12/12/11 Gluhwein, Brat, Vinegar and Christmas markets

So I was really bummed out when the USO cancelled the tour that would go to Rudesheim for the Christmas market. Oh no, it wasn't just a run of the mill Christmas market, no no, it was an international Christmas market. I still have no idea why more people hadn't signed up for it, but they didn't so I didn't get to go there last weekend. Instead I went to Saarbruken with another teacher and a few parents. I got up early and was ready to check it out... after all the Christmas market site said that it had 80 stalls in the main market plus some on side streets. Sounded good to me, even if it was raining.

We had made arraignments to meet at the school since its kind of centrally located. I got to school a little early (partially anticipation of the day and partially to get some work done). Then I get a call saying they were running late...so, I goofed around a bit longer. Finally we were on our way. Off to see the wonders of the Saarbrucken Christmas market...visions of gluhwein danced in our heads. (In case you don't know what gluhwein is...its wine that is warmed up and sold at the markets...there are different kinds...my favorite is the white but they typically sell the red which is more a punch kind of wine...sort of).

After the 40 minute drive we get to Saarbruken...definitely not 80+ stalls with sellers, but the gluhwein did cut the edge and stave off the chill in the air from the rain. I did actually find a couple things at that market, and enjoyed the company so it was worth the trip :)

Here are a few pictures from that Christmas market:

This one and the next are really from the Landstuhl Christmas market...I liked this St Nicklas and the street band was pretty cool too (Below)

in Saarsbruken....this was a candy stand...it looked like a gingerbread house.

Belinda's behind and a nutcracker..at a nut stand :)

This cracked me up...its an alcohol level tester at the parking garage, right by where you pay before you leave....pretty smart!

Saarsbruken was not exactly as planned, but as I said, still a nice day with some nice people. That left me with the week considering whether to try some other christmas markets or give up on it for this year. With that mulling around I decided on Wednesday to take a little drive (about an hour) after school to Venningen to go to this vinegar place. It's not run of the mill, in the grocery store vinegar...no, it is made the old fashioned way and with really good wine. I guess this is vinegar that is well liked by many chefs, too. It's called Doktorenhof vinegars. They have all sorts of flavors of vinegar and people drink it like it was still wine.

At any rate, so I decide to go on Wednesday (since they stay open until 6 pm on Wednesdays and I wanted to be able to get some to send home as presents); I look up the directions on google maps (since I dont have a gps yet...note to self, get a GPS) and print out three routes. I finally get to leave the school at about 4 pm...no problem the place is only about an hour away. I get on my way on the autobahn. All seems to be going really well; only a few kilometers left and I will be at the ausfahrt (exit) that I need to take...when all of a sudden, I am stuck in a stau (traffic jam) on the autobahn. Time is slipping by as I am stuck. I keep looking at the clock and although the time is moving, the traffic is not. Finally, slowly, I reach the exit that I need to take. I make my way into the village and find the right streets. There it is, the third house on the left (seriously, that is where it is, in the third house on the left). I look at the clock...6:02 pm. ARGGGGG!

I figure what the heck, I drove all this way, I might as well see if I can somehow slip in...after all the lights are all still on. So I go through the courtyard and up to the door and there are all kinds of people inside (they were waiting to take the tour...which I didnt get to do but I sure want to). I figured they would turn me away but instead I was welcomed in and told I could taste test if I wanted to. Well I sure wasnt about to turn and leave, so I got a basket and started trying to figure out what everything was (go figure it was in German). They had so many people in the place that it was difficult to get through. Next thing I know the owner (I know it was the owner because I have read articles about him and the business) came over and asked if I wanted to try anything. I asked about the fig vinegar and he had a young man come and give me a sample...not in a dixie cup...no not even close...in the most beautiful hand blown glass.

To top it off, the vinegar is bottled in hand blown bottles. The mixture of this beautiful tasting vinegar in these beautiful bottles makes it well worth the price, which really isn't all that bad. Anyway, I choose a nice selection (knowing that I will go back when I have more time to do some tasting) and get on my way. By now, it is of course way past dark and I know (luckily) that I do not want to attempt to get back on the Autobahn since I saw an accident on the other side as I was coming (a semi blocking the entire other side). So I pull out my handy dandy copies of my routes and take the back way...through the forest and villages. I got lucky though, it didn't start to rain until I was almost back to my village...thank goodness. Oh I meant to tell you, this vinegar is so good that people buy it to drink...well that an to use with foods. Enough on that though...I will save it for when I can go back and go on the tour...definitely something I want to do.


