It was supposed to be a tandem speaking night but as is customary, we spoke mostly English. That's okay, because we spent most of the time laughing. For the record, they're German - the stereotype of Germans who don't like to have fun/laugh is certainly not right! To further shatter stereotypes, I'll report this: one of the guys gave me a hearty hug upon leaving and he had just met me. I haven't found the stereotype of unfriendly Germans to fit in my life. I have met so many kind, thoughtful, and generous locals here.
-C and I watched Detroit Unleaded. I loved this movie so much that I actually bought it, which is a rarity for me as I don't like to own a lot of books/movies. She was impressed and of course I enjoyed seeing it again. I love that it's a romantic movie with Arab-American characters set in Detroit that shows the city, warts and all, without exploiting it or the characters. I pointed out the references to Better Made, Faygo Pop (dear diet Red Pop: I miss drinking a can every so often), and I think even City Club pop. Plus, it's on Hulu now so it can be watched more easily. Here's an article about it.
-We went to the Rüdesheim am Rhein Christmas Market of the Nations on Saturday. It was about an hour and 15 minutes from Kaiserslautern. I'll write up more about it, but we enjoyed it and C said it's one of her favorites.
-On Sunday, I had a lazy day. I read two books for fun, enjoying my two weeks off from German classes. When I'm in class, I don't get to read for fun very much because I feel as if I should use any free time to study or do homework.
I then wandered down to the Christmas market in Kaiserslautern to enjoy some hot chocolate. It was hopping with a merry and festive feeling.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Düsseldorf trip, day 2
We wanted to fill our our second day in Düsseldorf with art. We started with a visit to the K20 Art Museum, which houses works by 20th century masters, including Picasso, members of the Munich Secession, the Blaue Reiter, and so on. Admission was a bit steep at 12 euros but we thoroughly enjoyed the art.
Following the K20 visit, we had every intention of attending a really cool art market with djs. Unfortunately, we didn't note which district housed the address and the two places we visited were nowhere near where we needed to be. We ended up at the far edge of the local trains and then gave up.
We decided that it was time to head back to get the car, eat some lunch, then head home with a slight detour to Cologne. For lunch, we made a stop to Jade Vegatarische Küche, a vegan and vegetarian Chinese restaurant near the hotel. We enjoyed an inexpensive, filling, and vegan lunch.
After lunch we hopped into the car and made a quick journey to Cologne. I visited the city last year with my cousins and we enjoyed ourselves. However, we only saw about three of the seven Christmas markets. One market was especially curious; it was the gay and lesbian market. Though I'm not part of that community, I was extremely nosy and wanted to know what it would be like. Would there be naughty ornaments? Strangely shaped foods? Lots of sparkly things? I honestly had no idea what to expect so of course I had to find out.
C. and I wandered over after driving around the block several frustrating times while trying to enter the parking garage. The market was similar to most other Christmas markets but there were indeed shiny/sparkly decorations and some naughty chocolates and lebkuchen with very saucy things written on them. There was a booth of men's underoos and a booth with some mermen ornaments, which I thought were pretty cool; if I had a Christmas tree, I probably would have bought one.
We were delighted to learn that we were in time for a men's talent show hosted by drag queens. The show was fantastic and we thought that the guys were adorable. The whole show had such a local feeling to it; I wondered if the guys had been talked into competing by their friends. They had to showcase their talents. One guy made snowmen as a fundraiser and another guy did yoga. That totally cracked me up because it's not what I would think of as traditional talent show offerings. See where it felt like they were talked into competing by their friends? The winner lip synced and danced to Beyonce with one of the drag queens as his dance partner, which the crowd enthusiastically received. The whole thing was fantastic! C. and I decided that it was totally worth the trip.
As we headed home, we reflected on our trip and our impressions on Düsseldorf. Though we enjoyed ourselves and were glad that we checked out a new city, we weren't super impressed with Düsseldorf. It just felt kind of...soulless, perhaps. It had been bombed heavily during the war and it seemed to have a lot of ugly post-war buildings. The whole city is great for those who want to shop, but...well, it feels a bit like Mannheim in a very commercial sense (without Mannheim's great music scene). Most cities have some sort of pulse and we just couldn't connect with Düsseldorf's.
Following the K20 visit, we had every intention of attending a really cool art market with djs. Unfortunately, we didn't note which district housed the address and the two places we visited were nowhere near where we needed to be. We ended up at the far edge of the local trains and then gave up.
We decided that it was time to head back to get the car, eat some lunch, then head home with a slight detour to Cologne. For lunch, we made a stop to Jade Vegatarische Küche, a vegan and vegetarian Chinese restaurant near the hotel. We enjoyed an inexpensive, filling, and vegan lunch.
After lunch we hopped into the car and made a quick journey to Cologne. I visited the city last year with my cousins and we enjoyed ourselves. However, we only saw about three of the seven Christmas markets. One market was especially curious; it was the gay and lesbian market. Though I'm not part of that community, I was extremely nosy and wanted to know what it would be like. Would there be naughty ornaments? Strangely shaped foods? Lots of sparkly things? I honestly had no idea what to expect so of course I had to find out.
