Delayed Post about Christmas Vay-cay and New Years in Germany

I apologize for the delay. I was waiting for pictures from my friend. This post is extremely long so I will not get offended if you pull a TL:DR (for those of you that are not too familiar with internet jargon that means "too long, didn't read.").

When I told a few people from home I would be spending my Christmas holiday in Germany, the response I kept hearing was variations of, “but won’t you miss your family? Won’t you be sad to not be with your family? Don’t you want to go home?” Look, I LOVE spending Christmas at home. Last year I spent Christmas morning drinking mimosas and opening presents with my family and then my friends and I went to the beach in the afternoon- it was a perfect Southern California Christmas Day. Does that mean I can’t have a wonderful time somewhere else, without my family? NO! Ever since I made the decision to go to University of New Hampshire, I have spent many holidays with friends, friend’s families, and yes, even alone (although I am hard pressed to think of an example of this I’m pretty sure it must have happened at some point). Over the summer I got to spend a lot of time with my family, which I adore. I also adore exploring. And alone time. I get a lot of out life any way you slice it. So when I made the decision to spend my winter break in Germany it was a no-brainer. When my friends and family members asked me those questions, I responded with some sarcasm, as I am want to do, along the lines of, “Yeah, I’ll be crying in my schnitzel. HA!”

My friend Kristen joined me for half of my journey. I had booked my flight and was prepared to face the unknown unaccompanied, but she asked if she could join for part of the trip because her Dad was coming to visit her in Turkey but was not coming until December 27th. Of course I was thrilled to have the company, and she joined me from the 21st to the 26th.

Our trip started in Munich. Why did I choose Munich? The flight was direct and cheap and I had really only spent a day there before on a tour and didn’t know much about it- except for the killer Christmas markets. I’ve wanted to see the famous German Christmas markets for some time after reading about them in various travel articles online and my friends in Turkey telling me how magical they are.

We arrived in Munich and as soon as we left the terminal- BAM- Christmas market! We were staring all around with our mouths agape trying to grasp the idea that there was a Christmas market at the airport. “Best airport ever!” I cried, beaming. There were booths with gluhwein, stands selling various trinkets, an ice skating rink, and even people playing shuffleboard on the ice. All we could say after walking through was, “if it’s this awesome at the freakin airport we have to get to Munich proper and a real Christmas market right now!”

Ice skating at the airport.

Airport shopping!

Our first market was called Tollwood and it’s held where Oktoberfest is held in Munich in September. It’s known as the more crafty, organic, handmade market with funkier items than the main Christmas market at the Marienplatz. Our first impressions were how beautiful and Christmas-y everything was and the SMELLS. Oh my goodness- the whole time we walked around every market, the smells invaded our senses and practically carried us off our feet, like when a cartoon character smells a pie cooling on a window sill and drifts over to it. We talked about bottling it up and taking it with us because it smelled so decadent, delicious, and like the very olfactory embodiment of Christmas: roasted candied nuts, eggnog, gluhwein, gingerbread, cinnamon, apples, warmth and hugs. (As I wrote this I turned to Kristen and asked, “how would you describe the smells?” and she let out a big sigh while looking at the ceiling and said, “like heaven.”). Then we’d pass another booth and it would smell like bratwurst and sauerkraut and bacon- oh my! I have been living in a Muslim country for about 3 months now, and have had pork on one occasion (my teammate Julia smuggled some bacon in for me when she went to a conference in Vienna). So smelling and seeing all these roasted pork products made me practically foam at the mouth. Honestly, the food was another big reason to come to Germany- the French may have their fair share of jambon, but the Germans really know how to make their pork sing with flavor. Also, I LOVE me some kraut. I think I just like many forms of fermented cabbage because if I could eat kimchi and/or sauerkraut a couple times a week, I would be a very happy Kimmy.

