Christmas Traditions: Trimming the Tree

When do you decorate your Christmas tree? I know many people like putting theirs up the day after Thanksgiving. The Hubs and I vary from year to year. Circumstances are always different. Heck, last year we didn't even have our house unpacked so there was no tree!

But this year, I am completely caught up in the holiday season. Our tree went up the weekend before Thanksgiving (no judgement, peeps!). There really is no place like Germany when it comes to Christmas. The spirit here has fully infected us, and I love it.

I'm determined to have a completely "German" Christmas tree by the time we move again. Meaning, I want all my ornaments to be purchased and from Germany. The Christmas markets are a perfect place to find my decorations. Here are a few of my favorites from this year:

Lace and ball

Crocheted Santa

From Rothenburg, Germany

I like picking things up wherever I go, and I'm leaning a bit more traditional in my tastes this year. I've also purchased many, many wooden ornaments, I'm obsessed!

I have one other new favorite 'ornament' this year, I wonder if you've seen them before? These cones are designed to hang on your tree, but they can be filled with candy and small gifts. The Hubs has already emptied the treats out of several of these on our tree!

What kind of ornaments do you like on your tree? Homemade, flashy, traditional? Comment below, my friends!

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Christmas Traditions: Advent Calendars

I'll just put this out there while I can, and get it said... I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I probably inherited this from my mom, who is an absolute Christmas nut. Our home was always decorated to the max. We had several trees (all with different themes), garland everywhere, plus lights, candles, candy dishes, little Christmas villages... and that's just the first floor!

Living in Germany is a Christmas fantasy come true. Not only are the Christmas markets absolutely fantastic, but many of our Christmas traditions originated here. For example, the advent calendar...

My advent calendar (a gift from grandma)

This is such a fun tradition! I mean, who doesn't like getting a surprise everyday for the 24 days before Christmas??

There are so many styles of these calendars. Some are cardboard and contain chocolates or prizes. Some are paper and each window opens to a bible verse. Some are little bags that can be filled with whatever you want. I've even seen people purchase tiny, wrapped chocolate boxes that hang on the tree. Personally, I've always wanted one of the wooden calendars. And this year I got one!

You see, whilst my grandma was visiting I took her to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (I take everyone here, it's a beautiful German town!). In the town center is one of the world-renowned Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shops.

Outside Käthe Wohlfahrt

Inside Käthe Wohlfahrt

Inside Käthe Wohlfahrt

During our shopping spree, my Nana managed to buy me the wooden calendar you see above and sneak it home, all without my knowledge. She presented it to me before she left, as a present. Isn't she the sweetest??!! So this year, the Hubs and I are continuing the tradition of Christmas advent calendars in style.

And though I was the one who filled the wooden drawers with sweets, I'm guessing the Hubs will eat most of the prizes... anyone else want to take that bet? I didn't think so. Total sucker bet, ha.

Do you use an advent calendar? What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? Comment below, peeps! Until next time...

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Regensburg Christmas Markets

Sigh.

This is the last Christmas market post of the season.

I miss them already.

The lights, the food, the drinks, the crafts… the sheer festiveness and fun. I've never experienced Christmas this way before, and I'm pretty sure I'm ruined for life. Christmas will never be the same.

What will I do back in the States??!

So, I've got to enjoy it while I can. I fully plan to visit as many Christmas markets as I can in the few years we have here.  My gluhwein mug collection will be enormous.

This last outing, I visited Regensburg with Hohenfels' ACS. There are many small markets around the city, and we visited most of them. In fact, I found my absolute favorite Christmas market (so far). Unlike some of the others, you pay to visit this market, but the entry fee is totally worth it. Known locally as the Romantic Market, the Thurn und Taxis Weihnachtsmarkt is beautiful.

Thurn und Taxis Christmas Market

The booths are strung with lights, decorated with evergreens. Fire pits abound. As night falls, the market definitely lives up to its romantic tag. Now that I've been, I can't wait to take the Hubs next year.

The other markets around the city are also fun, don't get me wrong. But this one spoke to me. It said, 'Stop, stay a while. Eat, drink, and be merry'. 

Of course, you know me, so the 'eating' part stuck out quite a bit, ha. After walking most of the afternoon, in the cold, we were all ready to warm up with a little food and drink.

The Regensburg markets impressed me with the abundance of their food choices. Looking back through my photos, I think I snapped more images of the good eats than anything else! Check it out:

Top left: Apfelkuchel
Bottom left: Spit meat
Right: Roasted nuts

The Apfelkuchel (above) is so dang delicious! Basically, fresh apple slices are dipped in batter, then fried, and then coated in sugar and cinnamon.

Ja, I ate those. And I would have kept going, except there were so many delicious things at the market to eat!

Left:  ½ meter hotdog (sausage)
Right: Bread, cheese, and meat vendor

The States may have the footlong, but the Germans have the ½ meter dog! The variety of sausage here is outrageous… I doubt I'll be able to taste them all in the few years we have. So far, I haven't found one that I didn't like.