C. and I wandered over after driving around the block several frustrating times while trying to enter the parking garage. The market was similar to most other Christmas markets but there were indeed shiny/sparkly decorations and some naughty chocolates and lebkuchen with very saucy things written on them. There was a booth of men's underoos and a booth with some mermen ornaments, which I thought were pretty cool; if I had a Christmas tree, I probably would have bought one.
 |
| The underwear booth! See the shiny decorations to the right? |
As we headed home, we reflected on our trip and our impressions on Düsseldorf. Though we enjoyed ourselves and were glad that we checked out a new city, we weren't super impressed with Düsseldorf. It just felt kind of...soulless, perhaps. It had been bombed heavily during the war and it seemed to have a lot of ugly post-war buildings. The whole city is great for those who want to shop, but...well, it feels a bit like Mannheim in a very commercial sense (without Mannheim's great music scene). Most cities have some sort of pulse and we just couldn't connect with Düsseldorf's.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Düsseldorf trip, day 1
My friend C. and I decided to spend the weekend of November 29 in Düsseldorf as we hadn't been there before and wanted to check out the Christmas markets.
I made a hotel reservation at the Hotel Astra, which is in the southern outskirts of the city. As I turned down the hotel's road, we ran into traffic resulting from the flea market right in front of the hotel. I was looking forward to perusing it after checking in at the hotel but was denied entry to the parking lot of the hotel. What the heck?! As a result of the flea market, there were no spots available. When I asked the guy guarding the gate where I should park instead, he shrugged his shoulders and said "somewhere downtown." Thanks, dude. I was NOT pleased with any of the situation; I had chosen the hotel because it was inexpensive and had free parking. Since I wasn't from town, of course I wouldn't know a good place to park elsewhere!
Thanks to Mr. GPS finding us a Park and Ride lot, I calmed down from my Hulk Angry mode (I greatly dislike driving anyway so the parking situation didn't make me any happier). We ditched the car at the Südfriedhof P+R lot about two miles from the hotel. We fumbled a bit with figuring out the tram lines but we were soon on track and made our way to the Hauptbahnhof and then to the tourist information office across the street from it to get some information.
We visited the following places:
-Gut & Gerne Schockolade shop: in this quaint building with hardwood floors and light walls, the chocolates are anything but quaint. The store offers a wide variety of fresh chocolates in interesting gourmet flavors like balsamic caramel (actually really quite good without tasting like salad dressing). The chocolates are presented in display cases throughout the room; ask the staff to bag up your selections. Other gifts, such as chocolate bars, sauces, creams, and assorted sweets are also on offer and an adjoining cafe offers beverages.
-Christmas market at Flinger Strasse. There was a drink hut with a huge Christmas pyramid on top with somewhat frightening characters twirling around. We had no idea who they were or what they meant but I sensed some potential satire.
-Christmas market at Marktplatz. There was a Ferris wheel, among other things. We thought that the portion with fronts painted to look like old timey businesses was especially neat.
-St. Lambertus Basilica. Gothic and Baroque art and relics lay beneath modern stained glass windows that manage to enhance, rather than detract from, the interior. We stopped by the parish rummage sale and I picked up some ridiculous tchotkes that I plan to use to fully tease a friend for a somewhat inside joke.
-Stier Royal: we ate dinner at this burger place. I normally would run far, far away from burger places but there was both a vegetarian falafel burger and a vegan chickpea burger option. I picked the latter, served with marinated and grilled veggies on top and enjoyed the surprisingly hearty "burger." The sweet potato fries were crisp and delicious. C. enjoyed her very meaty burger and regular fries. We were impressed by the friendly and attentive waiter who helpfully explained the menu.
-More Christmas markets, followed by a trip to Primark, just because I haven't exploited any child laborers lately. I bought a sweater and a pair of gloves, a purchase that was most definitely influenced by how cold I was after walking around.
There was even a Gepäck Bus, which we took to mean that it was a bus where one could store one's purchases and continue shopping without being weighted down. It appeared that we were correct as we saw another one with an employee checking in some bags from a shopper.
I made a hotel reservation at the Hotel Astra, which is in the southern outskirts of the city. As I turned down the hotel's road, we ran into traffic resulting from the flea market right in front of the hotel. I was looking forward to perusing it after checking in at the hotel but was denied entry to the parking lot of the hotel. What the heck?! As a result of the flea market, there were no spots available. When I asked the guy guarding the gate where I should park instead, he shrugged his shoulders and said "somewhere downtown." Thanks, dude. I was NOT pleased with any of the situation; I had chosen the hotel because it was inexpensive and had free parking. Since I wasn't from town, of course I wouldn't know a good place to park elsewhere!
Thanks to Mr. GPS finding us a Park and Ride lot, I calmed down from my Hulk Angry mode (I greatly dislike driving anyway so the parking situation didn't make me any happier). We ditched the car at the Südfriedhof P+R lot about two miles from the hotel. We fumbled a bit with figuring out the tram lines but we were soon on track and made our way to the Hauptbahnhof and then to the tourist information office across the street from it to get some information.