Ode to pork art at Tollwood

I’m pretty sure I could write pages and pages on the ecstasy I felt when all this food and drink hit my tongue. Instead I’ll just write a list of some of the many things I got to eat and drink while in Germany and you can drool over your keyboard:
• Gluhwein: our first Christmas market drink but not our last. This is hot mulled wine with rum. When we ordered our first one our server asked, “would you like extra alcohol?” Guess our response. Go ahead, just guess. We had just got to Germany and were having our first drink. (Hint: of course we had extra alcohol).
• Candied macadamia nuts rolled in coconut.
• Pastries: cinnamon buns, struedel, danishes, pancakes with plum sauce… we did not hold back on the sweet stuff.
• Pork “joint” with beer sauce, cabbage with apples, and dumplings. This was my first pork meal (but again, far from my last).
• Saurkraut with spaetzle and bacon: one of my favorites- I had it twice in one day.
• Eggnog: we approached one of the drink booths that seemed to have more variety than most, but still mostly forms of gluhwein and punch. I asked the purveyor, “what’s the best?” and he looked surprised then thoughtful and said, “best? The eggnog.” I practically yelled at him, “You have eggnog?! Well why didn’t you say so!” and Kristen enthusiastically joined in, “Two please!” I had told her on the plane ride over how much I wanted to have some eggnog, but we were both skeptical on whether or not we could get it as it’s not particularly German. So when we had found it it was as if we had found the holy eggnog grail. It was warm, boozy, and delicious- like most of the German drinks we had (most because not all of them were warm).
• Sausage: There were many, many booths with various sausages and I was like a kid in a sausage store (this kid was full of candy and needed something savory). When I finally settled on one I tentatively said, “um, I don’t speak German but I want a sausage” and pointed. The guy at the grill said, “you want a big one or a little one?” I got the little one because I was not particularly hungry (as you can see, we spent about half our time eating). I put on some mustard and some kind of mystery sauce I hadn’t seen (it looked like chili- it wasn’t chili but it had a similar color and little chunky consistency) and my goodness it was delightful. The mystery sauce was some kind of barbeque-esque deliciousness.

My favorite!

My first pork meal after living in a Muslim country for 3 months!

That pretty well sums of all the food we ate… in Munich. For the first 3 days. Perhaps I should get back to what we actually did.

The next day I had planned on us going to see the castle of Neuschwanstein. I did a bit of planning before leaving because there would be closings around the holidays so I wanted to make sure I got the timing right for certain activities. This was the only day we could see the castles so planning really paid off. It was a two hour train ride away and the castles were absolutely beautiful. We both wished it had been snowy at the castles and Munich, but it was a little too early in the season. Neuschwanstein Castle is the castle that inspired the Sleeping Beauty castle Walt Disney built in Disneyland. It was absolutely magical. When we saw it up close, we were just amazed that something like it was ever built. “This is where fairy tales come from” I realized. It was astounding to see a real castle, something I have seen in movies, read in fairy tales, and dreamed about when I was a little girl. How can something referenced in all things fantasy actually be real? This is another reason I travel- the world is so full of wondrous things that are capable of surpassing the wildest fantasy because unlike those fantasies, they exist.

Train ride to the Castles!

We are princesses.

Sleeping Beauty's pad.

Being silly.

Yep- I could live here.

I love the shadow of the castle on the hill. "Everything the light touches, is our kingdom."

Attitude.

The next day revolved around our coveted hair appointments in the afternoon, which I made weeks before and was another essential part of planning. Turkish blondes are an absolute eyesore. I am a spoiled blonde girl from Orange County (and damn proud) so I am picky about my hair. Turkish blonde hair is various shades of orange with roots that have no business being paired with whatever the hell shade of orange the rest of the hair is. I’ve had friends and co-workers in Turkey get their hair done and none of them were ever remotely satisfied with what they walked out with. It’s not Turkey’s fault- most of the hair there is very dark and very thick, and just different from Western hair. My German hair stylist even said, “it’s like a lot of the hair stylists over here when we’re asked to do Asian hair.” Different races have different hair color, style, and texture and when abroad it can be tough to find a place that can deal with whatever your race’s hair.

