Two weekends ago, our planned trip to Dusseldorf to visit friends and explore the famous German Christmas markets was cancelled due to bad weather throughout Europe. Since I LOVE everything Christmas and have been talking about the markets since we moved to Europe, I was definitely disappointed. So, this past weekend, we (Schlopy included, of course!) loaded up the Daewood and headed north through Bern to Stuttgart, Germany (it is so great being driving distance to so many interesting places). With more than 200 booths set on the edge of the expansive main square, the Stuttgart market is said to be one of the oldest (more than 500 years) and prettiest in Europe. While I was overwhelmed by all the handmade crafts, christmas ornaments, and other interesting trinkets, Jignesh's thoughts were consumed with the booths offering mulled wine, German sausage, and traditional desserts. The elaborately decorated booth rooftops, chilly weather, and crowds of friendly locals all helped to create a fun and festive atmosphere. We spent the entire weekend strolling, people-watching, booth browsing, and eating with thousands of others doing the exact same thing. While we did come home with a few small, inexpensive buys from the market booths, our biggest purchase was ironically from a huge department store that could be found in any American mall. Hey, at least our new Henkel knives are made in Germany! Since we are heading to Israel for Christmas, the market was a great way to get a taste (European style) of Christmas.Au Revoir