We visited the following places:
-Gut & Gerne Schockolade shop: in this quaint building with hardwood floors and light walls, the chocolates are anything but quaint. The store offers a wide variety of fresh chocolates in interesting gourmet flavors like balsamic caramel (actually really quite good without tasting like salad dressing). The chocolates are presented in display cases throughout the room; ask the staff to bag up your selections. Other gifts, such as chocolate bars, sauces, creams, and assorted sweets are also on offer and an adjoining cafe offers beverages.
-Christmas market at Flinger Strasse. There was a drink hut with a huge Christmas pyramid on top with somewhat frightening characters twirling around. We had no idea who they were or what they meant but I sensed some potential satire.
 |
| We wanted NO part of this! |
-Christmas market at Marktplatz. There was a Ferris wheel, among other things. We thought that the portion with fronts painted to look like old timey businesses was especially neat.
-St. Lambertus Basilica. Gothic and Baroque art and relics lay beneath modern stained glass windows that manage to enhance, rather than detract from, the interior. We stopped by the parish rummage sale and I picked up some ridiculous tchotkes that I plan to use to fully tease a friend for a somewhat inside joke.
-Stier Royal: we ate dinner at this burger place. I normally would run far, far away from burger places but there was both a vegetarian falafel burger and a vegan chickpea burger option. I picked the latter, served with marinated and grilled veggies on top and enjoyed the surprisingly hearty "burger." The sweet potato fries were crisp and delicious. C. enjoyed her very meaty burger and regular fries. We were impressed by the friendly and attentive waiter who helpfully explained the menu.
-More Christmas markets, followed by a trip to Primark, just because I haven't exploited any child laborers lately. I bought a sweater and a pair of gloves, a purchase that was most definitely influenced by how cold I was after walking around.
There was even a Gepäck Bus, which we took to mean that it was a bus where one could store one's purchases and continue shopping without being weighted down. It appeared that we were correct as we saw another one with an employee checking in some bags from a shopper.
 |
| There was an actual human in addition to Santa to watch over the bags. |
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Christmas Markets in Kaiserslautern
Um, I'm a bit behind on this, but better late than never...
As is common with many cities, Kaiserslautern is hosting a Christmas market. It's primarily held around the Stitftsplatz, Stiftskirche, and Schillerplatz. Located in the center of town and in the middle of the pedestrian zone, it's a convenient and cozy place to stop for some Christmas spirit (or spirits like Glühwein - he he).
There is also an arts and crafts market in the Fructhalle, near Schillerplatz. Called the Kulturmarkt vor Weihnachten, the market is continuing until 21 December and is a lovely place to shop for handmade jewelry, soaps, textiles, and more. I enjoyed my trip there this year and here's a blog entry from last year about it.
The Fructhalle is located right across from the tourists' information office downtown. The market is open from 24 November until 21 December and is open daily from 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. There is no admission charge.
As is common with many cities, Kaiserslautern is hosting a Christmas market. It's primarily held around the Stitftsplatz, Stiftskirche, and Schillerplatz. Located in the center of town and in the middle of the pedestrian zone, it's a convenient and cozy place to stop for some Christmas spirit (or spirits like Glühwein - he he).
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| Market in front of Stiftskirche |
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| Giant Christmas pyramid under which one can order drinks |
The Fructhalle is located right across from the tourists' information office downtown. The market is open from 24 November until 21 December and is open daily from 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. There is no admission charge.
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| Crafts in the Fructhalle |
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Dodgy Berlin Bear looks dodgy
In Berlin, we saw a very strange Christmas market vendor's stand. It was the day before the market opened and I couldn't figure out what the stand was supposed to be (further research to follow, I guess).
Anyway, this bear painted on the stand is just plain weird. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. He just has a very dodgy look to him.
He looks a bit shifty-eyed and frat boy-ish. Still, something else seemed wrong. Bear has people hands with four fingers that bend in strange ways! He also has hair (that freaks me out more than him wearing clothes, for some reason). I do not recommend trusting this bear for an instant.
Anyway, this bear painted on the stand is just plain weird. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. He just has a very dodgy look to him.
He looks a bit shifty-eyed and frat boy-ish. Still, something else seemed wrong. Bear has people hands with four fingers that bend in strange ways! He also has hair (that freaks me out more than him wearing clothes, for some reason). I do not recommend trusting this bear for an instant.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
My week: December 14 ed.
This week has been a roller coaster of stress, Incredible Hulk-angry moments, tiredness, cat surgery, cat acting alternately like a spoiled brat followed by being the sweetest fuzzy dude ever, German learning and lessons, party-throwing/friend hosting & hanging out, favorite Christmas market-visiting, and relaxing in PJs/movie night. I can happily say that the stressful beginning of the week gave way to a relaxed and full of warm fuzzies end of the week.