We fancy.

The morning was spent exploring. We got our coffee and delicious breakfast pastries and tried to find the medieval Christmas market. We found the medieval market but it was just opening up so there wasn’t much action. We had a shot of schnapps and went to the main market at the Marienplatz, which was up and running. There were many booths down winding streets. We quickly surmised that these markets are mostly about eating and drinking because the way the booths progress is something like this: booth with Christmas trinkets, booth with sweets/pastries, booth with gluhwein and drinks, booth with sausages, booth with gluhwein, repeat. With all the food and drinks there was little actual shopping to be had. One interesting thing is the way they keep festival trash at a minimum: when you get a drink of gluhwein or something else it comes in a cute glass or ceramic mug and when you pay you put a deposit on the mug. Then when you return it you get your deposit back. They did this system with plates and bowls as well. The good thing about this is there’s not a lot of trash (no paper or plastic cups or plates to be seen), but the down side is that you either need to stay close to that booth or when you wander you have to make sure to return in order to get your deposit back. Overall, it’s a pretty good system and I’d rather drink my gluhwien out of a cute red Christmas mug shaped like a boot (I kept this one as a souvenir) than a lousy paper or Styrofoam cup any day.

Chocolate tools for sale.

Gluhwein!

The Marienplatz.

All lit up!

More gluhwein!

We got our hair done and then went to the Medieval market once more to see it at it’s full glory. It was small but very cute. There were a few guys dressed as knights and a lot more food and drink. This time we spotted a flaming goblet so of course we had to get one. This turned out to be “feuerzangenbowle” and there was a little notch in the goblet that held a sugar cube. They poured rum over the wine and sugar cube and then lit it on fire. This was extremely boozy and when I took a swig the warmth spread through my body radiating out from my belly. These Germans sure know a good way to keep warm in the winter!

Feuerzangenbowle!

On our way back to the hostel we spotted an ice skating rink and Kristen declared, “let’s go ice skating!” to which I exclaimed, “yes!” This is one reason I am convinced we make excellent travel companions.

Ice skating fun.

The next day was Christmas Eve and the start of the next chapter in our Christmas adventure: onward to Frankfurt!

We arrived in Frankfurt in the afternoon after a three hour train ride. After we checked into our hotel we wanted some grub and the hotel reception told us the only places that would be open were Asian restaurants. We ended up having an early Thai Christmas Eve dinner, reminiscent of A Christmas Story (fa-ra-ra-ra-ra, ra-ra-ra-ra!).

After our early dinner we decided to explore our new territory. The city area we were walking around in was absolutely deserted. We went near the Tauber River and saw a lot of people on a bridge, so naturally we went to see what the hullabaloo on the bridge was about. It turned out to be one of those Love bridges, covered in locks with lovers’ initials on them. It was very cute. From the bridge, I spotted a large lit up Christmas tree, and people seemed to be leaving the bridge to head for the tree and we followed suit. That’s when we found everyone- and gluhwein! I had started to get really chilly on the bridge and when I saw the gluhwein I said, “Thank God! I haven’t had gluhwein in ….hours!” So here we were, in a square that was full of people. They all seemed to be waiting for something. More and more people piled in the square, and groups were singing carols, passing hors d-oeuvres and popping champagne. At 5 o’clock, the bells of the 4 surrounding churches started ringing. People lit up sparklers and the crowd was amped up. We finally asked a guy what was going on and what was everyone waiting for? He told us that all the people gather at Romer Platz on Christmas Eve with their families and friends for a sort of Christmas reunion. They wait for the ringing of the bells- the bells of all 4 churches only go off at the same time once a year- Christmas Eve. The bells ring from 5 to 5:30, and then everyone goes to a service at one of the churches at 6. It felt pretty special to be part of a Frankfurt Christmas tradition. That kind of random cultural experience is the stuff I live for. I loved it.

Much love!

Freezing!

YAY A BRIDGE OMG

Of course more gluhwein!