By Friday I had decided I wanted to try another christmas market before time to fly back to the States for the winter break from school, so I decided to rely on the USO (fingers crossed that they wouldn't cancel on me again) and signed up for a tour of three Christmas markets...Bad Wimpfen, Michelstadt, and Erbach. The good thing about taking a tour for the visits to the Christmas markets is that I don't have to drive roads I don't know, to get to villages that I have no idea where to park, plus then I could drink the gluhwein.

I got up nice and early on Sunday morning and drove over to meet my tour bus (which was a little late). Then we were off. I had a good shopping bag with me and euro in my wallet...ready with anticipation of finding some great and wonderful treasures. So we drove for close to two hours...made the typical rest stop for breakfast...lovely brochen with cheese and ham...then off for the first stop...Bad Wimpfen.

Now in case you are wondering Bad doesn't mean that it is a bad place, merely that it was known for its bathe houses...its a spa village (or was at one time). We pull into the valley and start making our way up...but couldn't see much as the valley has the Nekkar river in it and so it was foggy. Along the way we did see trees so full of mistletoe they almost looked like it wasn't winter.

the big clumps in the branches on the trees are clumps of mistletoe

The fog was so thick you couldn't see the River at all

Now if you know nothing at all about the Nekkar River, a famous writer from the States was known to raft along it...along with the Mississippi River...yep, no other than Mark Twain.

As we wound our way up the hill we came to Bad Wimpfen and our first Christmas market:

The Blue Tower (there is a red one too but we couldnt see it well with the fog)

I loved this cobweb with its frost all over it.

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Feuerzangen Bowle is gluhwein with Rum...definitely more potent than plain gluhwein...but when in Rome :)

I loved how they decorated the tops of the stalls at this Christmas market...so pretty.

I have no idea who this child is but she was just so darn cute all bundled up in her stroller.

It's hard to see in this picture but there was a band up in the Blue Tower playing Christmas music

Chestnuts roasting

Frohe Weihnacht (Merry Christmas)

What an odd assortment of decorations for Christmas time but these were out.

This was a cookie cutter stand

Santa and the angel turned just as I was taking the picture :(

This is the commemorative sign on the original Bathe house, from 1534. After being a bathe house it became a brothel.

The Nekkar River.

So after a few hours in Bad Wimpfen we were off on another hour trip to Erbach...to a smaller Christmas market. But alone the way there were some pretty sights too.

Then in to Erbach. Erbach and this region are known for their use of ivory. Not ivory from elephants (although they do use that as well with certification that allows them to) but they predominantly use Mastodon (don't ask me how they do that, seems to me that would be something that wouldn't be acceptable as a material for their carving). Needless to say, the price of the ivory pieces was hefty. 


This was a small Christmas market centered around the palace...which actually has a count living in it (on the top level).

I go to a German Christmas market and what do I find...dream catchers at an American Indian stand. The guy didn't know what he was talking about though as he called the dream catcher, beaded jewelry, and totem poles all Navajo. I never heard of a Navajo having a totem pole...oh well.

Blacksmiths making a sword.

A statue person

It was only a short stop in Erbach then off to Michelstadt. Michelstadt is only about 10 minutes from Erbach but it took a while as we got stuck in a stau trying to get to the market...it was packed. By the time we got there it was already about 5:30 pm which means it was already dark. As Paula (a lady I met on the tour) and I attempted to make our way through the crowds one thing became quite apparent; this market seemed to mainly be food. We of course made the best of it...including a stop for gluhwein with amaretto for me and schnaps for Paula. Funny walking through the market we discovered that Paula had gotten here basically when I had and she had looked at the house I am living in...possibly being here the same time I was on the open house night. Not a whole lot eventful at this market other than good company, good gluhwein, and a tasty fresh pretzel.

A one man band

Human statue

Needless to say, odds are that is the end of my Christmas market experiences for this year. I suppose I could see about the one in Kaiserslautern, although I heard it wasn't very good. I could always try the Johanniskreuz one (it's not too far away) or perhaps on Saturday when I go to Frankfurt to spend the night to catch a plain the next day, I might visit theirs. But all in all, it was a nice time visiting the markets I did go to.