-Moo had surgery. He had a benign tumor on his calf that the vet thought should still come off. I had to zip him over to the vet before work and was able to pick him up after work.
Of course I had very little time and too many things to do so he had to sit in the cat carrier while I ran to the store to buy glasses for the party I was hosting on the weekend and some treats to mail to my previous coworkers. I felt a bit guilty about that but the stores close early so it had to be that night.
He has been very unhappy about wearing the cone of shame and has been acting out a bit. He found out that he can use the cone as a battering ram of sorts, slamming against the bedroom door and demanding to be let in when I'm sleeping. He even figured out how to get out of an earlier cone of shame! C. had to shove it back on him when I was away at German class. Moo has been demanding and needy since the surgery. Can one blame him? He finally settled down (mostly) by the end of the week. I think it's because he received a lot of attention during the party and from friends staying over.
-I had German classes three times. I didn't meet with my tandem speaking partner because of Moo's surgery.
-Work has been incredibly busy. I gave a presentation at another location and rushed to get ready for that. I probably would have worked on it a bit more at home the night before but I just had nothing else to give at that point; I was flustered and exhausted most of the week from everything going on.
-Finally the weekend came! I rushed home to co-host a party. There's no way that I could have done it without the help of my friend C. who's visiting right now. She planned, shopped, cooked, cleaned, and decorated! It was completely awesome and she did a great job. She even bought gold "medals" made of chocolate so I came up with some games so we could award them.
The party was a holiday party and White Elephant gift exchange (optional). Since only two people brought things to exchange, I decided to liven it up by going "shopping" in my house and added some things to the bag so everyone could take something home. Considering that I try not to have too many extra things in my house, it got interesting! One friend won a packet of cat food, which Moo said was okay to give away since it was the friend who normally cat sits him. Guests also won cool things like a package of tissues and a piece of chocolate.
We then played charades that I devised at the last minute and became the hit of the party. I came up with Christmas-related characters or things doing strange activities. For example, Little Baby Jesus received a parking ticket and a Christmas pyramid was angry and breaking ornaments. We were in hysterics as the players acted them out.
I also love that we were such an international group. Half of the guests were from non-Western countries and only three guests speak English as a first language. When I was coming up with characters and situations for charades, I tried to pick things that everyone would know. However, I did have to explain to one guest was a sled was. That was fair enough, as her country doesn't ever see snow!
-Two out-of-town friends spent the night after the party and we had a lazy morning of eating leftovers. One friend left and we then went to the Haus der Nachhaltigkeit's Christmas market in the woods, picking up another friend along the way. I explained that this was my favorite market and my friends loved it too. We drank bio Glühwein (the only kind I'll drink now), wandering among the booths in the forest.
Along the way, we ran into the Big Boss from work (our boss's boss's boss, if that makes sense) and his wife so we said hi. I was surprised to hear that Mrs. Boss did not like the market. She was unhappy because she had gotten bopped by umbrellas (it was raining) and she felt that there wasn't much to buy. I can see where it might not have made for an experience that she would enjoy.
It's still my favorite Christmas market though; I think it's partially because of the lack of a feeling of overt commercialism there. Sure, every booth is selling something, whether it's food, drink, or a product, but items are handmade and high quality. Not everyone needs a sheep's fleece or hand-made brooms. However, it feels like a magical place in the woods where the main point is to celebrate with friends.
-On Sunday, we ran some errands and dropped off our friend M, who had stayed one extra night since it was reasonably late by the time we came home the night before. Later, C. and I had a lazy evening of watching Detroit Unleaded and Adventures in Babysitting, which we both thoroughly enjoyed. It was the perfect ending to a busy and previously stressful week.
-Moo had surgery. He had a benign tumor on his calf that the vet thought should still come off. I had to zip him over to the vet before work and was able to pick him up after work.
Of course I had very little time and too many things to do so he had to sit in the cat carrier while I ran to the store to buy glasses for the party I was hosting on the weekend and some treats to mail to my previous coworkers. I felt a bit guilty about that but the stores close early so it had to be that night.
He has been very unhappy about wearing the cone of shame and has been acting out a bit. He found out that he can use the cone as a battering ram of sorts, slamming against the bedroom door and demanding to be let in when I'm sleeping. He even figured out how to get out of an earlier cone of shame! C. had to shove it back on him when I was away at German class. Moo has been demanding and needy since the surgery. Can one blame him? He finally settled down (mostly) by the end of the week. I think it's because he received a lot of attention during the party and from friends staying over.
 |
| I made him 3 cat beds and he laid on the house shoes for guests. Silly kitty! |
-I had German classes three times. I didn't meet with my tandem speaking partner because of Moo's surgery.
-Work has been incredibly busy. I gave a presentation at another location and rushed to get ready for that. I probably would have worked on it a bit more at home the night before but I just had nothing else to give at that point; I was flustered and exhausted most of the week from everything going on.
-Finally the weekend came! I rushed home to co-host a party. There's no way that I could have done it without the help of my friend C. who's visiting right now. She planned, shopped, cooked, cleaned, and decorated! It was completely awesome and she did a great job. She even bought gold "medals" made of chocolate so I came up with some games so we could award them.
