Weihnachtsmarkts 2010

Christmas Markets in Germany

Me, Shannon, Shari, and Alison

The day after Thanksgiving I went to my very first Weihnachtsmarkt in Esslingen. It was my first “girls trip” with Alison Hadzic, Shannon Torrescollazo, and Shari Weiss. Three super fun ladies I've recently befriended here in Germany. We arrived around 3:00p.m. and got right to shopping, taking pictures, tasting the delicious sweets and drinking Glühwein.

Glühwein Recipe

The beauty of glühwein is that you can tailor it to your own tastes. I like mine to be rich in spices, however if that is not your cup of tea, then reduce the amount of spices you add. Just use this recipe as a base and then go in the direction that best suites your tastes. Some people even add rum, or berries, which soak up the alcohol quite nicely. In a more glögg-esque version (The Swedish version of glühwein/mulled wine), having this with gingerbread is quite yummy. I have also tried some consisting of amaretto with white wine (such as a German Riesling and even Schwartz/black Riesling) instead, and that was also delicious

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of red wine. Use an inexpensive, full bodied, fruity wine. You definitely do not want to use an expensive bottle and try to avoid one with oak aging. I think a Gallo Ruby Cabernet would be ideal. Or a red Zinfandel or Syrah /Shiraz.
• Caster sugar (amount proportional to quality of red wine, the worse the wine the more sugar you need, add it to taste, but start with about 2 cups)
• 2 Cinnamon sticks (break the sticks into pieces 1-2 inches each) 
• 16 Whole cloves
• 1 Orange
• 1 Tbs Whole allspice
• 2 cups of orange juice

If you wish to get your friends and yourself tipsy even more quickly, or just to add a little extra kick, add brandy, sweet sherry or port to the mix.

Preparation:

• Pour the red wine into a large pot and put it on the stove on a very low heat – you must not let the wine boil or the world could end… and that is not something you want to risk...
• Cut the oranges into slices and then put about 4 cloves into each slice, then put them in with the wine.
• Break the cinnamon sticks in half or thirds and put them in with the wine as well as the whole allspice.
• Add in the sherry or port (optional) as well as 2 cups of orange juice.
• Add in 2 cups of sugar and stir.
• Stir on and off for about 30 mins to give the spices time to infuse with the wine and for the magic to occur, then taste it, and add more sugar as needed (possibly up to 4 or 5 cups more if the wine is really bad).
• Let it cook/infuse for about 30 mins more (again, not letting it boil).
• Drink and be happy :)

Esslingen

With over 180 stalls, the Esslingen Christmas Market is one of the largest in the region. What makes this market unique is the Medieval section. Towards the back of the Christmas Market there is a Renaissance Faire taking place. Once inside you will find traders in period costumes selling their wares and glühwein served in stone cups. We saw a felt dyer, a blacksmith, and an old glass blower showing off their crafts. 

This year guests had the opportunity to take part in the "participatory workshops" at the silversmith, Lederer, broom-maker, engraver, or even try out the scissors grinder. 

Nuremberg 

The next market we visited was Nuremberg; a two hour drive via car on the autobahn. Once Matt and I finally found a parking garage we bundled ourselves up and hit the streets for some warm drinks and a toilet.

Every year, Germany's most famous Christmas Market opens its stalls for visitors from all over the world, right in the middle of the city, on Nuremberg Main Market Square. At 5:30 pm on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday, the Christmas Angel opens her market, reciting the solemn prologue from the gallery of the church of Our Lady. And as every year, by Christmas Eve, more than two million visitors from all over the world will have sampled the delights of the Christmas Market.

About 180 wooden stalls, festooned with red-and-white cloth, have given the Christmas Market its name of "Little Town from Wood and Cloth". 200 stall holders present their traditional wares: Nuremberg spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, bakery goods and sweets, typical Christmas articles examined as Christmas tree angels, cribs, Christmas tree ornaments and candles, toys as well as arts and crafts products. Favorite souvenirs include "Nuremberg Plum People", little figures made from prunes. And of course, by way of refreshments, there are always rolls with Nuremberg roast sausages and mugs of mulled wine.

Shari eating a crepe

The staff of the Market Department keep a watchful eye on the stalls and the goods on offer. So plastic fir garlands are a definite no-no, just as much as non-stop taped Christmas muzak or carousels. The market's stall holders therefore compete for the most beautiful and tasteful stall design. And reap their rewards: since 1981, the City has presented an annual award of gold, silver and bronze "Plum People" for the most beautiful stalls.

