Weihnachtsmarkt

Disclaimer: The blog entry below was partly written on the 19th and finished today.  Just so you know the weather here today was typical Frankfurt.  Cloudy with temperatures in the 30-40s. Basically weather that makes me want to hibernate.

Good evening all!  Today was a very nice day weather-wise in Frankfurt am Main.  There were sunny skies for a good portion of the day and I believe the temperature was somewhere in the 40s.  My informants in the midwest tell me that there has been a lot of snow in that neck of the woods.  Even though I'm sure snow gets real old in a hurry for many people Brenda and I have been missing a snow-covered December.

I returned to the Ausländerbehörder today.  In case you don't remember, that's the office foreigners go to for residence permits.  Punctuality is very important in Germany so when I arrived 10 minutes late for my appointment I got a bit of a talking to.  I had neglected to look up the office number before I left this morning and so I spent a good deal of time wandering around the building looking for the right one.  After I was sufficiently scolded, the worker agreed to help me.  There was a brief moment while she sifted through my documents that I fully realized the power that she wielded over my current country of residence.  If she had told me that because I was late she couldn't (or wouldn't) help me, I'm not really sure what I would have done.  I imagine I would have had to go on the lamb, traveling from town to town singing opera arias on street corners to survive.  Fortunately, I was granted a permit until next August so I'm in the clear...for now.

Every year around Christmas many towns in Germany have Weihnachtsmarkts or Christmas markets.  The markets consist of shops set up in a fairgrounds-like arrangement selling all kinds of items perfect for the gift-giving season as well as various types of foods and drinks.  In Frankfurt this market takes place downtown spanning several pedestrian friendly blocks.  Since it first appeared towards the beginning of December Brenda and I have stopped by a few times.  

It is obvious that the biggest draw to the market is Glühwein.  Glühwein is mulled wine as far as I can tell and it is served piping hot.  Brenda and I walked up and down rows of shops exploring only a fraction of what there was to see at the market and after a while we were ready for something to warm us up.  Glühwein did the trick.  We also had heard great things about Kartoffelpuffer which can most closely be described as deep fat fried hash browns served with apple sauce or garlic quark.  The Kartoffelpuffer were delicious and also helped to warm us up but I think my stomach was a little confused by why I had elected to consume solidified frying oil.

Now I don't want to give you the idea that the only thing we did at the Weihnachtsmarkt was eat.  We found a pottery stand that had some beautiful things.  We ended up getting 4 coffee mugs that will see a lot of use in our household.  But enough about that, back to the food. 

The last thing we ate at the market was a Nutella crêpe.  The crêpe was made fresh right in front of us, smothered in melted Nutella and folded into a manageable carrying size.  Incredible.  If you ever have the chance I would definitely recommend a trip to a Weihnachtsmarkt.

Happy Holidays!