The party was a holiday party and White Elephant gift exchange (optional). Since only two people brought things to exchange, I decided to liven it up by going "shopping" in my house and added some things to the bag so everyone could take something home. Considering that I try not to have too many extra things in my house, it got interesting! One friend won a packet of cat food, which Moo said was okay to give away since it was the friend who normally cat sits him. Guests also won cool things like a package of tissues and a piece of chocolate.
We then played charades that I devised at the last minute and became the hit of the party. I came up with Christmas-related characters or things doing strange activities. For example, Little Baby Jesus received a parking ticket and a Christmas pyramid was angry and breaking ornaments. We were in hysterics as the players acted them out.
I also love that we were such an international group. Half of the guests were from non-Western countries and only three guests speak English as a first language. When I was coming up with characters and situations for charades, I tried to pick things that everyone would know. However, I did have to explain to one guest was a sled was. That was fair enough, as her country doesn't ever see snow!
-Two out-of-town friends spent the night after the party and we had a lazy morning of eating leftovers. One friend left and we then went to the Haus der Nachhaltigkeit's Christmas market in the woods, picking up another friend along the way. I explained that this was my favorite market and my friends loved it too. We drank bio Glühwein (the only kind I'll drink now), wandering among the booths in the forest.
Along the way, we ran into the Big Boss from work (our boss's boss's boss, if that makes sense) and his wife so we said hi. I was surprised to hear that Mrs. Boss did not like the market. She was unhappy because she had gotten bopped by umbrellas (it was raining) and she felt that there wasn't much to buy. I can see where it might not have made for an experience that she would enjoy.
It's still my favorite Christmas market though; I think it's partially because of the lack of a feeling of overt commercialism there. Sure, every booth is selling something, whether it's food, drink, or a product, but items are handmade and high quality. Not everyone needs a sheep's fleece or hand-made brooms. However, it feels like a magical place in the woods where the main point is to celebrate with friends.
-On Sunday, we ran some errands and dropped off our friend M, who had stayed one extra night since it was reasonably late by the time we came home the night before. Later, C. and I had a lazy evening of watching Detroit Unleaded and Adventures in Babysitting, which we both thoroughly enjoyed. It was the perfect ending to a busy and previously stressful week.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
My favorite Christmas Market Begins: 13-14 December, Trippstadt
I'm super excited, despite the dreary weather: my all-time favorite Christmas begins in a few hours!
The Haus der Nachhaltigkeit, or House of Sustainability, is a nature center, of sorts, located in Trippstadt, which is twenty minutes south of Kaiserslautern. It is offering its annual one weekend-only "Romantische Waldweihnacht," or "romantic forest Christmas" on its grounds. It is truly a special Christmas market, quite different from most other German markets, being held partially in the forest in a beautiful setting.
Offerings at this market are most often organic, handmade, and high quality. There are many local specialties, including some that are hyper local and put the focus on the forest: it's possible to eat venison and wild boar products made from animals from the very woods!
The market is only open during the second weekend in December and is held in Trippstadt, twenty minutes south of Kaiserslautern. Parking is almost impossible; do not even attempt to drive. I mean it! Instead, enjoy a stress-free (though sometimes packed) ride on the special VRN bus that makes frequent trips during the market. Plus, it allows everyone to enjoy some Glühwein! Group tickets allow for a very inexpensive journey.
For more information:
Haus der Nachhaltigkeit's Website, with more info
My blog entry from last year, detailing my experience
Tips for enjoying the market (#1 tip is: don't drive yourself there! Take the bus!)
The Haus der Nachhaltigkeit, or House of Sustainability, is a nature center, of sorts, located in Trippstadt, which is twenty minutes south of Kaiserslautern. It is offering its annual one weekend-only "Romantische Waldweihnacht," or "romantic forest Christmas" on its grounds. It is truly a special Christmas market, quite different from most other German markets, being held partially in the forest in a beautiful setting.
Offerings at this market are most often organic, handmade, and high quality. There are many local specialties, including some that are hyper local and put the focus on the forest: it's possible to eat venison and wild boar products made from animals from the very woods!
The market is only open during the second weekend in December and is held in Trippstadt, twenty minutes south of Kaiserslautern. Parking is almost impossible; do not even attempt to drive. I mean it! Instead, enjoy a stress-free (though sometimes packed) ride on the special VRN bus that makes frequent trips during the market. Plus, it allows everyone to enjoy some Glühwein! Group tickets allow for a very inexpensive journey.
For more information:
Haus der Nachhaltigkeit's Website, with more info
My blog entry from last year, detailing my experience
Tips for enjoying the market (#1 tip is: don't drive yourself there! Take the bus!)
Sunday, November 30, 2014
My Week: November 30 ed.
-With this blog entry, I have completed the NaBloPoMo challenge of posting a blog entry for each day of the month. I'm glad to have met goal and hope that I didn't drive people too crazy with so much to read. Then I realized: yinz probably have the wherewithal to stop reading should it have been too much.