Nuremberg Christmas Market with its traditional image has been a model for other Christmas Markets. The "Little Town from Wood and Cloth" has been much in demand as a picturesque backdrop for TV productions.

Stuttgart

Matt and I agreed, the best Weihnachtsmarkt in Germany was right here in Stuttgart, one of the most famous in all of Germany. The festively illuminated city dominated by the medieval Old Palace, the towers of the abbey church and the magnificent baroque buildings of the New Palace, is the magnificent backdrop of the Stuttgart Christmas market.

In 30 days, about 3.5 million people visited the Stuttgart Christmas Market. There was a wide range of 274 stalls selling things like handmade ornaments, socks, toys, jewelry, kitchen essentials, and art.

Throughout the market one can find Christmas lights, sparkling jewelry, the smell of cinnamon and vanilla,  Bratwurst and mulled wine. There is also Christmas music playing aloud for all to enjoy. 

The booths in Stuttgart have wooden roofs which are beautifully decorated to include images of Santa with a flowing beard, angel figurines, and beautiful winter landscapes. With more than 300 years of tradition and the attractive range of Christmas goods it's no wonder why this is one of the most magnificent Christmas markets in Europe.

The Stuttgart Christmas market has been a historic success since1692. It was first mentioned for being the "decorated shack town" between the castle, Schiller Monument, and the marketplace which was turned into a popular meeting place for visitors from all over Europe. All kinds of Christmas magic, Christmas decorations, wooden toys, nativity figures, snacks and delicacies can be found at the Stuttgart Christmas market, which has maintained its character of a historic market over these 300 years. 

Liebe,

Mandy

"St. Nicholas Tag"

The Original Santa Claus

Children (of all ages) love surprises and love Christmas. One tradition that is fun to celebrate with children young and old is St. Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas was the forerunner of Santa Claus and, like Santa Claus, secretly delivers gifts to good children as they sleep at night. Instead of Christmas Eve, St. Nicholas delivers his gifts on the night of December 5th which is the eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas or St. Nicholas Day which is December 6th. Also, instead of a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer, he travels on a horse.

Matt's St. Nicholas Boots

My younger sister, brother, and I, grew up celebrating this tradition and I wanted to keep it going even though we don't have children (although I swear sometimes my husband is actually my five-year-old). Matt was surprised with candied almonds, a rooster ornament, alpaca socks, a Glühwein mug, and a handmade wooden spoon...that last one may have been more for me ;P. A few days later we received a package from St. Nicholas that he left for us at my parents' house in North Carolina, we each received Hot Headz, just in time for the harsh winter months in Germany.

How to participate with your children:

On the evening of December 5th, place one of their shoes or slippers outside of their bedroom. You can also leave a carrot or apple in the shoe for St. Nick's horse (and maybe a cookie or two for St. Nick himself). After they are asleep, place a few pieces of candy, a simple little toy or trinket (something small like you get with a McDonald's Happy Meal), a gift certificate to their favorite fast food establishment, or similar little gift. This is not a big gift giving event. Keep it simple with the idea of simply adding a little extra cheer to the holiday season or breaking the daily routine in anticipation of Christmas. You don't want anything too elaborate because, more than likely December 6th will be a school day so you don't want to delay them with elaborate gifts or celebrating (although my Mom always did :).

It was the Dutch who brought the celebration of St. Nicholas Day to America. During the early days of the settlement of North America, the Dutch founded the colony of New Amsterdam at the mouth of the Hudson River where New York City stands today. In fact, New York City began as the Dutch city of New Amsterdam.

The Dutch name for St. Nicholas was Sinterklaas which morphed into Santa Claus. While in some countries St. Nicholas brings presents on Christmas Eve, in other countries, including Holland, he brings presents on the eve of his feast day. It was the 1822 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore (also known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas"), that established the time of St. Nicholas' annual visit as being Christmas Eve in America. Moore is also responsible for changing St. Nicholas' mode of transportation from a horse to a sleigh drawn by eight tiny reindeer. It wasn't too many years after the publication of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that St. Nicholas evolved into the Santa Claus that we all know and love today.

Liebe,

Mandy

"Hello Stuttgart"

Me on the Street Car

On Saturday, Oct 16th we headed out for a full day of exploring the beautiful downtown Stuttgart area. Sitting near the Neckar River and ringed by verdant forests and vineyards, Stuttgart is the capital of the state in which we live, Baden-Württemberg, located in south western Germany.