BUT, my absolute favorite treat at the market is something I'll probably dream about until the next time I can eat it. So garlicy, buttery, and delicious, it's a hard treat to forget:

Knobibrot

Kind of like pizza, but not. Better. Soooo much better. The bread was fried right in front of us, then topped with a white sauce which is out of this world, scary-crazy delicious. You can add toppings or not, it's totally up to you.

You MUST try this if you have an opportunity. Seriously. Don't doubt me, peeps! If no one had been watching, I would have gone back for another, no lie.

I'm pretty bummed the holiday season is over, but I'm already planning my market trips for next year. I know I'll never be able to visit every market, but I'm dang sure gonna try. Luckily, Germany doesn't need much of a reason to have a festival. Various ones abound through the year, with all the same elements… beer, food, and community. Fasching will be here before I know it!

Until then, I'll keep you updated with all our travels. I'm visiting London this week, and Venice in the early spring. And of course, I'll also have more recipes and more Pinterest tested, and more army life tips! Talk to ya again soon!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Heidelberg Christmas Markets

Before our move, the Hubs and I were a little worried about meeting new people, and finding friends at a new duty station. After all, our old pals are so wonderful! We miss all the good times we had together, and really hope they can visit us sometime.

Lucky for us, a few of our friends have followed us to Europe! Of course, none are at our exact location, but they're closer than some of our other friends. Also lucky us, we discovered that we have amazing new neighbors! Most of us are new here, so we have the chance to discover this beautiful country together.

One of my new pals is actually from Germany, and she has been an incredible help to all of us as we fumble with the language, train schedules, and grocery stores. She's originally from Heidelberg, a gorgeous town. And, she offered to show me around a couple weekends ago...

Naturally, I said heck yes! 

The Christmas Markets were in full swing when we arrived. My friend, Becky (who lives in Germany now too!) met us there, and we all spent an excellent afternoon together. Mostly, we wandered the markets. Shopping, eating, and chatting…

I'm really, really obsessed with the Christmas markets. They're so much fun, just to hang out and socialize. Not to mention, a great place to pick up gifts for our family back in the States.

Though we only had the afternoon and a bit of the evening, Jasmina (my new neighbor) managed to show us so much of her lovely hometown. We stopped for breakfast at a fantastic cafe, wandered the markets, and eventually made our way to Heidelberg Castle.

Panoramic of Heidelberg Castle and the town

We spent some time seeing the sights, with Jasmina as our guide (she was excellent!). The history in Europe runs much longer than what I'm used to in the States, it's fascinating. Not only did we tour the outside of the castle area, with it's excellent views, but we wandered into the castle itself before making our way back to town.

Us ladies goofing off 

Left: Giant wine barrel (room sized!)
Top right: Entering the castle center
Bottom right: Sun clock on castle tower

Someday I might take a guided tour of the castle, but we saw so much even without a pro guide. Though I think Jasmina should qualify, ha! In the image above, you can see some of the sights. The ginormous (that's a real word, peeps!) wine barrel especially impressed me.

I'm not sure what that says about me… but I'm ok with it.

One spot Becky and I were especially determined to see was the Heidelberg Gate. As night began to fall, we walked to the gate among small crowds of people.

The gate is an especially photographic spot. On the other side is a stone bridge (also beautiful), where many people attach their "love locks" in this city (you might remember these from my trip to Budapest). One of these days, I'll buy a lock with the Hubs and we'll toss the key into the river below. We only have to decide which gorgeous city we'll complete this tradition in… suggestions, anyone?

Though I loved my trip to Heidelberg, it just wasn't enough. I'm desperate to go back! So far, this is one of my favorite cities in Germany. Sometime in the spring, I plan to visit again, for a weekend this time. Hopefully the Hubs can come on that trip too.

But for now, Happy New Year, my friends! There will be one more post about some of the local Christmas markets, and then I'll tell you all about my recent trip to Neuschwanstein castle. Plus, some new recipes should be coming soon (now that my dishes are unpacked!).

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Salzburg Christmas Market

The month of December is such a festive time in Germany… Christmas markets abound, lights are strung, and trees are decorated. For the four weeks of Advent, you can't help but be infected with holiday spirit. After attending my first Christmas market in Germany, I branched out the following weekend and took another bus trip through ODR (Outdoor Rec) to Salzburg, Austria.

View from the Museum of Modern Art

Gorgeous, isn't it? A few minutes after arrival, I knew I'd be visiting again someday, this time with the Hubs. But for the moment, I was there with friends to attend Salzburg's Christmas market.

We started our day early, wandering the markets before they became too crowded (and believe me, they did!). Food vendors are everywhere, tempting you with their sights and smells, not to mention all the Christmas crafts which are for sale.

Let me be honest… I have to fight the urge to stop at every, single stall! Yeesh, talk about putting on some holiday weight. Luckily, those with me had more self-control, and we merely stopped to have cheese sausages for breakfast, yum. Lunch was an open-faced Raclette sandwich. This was so good, the Hubs and I re-created it at home earlier this week!

