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  • Nikita Hays

Christkindlmarkts 2019

Before moving to Bulgaria in early 2019, my family and I had decided to do Christmas a little different this year. In years past, we were often referred to as "The Griswold's" from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation because our love for Christmas exploded this time of year. Our two-story home, 8000-sq-ft yard, & trees were all covered in colorful, twinkling lights. Our yard displayed many cartoon characters to get the kiddos excited. Hundreds of cookies in all varieties were baked each year to give away and enjoy ourselves. We put up four Christmas trees last year with different themes including a Manchester City tree. I enjoyed hosting a Craft-Your-Own-Christmas-Wreath party with lady friends who love to eat and drink and craft; lastly, we finished the year off with our Annual Ugly Sweater Party. Lots of food, friends, and Christmas spirit along with the Christmas sweater competition.



But this year, all of that was going to change because we were not staying home. We were going to Germany! Matt asked me to pick the cities we would visit, so after much research I chose Munich and Nuremberg. Germany is world-renowned for its magnificent Christmas markets that date back hundreds of years. White lights covering wooden market stalls, handcrafted ornaments, and gluhwein was an arms-reach away everywhere you turn.

Town Hall at Marienplatz

I specifically chose Munich because it is known to have not just one Christmas market but over twenty markets.šŸ˜ƒMunich is filled with many small town squares throughout the city, and that's where these markets live. Some are of a traditional style, but others are themed. My favorite Christmas market was found in the English Garden near the Chinese Tower by the lake. There was a live brass band playing Christmas music and so many yummy sweets! It's off the tourist path far from the central market, Marienplatz, so it tends to be less crowded too which becomes something to appreciate after rubbing elbows with strangers for two days.

My second favorite market was the Medieval-themed Christmas market. They were selling lots of Renaissance-style clothing, purses, shoes, and more. It's been on my bucket list to attend a Renaissance Festival in FULL medieval attire! That will happen soon, but we decided to make this market our munching grounds. I found a stall (pictured below) smoking salmon in a wooden barrel over a fire. They served this tasty fare with cheesy potatoes. The fish was tender and smoky. Just incredible! To drink, Matt found some gluhwein (hot spiced red wine) served in clay cups. The markets charge you a deposit up to three Euros which you get back when you return the mug. Because wine happens to be absolutely disgusting, I opted for the children's drink - Kinderpunsch. It's basically hot Hawaiian Fruit Punch. Let's pretend I'm a grown up in the picture below enjoying wine with my hubby.šŸ˜¬ I did try a German version of eggnog which was loaded with alcohol, but it was so gross that I couldn't get past the third sip. So into the trash it went. šŸ¤®

After Munich, we traveled on a high-speed train to Nuremberg. Here's the fascinating part of traveling Germany by train. The train lines offer a ticket called the Bayern ticket which allows you to travel unlimited regional train rides in a single day through Bavaria, a region of southeastern Germany. Key word: Regional. We made our way to the Munich Central Station and boarded the first train out of Munich to Nuremberg. What we didn't realize is that we had hopped on an ICE train - a highspeed train - versus a regional train. The ticket agent explained our error and granted us a Christmas miracle by not issuing a citation.šŸ˜‡ I've heard German citations are out-of-this-world expensive. Thank you random stranger for being so kind. This Bayern ticket allowed the three of us to travel for a total 42 Euros!

Our train pulled into the Nuremberg Central Station in a little over an hour. Wow! German trains are efficient. I selected Nuremberg because of two reasons: 1) I saw it on an episode of HGTV's House Hunters International, and it looked quaint and charming sitting on a quiet river. Instant love!ā¤ļø 2) They have they oldest Christmas market in Germany on the main square in front of The Church of Our Lady. It apparently dates back to the 1500s. The scenery is made of Christmas magic! The streets are made of cobblestone, and a medieval castle sits on the hill overlooking the city. If you can't tell already, Nuremberg was my favorite destination between the two cities we visited.


What we did not expect upon arrival in Nuremberg was the change in what is considered to be traditional German food. Don't they eat sausages everywhere in Bavaria?šŸ¤” In Munich, we feasted on white, fluffy, boiled sausages with pretzels and mustards. In Nuremberg, the sausages are seared on a grill and served on a bun with sauerkraut. Had we known that we were not going to be able to find Munich sausages in Nuremberg, we would have made time for another pit stop to fill up before we left town. BUT! The Nuremberg sausages were yummy too! In fact, I even set aside my hatred for sauerkraut to enjoy my first roll with sweet & spicy mustard. I may be a convert. šŸ˜

When we travel around the globe, we always make time to see the cathedrals. While I have mixed emotions on these grandiose buildings being erected during a time when people were dying from poverty versus receiving aid from the church, the view is jaw-dropping. The skilled architects found a way to make you feel the glory of God by standing under the domed ceilings and oversized display of His sacrifice. We take a few minutes to sit in the pews and ponder. St. Peters Church and Frauenkirche are sights to not miss if you are ever in Munich. Unfortunately for us, the Frauenkirche towers were under renovation and closed to the public, so we were not able to get our up-close bird's eye view of Marienplatz.

This trip to Germany was primarily focused around the Christkindlmarkts; however, we still carved out time to see some history. We spent an afternoon to pay homage to the souls lost during the Holocaust and visited the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg. It has been converted into a museum/memorial to explain this dark part of history and how it all happened. We also took a short subway ride to visit Courtroom 600 to see the actual trial room where Nazi leaders were held accountable for their crimes. This museum is an audio walking tour and shows video of the actual trials along with defense strategies. If you were interested in judicial law and its practice, you'd really enjoy hearing testimonies and reviewing strategies here. Caution: some testimonies will bring you to tears as you listen to the tragic descriptions of survivors' experiences. I've posted some pictures here, but do take notice in the slideshow at the picture that shows the world's history of mass genocide. Just another reminder of how blessed we are to call America our home!


We spent our last day exploring The Imperial Castle of Nuremberg. Remember that medieval castle overlooking the city? Well, it happened to be THE hotspot for Holy Roman Emperors of the 11th century. The castle has been renovated as of today and houses a museum to describe life as an emperor and the power of the Holy Roman Empire. While the views from the castle are spectacular, I can't seem to rid my mind of the horribly squeaky, wooden floors in the main room. I know they tried to renovate and stay true to the original design, but damn! Fix those floors! šŸ˜± My favorite part of this museum besides touring the castle grounds is seeing all of the knight's armor and weaponry. Remember, we're talking about the Middle Ages! Some heinous devices were used to punish enemies. Check out the slider of pics below.


While this Christmas has been wildly different than the last decade of holidays and I miss spending this precious time with friends and family, I'm in love with the new worlds we are exploring! Hang around and you may see us in the Netherlands for Christmas 2020! We hear the've got a boat parade that can't be missed.



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