We arrived outside the Patch Barracks gate around 8:30 am, it was a cold and rainy day. Our tour guide, Ingrid Arnold was already waiting for the group under her black umbrella, she reminded me of Mary Poppins. 

Ingrid Arnold, Tour guide

Train

Since this was our first USO tour, we didn't really know what to expect. We followed Ingrid to the bus stop along with the other seven tourists and prayed for the sun to roll out and greet the day. The sun never did shine its glorious light upon our heads, but we still marched on from bus to train to street car to cable car…we had quite an adventure exploring Stuttgart.

Cable Car

We have traveled by bus and train since we've been here in Germany but this was our first experience on the Street and Cable cars. The view at the top of the hill from the Cable Car was breathtaking even in all the rain and chilly weather. It was funny to see the driver switch seats from one end of the car to the other when we went up and then back down the hill again. We found a pretty famous restaurant along the way but I didn't get the name. Ingrid compared the Chef to Emeril Lagasse. Maybe we'll check it out for dinner sometime and let you know how it was.

After we took a ride on the street car, we followed the train to the Hauptbahn station (Main Train Station) to get to the Stadtmitte (downtown).

Matt on the Street Car

Once we arrived in down town Stuttgart there were so many things to see and even on a rainy day, so many people out and about. One thing we learned was Germans really love their umbrellas and do not pay attention to who or what they hit with them...beware, you may lose an eye!

Huge Advent Calendar!

We walked through a few different department stores, a fresh bakery, and then the most amazing four story toy store I had ever seen. Toys R Us would be no competition for Kurtz Speilwaren. Founded by Carl-Wilhelm Kurtz in 1833, this is the oldest company in Stuttgart and the largest toy store in Germany. Each level has a different theme, there is even a model train floor with tracks set up to "play" with. I enjoyed the dress up and puzzle/game sections while Matt explored the model-car center.

After our brief stop in the the toy store, we strolled along cobblestone roads exploring the Old Medieval, and the New Baroque Castles of Stuttgart. 

There was a beautiful church inside the grounds of the old castle but an orchestra was having rehearsal so we were unable to enter.

 

The Old Castle (Altes Schloss) is located in the centre of Stuttgart, It dates back to the 10th century.

 The first castle dated back to around 950 when Stuttgart was a settlement for breeding horses. In the 14th century it became the residence of the sovereign Counts of Württemberg. In the 16th century dukes Christopher and Ludwig ordered it to be converted into a Renaissance castle. Moats around the castle were removed in the 18th century.




In 1931 the castle was severely damaged by a fire and before it could be reconstructed it was damaged by bombing in the Second World War. The castle was finally renovated in 1969. Today the Old Castle is home to the Württemberg State Museum.

King Charles I of Württemberg and his wife Olga are buried beneath the castle church. The inner courtyard houses a monument to Eberhard I. The Old Castle stands adjacent to its replacement, the New Castle, which was built in the late 18th century.

On the Karlsplatz side of the Old Castle is a museum dedicated to the memory of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg a former resident of Stuttgart who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler on 20 July 1944.

The 'New Castle' on Schlossplatz built between 1746 and 1807

Monument of Eberhard I in the Altes Schloss in Stuttgart

Eberhard I of Württemberg (11 December 1445, Urach – 24 February 1496, Tübingen). From 1459 till 1495 he was count as Eberhard V. From July 1495 he was the first Duke of Württemberg. He is also known as Eberhard im Bart (Eberhard the Bearded).

Fountain in front of New Castle

The history of Stuttgart Germany hosts several important inventions. Two of these include the creation of the motorcycle, and the four-wheeled automobile. The city was the start of the automotive industry and car manufacturing remains prominent in it today. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Maybach are all made in Stuttgart. Additionally, the first design of the Volkswagen Beetle was produced there. Further cementing Stuttgart's importance as an economic center is its stock exchange--it's the second largest in the nation behind Frankfurt's. As a result of this, many important German companies keep their headquarters in Stuttgart.

The Farmer's Market

              Käse (cheese) at the Stuttgart Market Hall 

One of the most beautiful market halls in Germany, art nouveau, built 1912 to 1914 in place of the old vegetable hall as a grocery exchange and warehouse. Frescos by Gref and Häbich. Daily fresh flowers, fish, meat, vegetables and fruit as well as exotic fruits and spices. Small restaurant and gallery on the 1st floor with a view of what's going on.