And yes, the simple recipe will be coming soon to a blog near you…

Various food vendors. Bottom-left: Raclette

Salzburg is known for many things, but some of the better known items are these:

1. Birthplace and home of Mozart
2. The filming of the Sound of Music (the original!)
3. "Old Town", an UNESCO World Heritage Site

Though our group didn't tour Mozart's home, I plan to check it out when I go back with the Hubs. But I did get a quick look at the outside, plus every street corner seems to house Mozart candy chocolate shops! I can't resist things that include chocolate, ha.

Left: Birthplace / Home of Mozart
Right: Chocolate shop selling Mozart candies

While history and chocolate are always at the top of my list, one of the very top reasons tourists visit Austria are the Sound of Music tours. Again, I was in Salzburg for the Christmas markets, so we didn't take a tour. But I'll be enjoying one soon! Sometime in the spring, I hope to test the tours with the Hubs, and I'll be sure to let you know how we like it.

As for Old Town, we did manage to see quite a bit of it as we wandered from market to market. The architecture is stunning, and just begs for photographs to be taken. You can find a printable map and free walking tour here if you're interested.

View of Old Town from above, with Fortress Hohensalzburg on the hill

Our group accidentally wound up at the top of the Museum of Modern Art, thinking we were riding to the top of the castle! Of course, once at the top, we quickly realized our mistake. The view was so fantastic, though, none of us regretted the detour.

We decided to tour the fortress next, then spend a few hours (after dark) shopping at the Christmas market. After taking the tram to the castle, we were happy to find a small market there.

From the castle top, we were able to tour the inside of the fortress, as well as explore the market. Plus, the views were out of this world, seriously.

Don't believe me? See for yourself:

I was right, huh? Out of this world. 

The market at the fortress was much less crowded than the others, but also much smaller. After a while, we headed back to the hustle and bustle in the city.

We shopped, we laughed, we ate, we drank. And then we did it all again! I personally prefer a more intimate market (translate: less crowded), but I found some amazing Christmas crafts and gifts here. And I definitely want to visit Salzburg again!

Have you ever visited this beautiful city? Feel free to share your own experiences in the comments, I love hearing from y'all. I'll be writing soon to tell you about some more of the local markets I've visited recently.

Until then, happy holidays and Merry Christmas!

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My First German Christmas Market

When Hubs and I found out about our move overseas, the Christmas markets were at the top of my to-do list. This German tradition dates back to the late Middle Ages, and began as winter markets which provided a break in the season and an opportunity for some fun. Today, there are large markets open during the whole of Advent, as well as smaller, more local markets which may only last a few days. Nuremberg's Christmas market is perhaps the most famous in all of Germany, and I have plans to attend this year. And, of course, plans to share my experience with you!

But two weekends ago, I chose to visit a much smaller, local market with my neighbors. Only a few minutes from home, we began our day at Kuhstallcafe, locally referred to as the "Cow Cafe". I am not ashamed to admit that I've completely adopted the German tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake). In fact, as this is one of my new favorite things, I routinely walk to our local bakery/cafe for just this purpose. The Cow Cafe is a special treat...

... of course, in the 8 weeks we've lived in Germany, I've already eaten here twice. And I've plans to return soon.

I see nothing wrong with this cake ratio in my life. 

ANYWHO.

Two weekends ago, the Cow Cafe was holding their annual Christmas market.

The smell of bratwurst on the grill filled the air as we wandered the booths. The Christmas crafts are fantastic. I especially adore the more natural pieces. Candlesticks made from thick tree branches, wooden Christmas trees, and ornaments. For a small market, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of workmanship.

Besides the crafts, scarves and hats and mittens were also for sale. And food. And gluhwein!

The gluhwein is the best part. Warm and spicy, a little like hard cider, and so delicious.

Gluhwein stand

The local markets sell all the ingredients to make your own gluwein at home as well. Some are instant (like a cocoa mix) and others are giant tea bags to steep in the warm wine.

After perusing the wares at Cow Cafe, we decided to try our luck at another market, this one in Burglengenfeld. High atop the town sits a castle, where the market was located.

Of course, we got a little lost trying to find our way there. But we found it eventually, and survived the long hike to the top.

This market was quite a bit different from the first one. A few stalls were there, though they mostly contained food and drink. Tours were being conducted of the castle. We stumbled upon some crafts, though they were more expensive than the previous market and of a different style.

We stopped for gluhwein, munched on some amazing sausages and soup. We toured the castle on our own, climbing to the top of the tower.

View from the castle wall

After a while, we were worn out and ready to head home! For my first experience with markets, I was glad to attend some smaller ones in the beginning.

BECAUSE...

I was slightly better prepared when I went to Austria this past weekend for Salzburg's Christmas market. Compared to these, it was huge! More coming on that as soon as I've recovered.

Until then, auf wiedersehen! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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