Christkindle markets

They're basically in every big city. Just google it and you'll find a Christmas market near you, i hope!

The German Christmas markets are a tradition in my family. We went to the real ones a couple of years ago when we went to Germany for Thanksgiving. They run from thanksgiving time to Christmas - and are a beautiful blend of culture, tradition, and the christmas spirit, just what you need to get in the mood for Christmas!

I went this past Saturday with my two friends, Kristen and Christina. We took the train into the city (it was a very educating experience).

The view from the train was very "old town"

and I liked it :)

The first sight of the Christmas markets! They're always decked out with lights. 

We immediately made a Bratwurst stop (pronounced brot-vurst)

I got a one with sauerkraut (oh yummy!)

It was so warm there and the food smelled so good - I didn't even need my winter coat! I was completely content in my jean jacket.

We stopped for all kinds of food. "Pizza" pretzels, fudge, potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce (very German), and a custard cake with carmel and nut topping. Christina liked it too ;)

Everything there is all handmade. The people who sell it are often the people who make it. All the food is made on the spot, and all of the wood carvings (like the cats), are hand carved. All the glass is handblown, and all of the painting and details added to ornaments and carvings are hand painted. 

This little piggy caught my eye. The colors were so bold, and I loved the eyes on him! He's like a fire pig - I'll call him Charles.

I thought the details on this leaf were extraordinary! Just look at all the little notches on that little wooden leaf! 

The leaf itself was very small - it couldn't have been bigger than my palm.

I loved the magical colors of the hand blown glass. It reminded me of a Christmas fairytale wonderland. The little Budha section amused me (of all places... a German Christmas market..) - but the best thing about these pots was that when you moved a little wooden stick around it it made an eerie melodical vibration. We tried it a couple times, and I got it to work! 

The winter scene above was all handcarved and handpainted, notice the little arc of trees? It's a sort of German Christmas tradition - there was a plaque that represented what the arc stood for, but I forget. It was a beautiful piece, and the arc is one you'll find in recurring German pieces, especially ones with a Christmas meaning.

On the way home we stopped at a Barnes and Noble and look what I found! The new cover for the Sorcerer's Stone! I'm still deciding how I feel about. Not my favorite, I'm still a fan of the old illustrations - but it's not a disaster.

We also stopped at a Forever 21 and Kristen tried on these shoes (she was taller than me!) - she claimed they were easy to walk in, but I think she was wobbling just ever so slightly.

And then on the train ride home, Christina read us Pinkalicious in her best teacher voice - and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

It was quite a night.