Mediterranean ambiance
Behind the heavy entrance doors of this grand art nouveau building right next to the dignified Old Castle and the Collegiate Church, a paradise of lucullan pleasures is hidden: Fruit and vegetables from around the world, fresh dates, Spanish Kaki fruits, Greek peaches and tomatoes from Lanzarote, but also German potatoes and fresh Filder cabbage in barrels are offered in an appetizing manner.

There are 44 different stands in the market hall today. That's only a few in comparison with the 430 sales stands in the beginning in 1912. But the hectic from then and the narrow aisles between the stands hasn't decreased. Since 1989 in the gallery there has been a gourmet restaurant which has become a true culinary meeting place. The specialties and gourmet temple has become a special kind of warehouse with its tempting offers for living and garden culture and further attractive shops. 

Gourmet shop with an exotic flair 
At any time of the year in abundance, diverse and colorful, the market hall presents the impressive offers artistically and appetizingly arranged, native products harmoniously lie next to international and ecological-biological products - apples next to oranges, avocados in front of pineapples, asparagus on spinach, cauliflower in front of Chinese cabbage. With all this diversity, everything has one thing in common: everything is always fresh and of the best quality.  

Here you find among other things cheese specialties from France, Italy and Switzerland, traditional Dutch cheeses, aromatic and mild mold cheeses - here milk and honey flow. Aceto Balsamico and the best oils, pumpkin seeds, figs and dates, honey mead and Turkish honey, delicious spreads for bread and exotic salads, Baklawa (Lebanese Version of Baklava) and Tiramisu, spices and herbs - a touch of the Mediterranean and the Orient blows through the spacious halls. 

The finest fish and meat
Daily the fish from the North Sea and the Black Forest trout come fresh to the market hall, once a week fish, shellfish and crustaceans from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean are taken from the Parisian hypermarket. Smoked fish, fish pastry and salads supplement the demanding offer. Poultry, meat and sausages of a high quality are always a standard in the market hall, eggs from open land chickens are a matter of course. Also lovers of specialties like horse and lamb meat will find what they're looking for here, and whoever asks will also receive tips and recipes for cooking.

Fresh Gemüse (veggies)

I had to buy something in this amazing market so I tried some Swiss Emmentaler Cheese. It was pretty good but kind of hard.

Bier break!

The city's cultural vibrancy owes the most to the Staatstheater and Staatsgalerie. The Staatsgalerie is a world-class museum while the Staatstheater hosts an opera house and three smaller theaters. Within you'll find ballet, opera, concerts, and theater productions. For five years in a row, the Stuttgart Opera won the "Opera of the Year" award.

Those looking for palatial accommodations will not be disappointed. More than one luxury hotel in Stuttgart Germany is available to the traveler with a generous budget. The Le Meredien Stuttgart is an international five star resort that overlooks Schlossgarten Park. Both suites and regular rooms are available. Another luxury hotel in Stuttgart Germany is the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin which is also located near the city center.

Liebe,

Mandy

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

The residents of Stuttgart awoke to their first snow fall of the 2010 Winter Season this chilly morning in Germany. The temperature was a whopping 37 degrees (Fahrenheit) but that didn’t stop the 2-3 hour snow fall. Much of it didn't stick to the roads, but the rooftops and grassy areas were blanketed with just enough of the "white stuff" to wish for more!

The children skipped to school with their mouths open side tongues in the air, catching snowflakes while Moms trotted along several feet behind holding an umbrella and shaking her heads in disbelief; it’s only November 22nd!

Can you see the bicycle covered by the snow?

I broke out the Holiday Music today and now I'm looking forward to putting up our Christmas Tree and baking Gingerbread Cookies!

Liebe,

Mandy

Parmesan & Garlic Chicken ala Mandy!

I've been pretty busy with grad school, working on the house, applying for jobs, dealing with an injured back, and filing the household goods claim from hell with God only knows who (I've spoken with so many different people from too many different agencies, for all I know Santa Claus will be replacing our damaged items!) HOWEVER...I have been kicking butt in the kitchen whipping up some new culinary delights! Here is one of our new favorites...

Parmesan & Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
8 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinless

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2. In a shallow dish or bowl, pour the Parmesan Cheese and set aside. Melt Butter in a small saucepan; add Garlic and Worcestershire Sauce and sauté garlic until tender. Remove from heat.

3. Dip chicken breasts in garlic butter mixture, then roll in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place coated chicken in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining garlic butter mixture.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

 

Enjoy!


Liebe,
Mandy