well, so far no regrets on trading our fab switzerland holiday for the merry & bright of nuremberg. germany knows how to do christmas! it’s been lovely just staying home and really enjoying the spirit of this city during the holidays.
when we were moving here a lot of people mentioned the “germany christmas markets” – i was slightly intrigued, but honestly wasn’t sure what to imagine. and i’m now quite certain that i won’t be able to adequately capture how festive and magical (there’s that word again!) they really are. it’s kind of like new york city at christmas – there’s a mood, energy, spirit that is truly infectious in that city during the holidays. the same is absolutely true here – and even beyond! it feels much less about buying and consuming, but simply rather experiencing and just living & breathing the holiday, together with friends & family.
i also seem to have embraced a whole new side of myself that is loving a more traditional christmas theme. there’s a christmas store in germany called “kathe wohlfahrt” (do we have these in the US?) which is just the most addictive, beautiful expression of holiday ornaments and decoration you could imagine. i could spend hours (literally, hours) in the stores just breathing in every detail. this stuff is SO different from anything i would have gravitated towards back home, but i love love love it. we each got to pick out our own ornament at kathe wohlfahrt, which was also a fun new tradition that i can’t wait to continue. * can you guess who picked each one? also – these pics don’t do them justice – the details are so lovely!
in addition to gluhwein (spiced red wine), half-meter wieners and gorgeous ornaments, nuremberg also has one of the best kinder markets (children’s markets) – we spent way more time at the kinder market than the adult one, and not just at the girls’ request! rides, cotton candy, tons to see and play and make. perfection.
i expected this christmas to be really hard, being the first away from my family. and while the homesickness is real and very present, i do think this is going to be one of my favorite christmases yet. there’s something to be said for the simplicity of this year – very few gifts, no rushing, no last-minute mad dashes to target for this & that. and with all of that out-of-the-way, there is more time for just being still and remembering what we’re celebrating.
merry christmas eve to all of you. sending much love from germany. xo.
Shirley Gaither - Courtney Defeo is a friend and past co-worker of mine and she shared your blog today. What a walk down memory lane. Thirty years ago my husband was in the Army and we lived in Wiesbaden, Germany. Our only daughter was born over there. Ten years ago my husband took an ex-patriate job in Maasterich, Netherlands and we took many excursions similar to yours. I identify with the grocery shopping, DRIVING TEST(I was terrified of the test), driving around town(no GPS in those days or iPhones). What an amazing experience it was. Enjoy each and every day! Your writing is incredible and I love the photos of your beautiful family! Thanks. Shirley, Atlanta, GA
haus van maxey - hi shirley,
thanks so much for stopping by the blog and for your sweet comments! i love that you had a germany adventure as well – always fun to meet a fellow adventurer! we are loving our journey and so thankful for all of the experiences (both good & bad ).
all the best,
emily