-I heard somewhere that doves are really just white pigeons. I have no idea if this is true or not and I have no plans to research it (so take what I say at face value) because I like the idea of them being the same. Pigeons deserve equal rights!
-I don't know what the heck is up with me lately, but I've been cutting my thumb on things. Last week I gave myself a nasty paper cut and wondered: why do they hurt so much? It wasn't even deep but did it hurt! Then I cut my thumb again on a container this week and my thumb bled like crazy. Dang.
-I returned from Berlin on Monday. Well, technically, by the time I dropped my friend off and came home, it was Tuesday.
-The friend who's been staying with me told me about her weekend with Moo while I was gone. Apparently she was concerned about him because he didn't leave his new moohouse/bed all day and wasn't interested in the potato chip she offered him. I told her that he was probably just being lazy. She agreed because the next day he ate the potato chip and chased a twist tie. I thought that her concern was sweet. We hypothesized that he might have missed me. Another friend who's watched Moo for me in the past said that on the first day, Moo had ignored him but on the second Moo demanded attention.
-I met with my German tandem speaking partner and it was a pleasant reunion. It's been almost a month since we've met since we were both too busy.
-My friend and I had a German-Eritrean-American Thanksgiving experience.
-I took Moo to the vet after work. He was not very pleased to be stuffed into the cat carrier and let out some very mournful moos! I did come home to a very nice pasta dinner that my friend staying with me made. Moo "recovered" by laying in his moobed and looking sad. He does not enjoy road trips.
-Friend C and I took a trip to Düsseldorf to see the Christmas markets and the city, too. On the way home, we made a short side trip to Cologne to visit a Christmas market that's a bit different from the others and were glad we did.
-I heard somewhere that doves are really just white pigeons. I have no idea if this is true or not and I have no plans to research it (so take what I say at face value) because I like the idea of them being the same. Pigeons deserve equal rights!
-I don't know what the heck is up with me lately, but I've been cutting my thumb on things. Last week I gave myself a nasty paper cut and wondered: why do they hurt so much? It wasn't even deep but did it hurt! Then I cut my thumb again on a container this week and my thumb bled like crazy. Dang.
-I returned from Berlin on Monday. Well, technically, by the time I dropped my friend off and came home, it was Tuesday.
-The friend who's been staying with me told me about her weekend with Moo while I was gone. Apparently she was concerned about him because he didn't leave his new moohouse/bed all day and wasn't interested in the potato chip she offered him. I told her that he was probably just being lazy. She agreed because the next day he ate the potato chip and chased a twist tie. I thought that her concern was sweet. We hypothesized that he might have missed me. Another friend who's watched Moo for me in the past said that on the first day, Moo had ignored him but on the second Moo demanded attention.
-I met with my German tandem speaking partner and it was a pleasant reunion. It's been almost a month since we've met since we were both too busy.
-My friend and I had a German-Eritrean-American Thanksgiving experience.
-I took Moo to the vet after work. He was not very pleased to be stuffed into the cat carrier and let out some very mournful moos! I did come home to a very nice pasta dinner that my friend staying with me made. Moo "recovered" by laying in his moobed and looking sad. He does not enjoy road trips.
-Friend C and I took a trip to Düsseldorf to see the Christmas markets and the city, too. On the way home, we made a short side trip to Cologne to visit a Christmas market that's a bit different from the others and were glad we did.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Seven Ways to Enjoy Germany Like the Germans Do
Are you
trying to fit into Germany and want to live life like a local? Below are some
wonderful pastimes that are popular with Germans and are fun to try.
- Grill party. You might see this at a park, in someone’s backyard, and if it’s allowed, even on some balconies. Germans enjoy a good grill party. Often the host has the barbeque going and guests bring their own meat and share side dishes.
- Volksmarching. This is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and you can even log your marches if you’d like. These happen all year; one of the most fun I’ve had was volksmarching in February in the snow.
- Wine festivals. Drink some delicious wines in a beautiful surrounding and listen to German music. With the easy availability of a train ride home from most locations, everyone in the party can enjoy some of the regional specialties.
- Picnic in the park. Bring a bottle of wine (drinking publicly is allowed in most places), some delicious food, and a blanket to a park and enjoy a wonderful afternoon.
- Party like crazy during Fasching/Karneval/Fastnacht. No matter what it’s called in your region, the time of the year just before Lent is when Germans love to party like crazy. There are parades, dances, music, and plenty of political jokes (in German, of course).
- Relax in the sauna. It’s usually clothing-free but entirely relaxing.
- Christmas markets. Oh, there is nothing else like a German Christmas market! Sip some Glühwein, wander among the vendors’ stalls, and soak in the wonderful atmosphere.
Monday, January 27, 2014
December's Adventure: Day 8, Liège
On to day 8, which was the last day of the big trip with my cousins in December.
We had driven to Liège, Belgium the night before and stayed at a horrible hotel. Let's just say that the pictures made it look much nicer than it was and I didn't read reviews far enough back. We were happy to leave it in the morning and head downtown.
