Thanksgiving and December... finally!

This year for Thanksgiving, we were able to spend the holiday with my mom, step-dad and brother. It was such a blessing to be able to spend the day with family; something that most of our friends and acquaintances didn't get to do out here. I was amazed at the outpouring of love and warmth from the people we know here. Mormons as people are giving and friendly, and when you add on top of that Military lifestyle, well, we had no less than 5 Thanksgiving Dinner invitations. I'm so thankful for kind and caring people who open their homes to wandering couples who may need a place to feel a little American tradition.

We spent the day after Thanksgiving cleaning up, shopping for small Christmas decorations, and going to our first Christmas Market. The market we went to on Friday was the Kaiserslautern Weihnachtsmarkt- which was small and mostly food vendors. Nevertheless, it was cheery and the food was fabulous! We had: kinder gluhwein (warm grape juice with spices), reibekuchen (delicious hashbrowns with applesauce), and these amazing sticky sweet rolls that you dip in a vanilla cream sauce. Yum!

On Saturday, we got seats on a bus to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We went there this summer when my friend was here visiting, but only got a few hours to explore and do the Night Watchman Tour. This time we left at 0700 and didn't get back until 2200- which meant 9 hours at the Christmas Market! Rothenburg o.d.T. is an amazingly well preserved medieval city, and the birthplace of the Christmas decoration supplier: Kathe Wohlfahrt. The little village literally had five retail stores of Kathe Wohlfahrt decorations- maybe a little overkill, but heck, it's just all so freaking festive! There were trees with bows and candles on every corner, and the biggest Christmas tree I've seen in my life right in the center of the market square. The stalls were selling roasted nuts, gluhwein, bratwurst, cookies, candies, candles, lace, and even more Christmas decor. We walked through the market, the town, all around the wall that surrounds the whole medieval village, and ended the night by attending an organ concert in the St. Jacobs Church. It was all beautiful, and the perfect start to our German Christmas.

Here we are outside the first Kathe Wohlfahrt we went into... back when we thought that was the only one!

This street was full of happy people, twinkling lights, Christmas carols, and a very cute Raymond :)

Here I am in the center of the market. Behind me is the gigantic real tree they had all decorated and lit up, and in my hand is an actual roasted chestnut. Yup, they exist. And they were interestingly delicious.

Christmas Experience: Level Up

That's how I felt eating a roasted chestnut at Christmas time.

Shh... you're not supposed to take pictures inside Kathe Wohlfahrt's Christmas Village.

But why did they make it so beautiful if you can't take pictures?! Can you believe this was inside a centuries old building?

 I get the impression a brass band is a necessity at each Christmas Market. They have yet to play a carol we actually know. The drunk German men next to me knew what this group was playing though!

Ah, Rothenburg. You are delightful in both summer and winter. Though really I must say, this first Christmas Market is going to be incredibly difficult to top.