On Christmas Day we woke up and had mimosas and watched A Christmas Story. Some traditions from home just need to be experienced even when you can’t be home. We explored some more and took some fun pictures around town. Then it was time to get ready for the main event: seeing Hansel Und Gretel at the Frankfurt Opera House. I bought tickets before I left because I was determined to have tickets to some kind of event on Christmas Day. The opera was really fun, but VERY weird. The story of Hansel and Gretel was there but man…. There was some confusing stuff in there. The parents had 5 children at the start, then Hansel and Gretel get locked in this playroom and see all this weird stuff come to life (a wind-up doll, a nutcracker, little red riding hood was even in there), then the sandman comes and H and G go to sleep. Then they are at the witch’s house and shove her in, and at the end there’s like 20 children, including Hansel and Gretel, having dinner with the happy parents. I’m so glad I saw a weird German opera in Germany. I just can’t get enough of random cultural experiences. I really can’t.

Goofing around town on Christmas Day.

Me and bunny playing invisible horns.

Spending euros like it's Monopoly money

Excited for the play and to use my new umbrella I bought at a Christmas Market!

Keeping it classy.

Hansel and Gretel take a bow.

The next day Kristen was leaving. We had a nice German lunch together (with schnitzel and sauerkraut- yum!) and she had to go back to Turkey to meet her dad. I spent the rest of the day chillin in my hotel room, enjoying my alone time by watching movies, reading magazines, and ordering room service. I couldn’t really do anything in the city anyway because it was Boxing Day (a national holiday in most European and Commonwealth countries) so the only places that were open were restaurants.

Our last German meal together.

My schnitzel was supposed to come with fries and a salad but I asked them to just give me lots of sauerkraut instead. Success!

On the 27th I was bound for Worzburg. My German friend from Rothenburg, Christian, was picking me up at the train station. How do I have a German friend from Rothenburg? Christian and I met in New Orleans about 4 or 5 years ago. I was there with a boyfriend who Christian met on a bus and we all hung out in cemeteries and drank beers for 2 days. When I wrote on Facebook that I was going to Germany, Christian messaged me and very sweetly said I could stay with him and his girlfriend in their extra bedroom in Rothenburg for a few days. How nice is that? This is where I would usually expound on why I love Facebook, as it’s influenced my life in ways I hadn’t thought possible, but this post is already long enough as it is so I’ll let that go for now.

Christian and his girlfriend, Anna, met me at the station and wanted to show me around Worzburg for the day before going back to Rothenburg. We strolled around on the bridge over Tauber River (the same one that’s in Frankfurt), and had some sausages and gluhwein. Then Christian took me to see the Residence of Grand Duke Ferdinand III, which was a large beautiful palace and we took an English speaking tour. This was the only tour I ended up taking during my entire trip, unless you count the New Years Eve pub crawl. During the rest of my stay in Rothenburg (3 nights), Christian and Anna cooked me lovely meals and just showed me around the tiny town. It was very beautiful and lovely, but there was not much going on. They also took me to Nurenburg, where I got to finally see The Hobbit. It was a nice little trip within my big trip. Christian and Anna are lovely people, and I’m so happy I got to know them. I hope to return the favor and have them visit me someday.

Me and Anna, my new buddy.

The Residence. Pretty nice digs.

Christian and Anna cooking me a lovely dinner.

The lovely dinner- pork, dumplings, and cabbage. *Drool*

The view of Rothenburg from the kitchen window.

Exploring.

Christian freezing his butt off to show me around.

Getting some gluhwein in Nuremburg before seeing The Hobbit.

My last night with this cool guy. 