There were several nice Christmas markets throughout downtown so we wandered the city, stopping by stores and churches as we went. My cousins found another small winery that was selling its own homemade vin chaud and agreed that my hypothesis that vin chaud/glühwein that is homemade and/or organic tastes so much better than what most other booths sell.
I had picked up a Use-It Guide for the city and it recommended a hike up to the Coteaux de la Citadelle, which overlooks the city. We had some difficulty finding it since the stairs are set back a way, but we finally were on track and schlepping up tons of stairs. The view at the top was quite amazing! We found another set of stairs and those were quite steep as well.
We trekked back down the hill, found some dinner, then decided to call it a day. Getting out of town was frustrating; I didn't take my own advice to park outside of the main part of downtown so it took 20 minutes just to drive several miles. Once we hit the highway, it was smooth sailing to drop my cousins off in Frankfurt to fly home.
It was a great trip! We ate delicious things, shared many laughs, saw artistic and historic sights, put 1,000 miles on my car, and walked our buns off in the cities. I'm so glad that my cousins were able to come out and visit.
We had driven to Liège, Belgium the night before and stayed at a horrible hotel. Let's just say that the pictures made it look much nicer than it was and I didn't read reviews far enough back. We were happy to leave it in the morning and head downtown.
There were several nice Christmas markets throughout downtown so we wandered the city, stopping by stores and churches as we went. My cousins found another small winery that was selling its own homemade vin chaud and agreed that my hypothesis that vin chaud/glühwein that is homemade and/or organic tastes so much better than what most other booths sell.
I had picked up a Use-It Guide for the city and it recommended a hike up to the Coteaux de la Citadelle, which overlooks the city. We had some difficulty finding it since the stairs are set back a way, but we finally were on track and schlepping up tons of stairs. The view at the top was quite amazing! We found another set of stairs and those were quite steep as well.
Oh, look! A hill! We walked up and down this.
These are the stairs we took. They were plentiful!
These were an option to get up/down the hill too. No thanks!
We trekked back down the hill, found some dinner, then decided to call it a day. Getting out of town was frustrating; I didn't take my own advice to park outside of the main part of downtown so it took 20 minutes just to drive several miles. Once we hit the highway, it was smooth sailing to drop my cousins off in Frankfurt to fly home.
It was a great trip! We ate delicious things, shared many laughs, saw artistic and historic sights, put 1,000 miles on my car, and walked our buns off in the cities. I'm so glad that my cousins were able to come out and visit.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
December's Adventure: Day 7, Brussels
We enjoyed a pleasant night at our Brussels hotel and woke up refreshed on Friday morning. On our way downtown we stopped at the Carrefour grocery store two blocks from our hotel. To save money on my trips, I like to buy my drinks (if not filling up from the hotel tap) and some things to eat at the grocery store. Plus it's a great way to try out food that the locals eat daily! I was happy to find a couscous for breakfast, which was a slightly more healthful option than the various Christmas market foods I'd eaten. After some basic French by my cousins and some pantomiming by me, we convinced the helpful store clerk to give me a plastic spoon so I could eat the couscous.
Our first official stop was the City Museum of Brussels, or the Maison du Roi, on the site of the previous bread market hall located in the Grand Place. It covers the history of Brussels, including its art, architecture, design, culture, and...best of all, Manneken Pis! There is a silly and cute documentary about the little statue. My favorite quote from the documentary is people, in many different languages, saying, "he is so small! I thought he'd be bigger." At two feet tall, he definitely not the towering "personality" that one would assume for a sculpture who has become the unofficial mascot of the city. In addition to the documentary, visitors can see many of M.P's costumes from different countries. There is even a computer where one can view a catalog of the costumes with more information.
I enjoyed the museum and would suggest if for those curious to learn more about the history of Brussels. The city itself has an interesting history and has been subject to many architectural changes. Also, it's fun to see the costumes of a "world famous" little peeing dude.
I did sit for a bit at the museum. After a week of extensive travel and walking at least 10 miles a day, my feet, even clad in my expensive and comfortable Christmas gift boots, were quite sore. We didn't take any public transport in the towns we visited after dumping the car; it was all walking. I love walking but after about 60 miles of it up to that point, my feet were saying they wanted a rest.
I was able to rouse myself for more sights and walking. Using the super handy and free Use-It Guide for Brussels, I had identified some things I'd like to see, do, and eat. My cousins very kindly obliged.
On the way we saw some interesting sights not on the list. For example, we found a small Christmas market tucked into a square. My cousins enjoyed some macaroons while I oohed and ahhed over a steampunk carousel. As vintage as it looked, it was built in 1999. How cool is it though? Many of the seats did interesting things, like the Pegasus that "flew." Here is an article about this magical contraption and its builders.
