by Krista | Dec 28, 2010 | Compatriot Wednesday
Good morning, luvs! It was a full-blown blizzard the night we went to the Maastricht Christmas Market, yet that didn’t keep the Dutch (or us!) from enjoying the music, lights and delights of the market.
Situated in the town square, the nearby church towers provide a magnificent backdrop for Christmas trees and brightly lit stalls filled with gifts and local food specialties.
Heavily bundled children can ride the carousel and Santa’s reindeer before choosing their favorite treats at the enticing candy cart across the way.
There’s something about old-fashioned candies that draw me in every time. Especially those long, swirled candy sticks in odd flavors like horehound. They make me smile.
Now I must hustle and finish getting ready! It’s another snowy day in Germany and we’re heading to Ulm to visit the Medieval Christmas Market and dig into some amazing Ethiopian food.
Hope you have a beautiful day! 🙂
by Krista | Dec 27, 2010 | Gulliver Tuesday
The day of Christmas Eve we were cozy and warm in a tall, narrow house in Maastricht, Netherlands, watching in amazement as snow continued to fall. It hadn’t stopped since our arrival the day before!
I got to stay in the attic room, reached by two steep winding staircases. I had one crooked window placed in the roof at a jaunty angle, through which I could watch the snow fall. I have a great fondness for attic rooms. They seem special somehow, tinier than all the other rooms, almost like a treehouse. I always want to stay there for hours, like Jo from Little Women, wearing a quirky hat and writing marvelous stories by candlelight until the wee hours of the morning.
After packing up our belongings we donned caps and scarves, wool socks and boots, and as many layers as we could fit under our coats, and went for a morning wander through Maastricht in search of breakfast.
The town square is a beautiful spot, especially in the winter. Curving streets and gabled buildings are trimmed with evergreen boughs and bright red bows, and at night it is alight with the warmth and bustle of the Christmas market. We’d gone the night before but the snow was falling so thick and fast pictures were nigh impossible to capture! I’ll try to remember to post a few for you anyways. 🙂
I loved wandering through Maastricht, heading down random streets and narrow alleys, discovering warm bakeries laden with freshly-baked rolls and loaves, shops with handmade wares and fabulous boots, and restaurants that serve piping hot coffee and big slabs of schnitzel cooked to perfection.
I’ve never experienced such extreme cold and snow in Europe since I spent a frightfully cold spring in Russia back in 1993. If I were at home in this weather I’d be staying inside, enjoying the show from my warm apartment. But here it seems perfectly sensible to head out in a blizzard, walking for hours through nearly deserted streets, popping into cafes to warm up over steaming cups of kaffee für kir (the delicious Dutch version of a latte).
Now I must dash! Time for coffee and breakfast with my family before we brave the snowy streets of Stuttgart, Germany for a day of shopping and exploring.
by Krista | Dec 26, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
As the sun disappeared after dinner, we bundled up to the hilt and braved the snowy streets for a magical nighttime walk.
I do love going for walks, especially with dear folks who make a jolly time of it. We trudged through mounds of snow and found a little park with a working Flying Fox that we simply had to try! We whizzed through the air, hovering over the snow and shrieking with fright as the speed nearly sent us catapulting into the logs holding up either end. It was grand fun.
I loved how the moon hidden behind the clouds rendered the landscape blue and glowy, the tree branches etched beautifully against the sky.
Before too long our jean legs were frozen stiff, our limbs chilled through and we happily trudged home again for eggnog and Amaretto.
by Krista | Dec 25, 2010 | Bits 'n' Bobs
Happiest of Christmases to you from Germany, dear ones! I hope your day is restful, joyous and loving. Biggest of hugs to you and much love!
by Krista | Dec 22, 2010 | Plucky Thursday
Yesterday started off deliciously lazy. We slept, had a leisurely breakfast, rested on Melissa’s oh-so-comfy couches, and visited. By early afternoon we’d had quite enough of laziness and were ready for adventures. Ry and Melissa were at work and Ev and Kendra had other plans, so Mums, Pops and I headed out to do some exploring on our own.
We wandered at will, turning down this street and that alleyway, finding all sorts of lovely spots like The Begijnhof.
It was originally a Béguinage, a home for lay sisters of the Catholic Church. They were women who desired to serve God and made vows of chastity like nuns, but who lived in the world and were free to leave the facility at any time to get married.
Founded in the Middle Ages, The Begijnhof is the only inner courtyard in Amsterdam and has one of the oldest wooden houses in Holland. When the Protestants took over in the 1500’s, The Begijnhof was the only Roman Catholic Institution allowed to remain open, and became one of the few safe havens for Catholics in Holland.
Today the private courtyard is home to single women only, a quiet, safe and peaceful haven in the midst of Amsterdam.
Our next stop was the Bloemenmarkt – a floating flower market in the heart of Amsterdam. It looked much different than any of my previous visits. Gone were the lush flowers of summer and the berry-festooned garlands of autumn.
Instead the stalls were filled with evergreen wreaths and cotton pods and lined with bins and baskets full of gnarled bulbs that in the spring will turn into gorgeous tulips and amaryllis.
After a couple of hours wandering hither and thither Mums and Pops were ready for a coffee break in a warm cafe, so we bid farewell and I entered the Royal Palace which only recently reopened after extensive renovations.
It is rather a somber and austere edifice, but much has been done to bring warmth and color to the cavernous rooms and square lines.
My favorite bits were the lights. How lovely is this fixture against the cold gray marble?
Don’t these exquisite chandeliers do wonders in both brightening and warming this space?
It was a lovely day of discovery and by the time my palace tour was done, I too was ready for a rest. I found a corner cafe whose windows were filled with greenery and fairy lights. I couldn’t resist it. Inside the Cafe Kalkhoven Christmas was in full swing with lavishly decorated swags trimming window frames, mirrors and chandeliers. I found a seat on a plush, red-striped velvet bench, delighted at the ample people-watching opportunities my view of the tram station provided. I had a Kalkhoven toasted sandwich stuffed with old cheese (honestly, that’s what it’s called!), thinly sliced ham and a honey dressing. It was simple yet filling fare and at a mere 3.50 Euros suited the budget perfectly.
As dusk was falling I strode home, stopping briefly at an enticing little chocolate shop where I indulged in one cocoa-dusted truffle. Evan and Kendra made us scrumptious Rosemary Chicken for dinner then we got all dolled up and Ryan treated us to Handel’s Messiah in a gorgeous concert hall. Our seats were right behind the choir so we got to see the antics of the ancient conductor as he teetered precariously on stage, watch the mezzo-soprano and wonder if the seams on her skin-tight dress would hold when she hit the next high note, and observe the organist as he manipulated the massive pipe organ. It was glorious, inspiring, and loooooong. We all concurred that one complete Handel’s Messiah is more than enough for one lifetime. From here on out we are content with the highlights. 🙂
That night we fell into bed exhausted but happy and slept like logs.
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