On the 30th I headed back to Munich to get ready for New Years Eve. On the 31st I did a little shopping and got amped for my pub crawl that I had booked for the evening. My New Years Eve was SO MUCH FUN. It ended up being one of the best I’ve ever had. Usually NYE is this big build up to a party that kind of stinks, but the pub crawl was perfect. We all met up under this huge gate, and everyone was eager to make friends and socialize within out group. I met some nurses that worked on a base in Turkey for 15 months and for the last 3 months have been working in Germany. I met some Swiss that were all smiles. I met some Aussie guys that were hilarious and one almost got his ass kicked when he jumped on a car while we were leaving one of the bars. I met some nice American fellows. Everyone on the crawl was ready to make new friends and have a blast. There were about 100 people that ended up going. It started off a little rocky. The first bar we went to was TINY and with 100 people and 2 bartenders, we were all looking around at each other wondering, “did we make a mistake going on this thing?” When we went to the next bar it was much better, but some of us noticed that some people had left. One of my new Aussie buddies told me, “I went last year and it started off the same. See, they purposely go to a crappy bar at the start so people will leave and they don’t have to keep track of as many.” Which is genius and worked like a charm. It was nicer and easier for me to be within a group of 70 rather than a group of 100. In the end we went to 4 bars, watched the fireworks at midnight at Tollwood (from earlier- where Oktoberfest is held) and went to a club. I spent the night meeting interesting people, laughing, and dancing. If NYE is any indication of the year ahead, 2015 is going to be an incredible year.

I had planned on getting up at 7am and getting on a 90 minute train to go snowboarding on Germany’s highest mountain. That didn’t happen. I slept in and went later, hopefully to get in a half day. When I arrived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen around 1pm, I didn’t see anyone with any equipment, which I thought was odd. It turned out that the mountain was closed (which was a major bummer since I even tried to check the day before by asking the guy at the front desk of my hostel), but there was something big happening. When I saw a line for “tickets” I just decided to wing it and get a ticket for whatever the hell was going on. And that is how I ended up attending a ski jump competition. It was very festive and I had a good time waving around my very own German flag someone gave me.

Tickets? Well okay then.

Go Deutschland! 

Look at him go!

January 2nd was my last full day. I got in a lot of shopping (new snowboarding clothes- finally!) and I mailed some postcards. I also had an appointment for a facial, since my skin has been absolutely wrecked since living in Turkey. It was a lovely last day. Towards the evening I received a message from my new Swiss friend Tim that said he and his buddies were playing cards in their hostel bar and I should come join. How do I know Swiss friend Tim? I am part of an online community called Travbuddy where travelers can meet people based on where they are going. You put in the place and dates you will be somewhere, and you can see other profiles of people that will be there. Tim messaged me about a month before we were both going to Germany and we thought maybe we could hang out since I didn’t know anyone. He was with his two friends and he travels quite a bit and is a nice dude that just likes to meet new people. So I went to go meet up with the Swiss dudes.

We played cards for awhile and around 11pm they told me they were going out partying and would I like to join? “No, no, I have to be up at 5am to pack and go to the airport. I better turn in early,” I sensibly replied. “If you have to be up at 5am, you might as well just stay up all night and party,” the gaggle of 23 year olds reasoned. Me being a sensible 31 year old lady with a good head on her shoulders, I naturally said, “it’s my last night so screw it- let’s party!” We went clubbing in 3 places and I got back to my hostel at 5, washed my face, changed my clothes, threw everything I had into my luggage (and I mean THREW, there was none of this folding business), and made my flight. I was in bad shape, but I have to say it was worth it. I spent my last night in Munich out partying for hours and I don’t regret it one bit.

Those persuasive Swiss. 

Coming back to Turkey I have what I call “the post-vacation blues.” This is when you get back from an amazing trip and can’t help but feel a little forlorn. I am in mourning over the loss of my trip. It was so fun and amazing. I spent time with one of my best friends in Turkey, made better friends with someone I knew from years ago, and made many new friends. I stayed in 2 hostels, a hotel, and an apartment. I ate amazing pork products and drank glorious gluhwein. I got to see and experience German culture from high-brow opera, to low-brow pubs. It was one of the best trips I’ve ever had. The best part is that I have many more adventures ahead of me.

Now at least I know how to make my own gluhwein!