Well, my trip to Bavaria was good. I don't have too much time for writing this blog at present, but I thought you might like to see some of the Christmas photos I took during my trip. They're mostly of Regensburg and Coburg.
Yes, it's a cliche that the Germans do Christmas better than anyone else - but I really think it's true. Many towns have a Christmas market (or several) and the shops, restaurants and churches can be most elaborately and painstakingly decorated. This is one of several exquisitely baroque windows from a confectioner's shop in Regensburg.
Here's another, in quite a different style, from a shop in Coburg. You see the tiny men (about 3 cm high) labouring with chocolate to create a gigantic truffle. What I like is the way that someone has made each tiny plastic man a tiny Christmas hat.
The markets usually open during the day, but sometimes they're fairly quiet, and things start to get going when darkness falls. There is sometimes an area for kids with a merry-go-round or two, and perhaps a nativity scene
As it gets darker, more people arrive.....
This was sunset in Coburg, and the big orange awning to the right was the bar. This had been quite busy for a while, mostly with young men who didn't seem to have much else to do in the daytime but stand around and drink.
But they were soon outnumbered as ordinary people came along from work, with their families, or coming to meet their friends. (Look at the brightly painted old buildings in the background, by the way - they almost seemed like part of the festive market atmosphere).
By the time night had fallen, the bar was full of people socialising with friends. Some seemed to have come along straight from work for some gluhwein and a snack.
You can perhaps see the statue of Prince Albert (husband of Queen Victoria) peering over the top of the bar canopy. The statue was given by Victoria to the city, because of course Albert came from Coburg, and there were several interesting exhibitions about him scattered throughout the town to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his death.
It was quite cold and this stall had a brazier in the middle which gave out a fair bit of heat.
The hot drink was a beautiful plum colour. I didn't know what "Padzera" meant.
The stalls in the Christmas markets I saw had all kinds of things for sale. Some sold home made cookies, or the ubiquitous gingerbread hearts
There were all kind of food stalls, selling everything from sausages and chocolate, to ham and cheese and crepes in various flavours .
And of course lots of people drank gluhwein and ate sausages
This stall specialised in wood carvings and tree ornaments. I thought it made a fine display
Here's a close up
I saw lots of nutcracker soldiers in Bavaria. Originally they came from a mountainous area called Erzgebirge, which specialises in woodcarving. I think they're incredibly ugly, and a bit frightening, and I'm not really surprised that the Brothers Grimm thought they were malevolent. Here they are with some "light arches" - a kind of Christmas candlestick.
You see a funny mixture sometimes of religious and fairytale imagery. This fairground-looking angel was rather pleasant - I think she presided over a food or drink stall.
But I found this little corner quite creepy. Admittedly, the market hadn't got going when I took it but do you see the witch sitting on the chimney of her gingerbread house with her pet raven, and that flaxen haired goose girl or whatever she is? She is life sized, but not real, and later on, when there were real children about, she looked even more peculiar.
Some of the stalls sell tiny little houses. I'm not quite sure if these are used in Christmas decorations, since only a few of them are covered in snow.
But there are stalls selling all you could need for making a Nativity scene - tiny little farmyard animals, mangers, figures..... this child really liked them.
For a child, there's something specially exciting about going on a carousel and seeing bright lights at night.
Late one night we went across the town square in Coburg and saw a full moon. With all the steep old houses, the whole thing looked a bit like a Christmas card. The next day, it snowed, but I was on my way to Munich by then.
