It Was A Merry Little Christmas

The last three months have sped by far too fast for my blog writing capabilities to keep up. And while I've managed to squeak out a blog post here and there on a significant birthday and our first wedding anniversary, that has been the shameful end to it. The truth is, a number of interesting events have taken place for us so far this year and they yearn to be written about. So here I sit, three months too late, determined to update all of you on some of the events that have unfolded in our lives here in Europe, starting with Christmas.

Simply put, there is nothing quite like Christmas in Europe. Obvious downsides include being far away from family and friends and not participating in the same annual holiday traditions as you're used to. However, that aside, Christmas in Europe brings with it an atmosphere and beauty that is not replicated anywhere else in the world. For that reason we are glad we decided to stay on the continent this year to experience it firsthand. Here's a little sampling of what we did and saw...

Traditional Christmas Markets


Christmas Markets pop up everywhere during the holidays, and while they seem to be more prevalent and authentic in the German-speaking countries, we were able to sample the sights, sounds and tastes of these markets in the Netherlands, as well as during our trip to Germany and Austria. The largest market we visited was in Munich, Germany where the main city square was filled with hundreds of small wooden huts housing a marvel of handmade Christmas decorations, gift ideas, food and drink. We spent hours walking from hut to hut, cups of hot gluhwein in hand (more about that below), soaking up the atmosphere to sounds of familiar Christmas carols being played by local musicians. No matter how many markets we visited over the holidays, they never got old. Rather, they provided the perfect way of getting into the Christmas spirit.


Gluhwein

Christmas in Europe just wouldn't be the same without hot gluhwein (mulled wine) to warm your cold hands and insides while wandering through the markets. Beautifully decorated gluhwein stalls are found on every corner, where locals and tourists alike cram side by side around small tables and sip gluhwein in decorative cups of all shapes and sizes. This past Christmas was Chris' first taste of gluhwein, so we used every opportunity we had to sample another cup. I'm thinking we must have drank at least twenty cups of gluhwein each during our 10-day vacation. Yes, that would be two cups a day!

Snow & Ice

Generally, Amsterdam does not experience much snow during the winter months, and while ice skating happens to be the second most enjoyed sport (aside from biking) by the Dutch, the canals don't freeze often enough to have a regular mass ice skating party. However, this winter was unusually cold in Europe. The snow fell, the canals froze, and the Dutch were still riding their bikes like crazy people as though nothing had changed! Chris and I saw far too many major wipe outs on the ice, including broken legs and twisted knees, to attempt riding our own bikes in the snow. The tram did us just fine during the coldest weeks when salt normally used to melt the ice on the roads ran out across Europe. Regardless of our inability to ride our bikes for a few weeks, we still enjoyed the experience of seeing the city in a new way - covered in white.


Where we had hoped to see lots and lots of snow was in the Austrian Alps during our vacation. The ironic part is that very little snow had fallen in the Alps leading up to Christmas. In Kitzbuhel, where we had planned to go skiing for a day or two, partially bare mountains greeted us and rain fell at the highest peaks for the duration of our stay. Kitzbuhel is most widely known for its famous Hahnenkamm downhill race, where it boasts some of the most difficult ski runs in the world. With the 2010 race only a few short weeks away, we were certain the ski conditions would be epic, but we were extremely disappointed by the fact that they were so poor the days we were there, we never made it up the mountain.


We still managed to spend our days walking through the resort village and experiencing its delightful Christmas Market and eat an amazing Christmas Eve dinner at the Hotel Zur Tenne.


Of course, the day we left Kitzbuhel, the sun shone brightly and the rain that had been falling on the peak everyday since we'd been there had turned into snow the last night and left a fresh layer of new powder. Finally, the perfect skiing conditions and we were getting ready to board a train to Vienna. Needless to say, we were a little annoyed by our poor timing (as you can see by the expression on my face at the Kitzbuhel train station in the picture below).


Some Familiar Faces & Traditions

Being away from Canada at Christmas didn't mean we were left entirely without some familiar faces and regular traditions from back home. Our visit to Vienna included staying with my Dad's best friend from childhood, Herb, and his partner, Anneliese. Their beautiful home in the Vienna woods oozed with Christmas traditions I was very familiar with, including a candlelit tree, festive Austrian music, delicious Christmas cookies, long discussions by the fire late into the night, and delicious meals together (i.e. raclette - see picture below). Herb and Anneliese spoiled us rotten during our time in Vienna and we couldn't have had more generous hosts. Our final evening in Vienna was spent with members of my family from the Walko side, including my great aunt Helli, the family matriarch.

While Christmas in Europe was not (and never will be) the same as being at home over the holidays, we still felt fortunate to have experienced it in a new way that will hopefully help us establish some of our own family traditions in the years to come.