European Christmas Markets

Right about now the temperature is close to freezing just about every day and we are lucky if we have seven hours of daylight. Almost seems like a recipe for depression, eh? To prevent the bah humbug setting in, Germans (and some the neighboring countries) make the most of the moment and put on the best Christmas Markets in the world. When I was in Portugal earlier this year, I saw vacation packages that were created specifically for the German "Christkindlmarkts". Pretty amazing stuff.

Last weekend we decided to forgo the local markets in Landstuhl and Kaiserslautern and headed to Strasbourg, France. Hands down, this place was the most elegant market we've been to yet...not to mention the most crowded. The entire city center/pedestrian district was totally decked out with lights and decorations for Christmas. As you can see in the picture to the right, Strasbourg's version of Notre Dame Cathedral towered over the entire affair which only added to the ambiance.

While decorations and little nick knacks make up the primary merchandise at these markets, the big draw for many people (including us) is the wonderful food they sell at these events. The French are mad about crepes. I picked one of these up and had it filled with Nutella which is a cross between peanut butter and chocolate. Jen and Julia hit up the local botique du chocolat and gobbled up an absolutely delicious eau clair (which I had absolutely no problem ordering since no translation was needed). The highlight of the evening was when we decided to eat dinner at a Le Gruber which was a restaurant that caught my eye the last time I was in town. This place is right in the middle of the action and is known for their decorative red lamps as seen in the picture to the right. This place was so charming! Even better, our waiter spoke English. Thank god. My French is little more than bon jour and merci. We all loved it. The best part about it was that we had a table on the third floor that had a panoramic view of the bustling market below. Needless to say, this one is going to be hard to top.

Joyeux Noel!