My cousins wanted to eat some more delicious quiches from a vendor they had found the night before in Place Sainte-Catherine, a nearby square. As they ordered, I stopped by the Brussels Use-It Guide location, also in the square. This was the first time that I actually went in-person to a Use-It office; normally I just print the guides from the internet. The office in Brussels is really neat; there is free wifi, friendly locals to meet, and free Use-It Guides, including other cities. I stopped by and told the volunteers how awesome I think that the guides are. And, just to be clear, I don't get anything other than the pleasure of recommending a good, free guide out of this :) I'm super impressed with the guides and the quality, non-commerical information written by locals. The volunteers at the office were pleased by my input and even offered me some guides that weren't on the general racks. As I left the office and looked at the Brussels guide, I realized that some of the people I talked to were pictured on the guide itself. It was a fun experience and great to meet some of the folks who made the guide happen.
One stop from the Brussels guide that I felt was a must-eat location was the Comus et Gasteria ice cream shop at Quai aux Briques 86 (in St. Catherine's Square). Oh. My. Goodness. That ice cream was divine! I ordered the salted caramel that the guide recommended. I also ordered lavender ice cream. It was fragrant and delicious. The guy who ran the place was a bit grumpy but I didn't even care. The artesian ice cream was fabulous. Ignore the proprietor's surly demeanor and make a trip there.
I decided to follow dessert with a lunch/dinner from the Christmas market at the square. I chose "poylee savoyarde," which looked similar to German käsespätzle. I'm not sure if the blobs in it were potatoes or egg noodle* based like the German version, but the cheesy dish was was delicious.
This entry is getting long so I'll finish up the details of our Brussels day in another post.
*hehe. I'm getting quite Germanified here because when I first type the word "noodle," I wrote it with the German spelling. I'm finding myself doing that sometimes with other words too.
Our first official stop was the City Museum of Brussels, or the Maison du Roi, on the site of the previous bread market hall located in the Grand Place. It covers the history of Brussels, including its art, architecture, design, culture, and...best of all, Manneken Pis! There is a silly and cute documentary about the little statue. My favorite quote from the documentary is people, in many different languages, saying, "he is so small! I thought he'd be bigger." At two feet tall, he definitely not the towering "personality" that one would assume for a sculpture who has become the unofficial mascot of the city. In addition to the documentary, visitors can see many of M.P's costumes from different countries. There is even a computer where one can view a catalog of the costumes with more information.
I enjoyed the museum and would suggest if for those curious to learn more about the history of Brussels. The city itself has an interesting history and has been subject to many architectural changes. Also, it's fun to see the costumes of a "world famous" little peeing dude.
I did sit for a bit at the museum. After a week of extensive travel and walking at least 10 miles a day, my feet, even clad in my expensive and comfortable Christmas gift boots, were quite sore. We didn't take any public transport in the towns we visited after dumping the car; it was all walking. I love walking but after about 60 miles of it up to that point, my feet were saying they wanted a rest.
I was able to rouse myself for more sights and walking. Using the super handy and free Use-It Guide for Brussels, I had identified some things I'd like to see, do, and eat. My cousins very kindly obliged.
On the way we saw some interesting sights not on the list. For example, we found a small Christmas market tucked into a square. My cousins enjoyed some macaroons while I oohed and ahhed over a steampunk carousel. As vintage as it looked, it was built in 1999. How cool is it though? Many of the seats did interesting things, like the Pegasus that "flew." Here is an article about this magical contraption and its builders.
My cousins wanted to eat some more delicious quiches from a vendor they had found the night before in Place Sainte-Catherine, a nearby square. As they ordered, I stopped by the Brussels Use-It Guide location, also in the square. This was the first time that I actually went in-person to a Use-It office; normally I just print the guides from the internet. The office in Brussels is really neat; there is free wifi, friendly locals to meet, and free Use-It Guides, including other cities. I stopped by and told the volunteers how awesome I think that the guides are. And, just to be clear, I don't get anything other than the pleasure of recommending a good, free guide out of this :) I'm super impressed with the guides and the quality, non-commerical information written by locals. The volunteers at the office were pleased by my input and even offered me some guides that weren't on the general racks. As I left the office and looked at the Brussels guide, I realized that some of the people I talked to were pictured on the guide itself. It was a fun experience and great to meet some of the folks who made the guide happen.
One stop from the Brussels guide that I felt was a must-eat location was the Comus et Gasteria ice cream shop at Quai aux Briques 86 (in St. Catherine's Square). Oh. My. Goodness. That ice cream was divine! I ordered the salted caramel that the guide recommended. I also ordered lavender ice cream. It was fragrant and delicious. The guy who ran the place was a bit grumpy but I didn't even care. The artesian ice cream was fabulous. Ignore the proprietor's surly demeanor and make a trip there.
I decided to follow dessert with a lunch/dinner from the Christmas market at the square. I chose "poylee savoyarde," which looked similar to German käsespätzle. I'm not sure if the blobs in it were potatoes or egg noodle* based like the German version, but the cheesy dish was was delicious.
This entry is getting long so I'll finish up the details of our Brussels day in another post.
*hehe. I'm getting quite Germanified here because when I first type the word "noodle," I wrote it with the German spelling. I'm finding myself doing that sometimes with other words too.
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