Monday, December 12, 2011

a European Christmas experience...

Christmas markets are an old tradition in Europe.  
Most of us will never have the opportunity to experience the real thing...
but we have a replica nearby...


...the Vancouver Christmas Market.

We gathered a busload of friends...
and picked a beautiful clear and crisp evening...
to enjoy a wee taste of traditional European entertainment and food.


It was easy to pretend we were in Rothenburg, Germany...
der Weihnachtsdorf...
where the Christmas village is open all year around.


We sampled this and that...
German pasta...
Swiss raclette...
and chocolate covered hazelnuts.

And once we were chilled to the bone...
we found a nice Canadian cup of coffee nearby...
served indoors where it was toasty warm.

Though we left the European entertainment behind...
we entertained ourselves on the way home.
As the bus rolled down the freeway...
we sang Christmas carols...
in four part harmony...
in English and German (Stille Nacht).

It was a good time with friends.
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

18 comments:

  1. I loved Vancouver at Christmas, and you are right, it sounded very similar to our European Christmas markets.

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  2. This looks amazing...well worth a visit!

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  3. Oh, that would be soo much fun! I was to Germany April of 2010, Rothenburg was our first stop! Glad you enjoyed the sights and sounds in Vancouver!! Have a great day.

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  4. Oh MY!!! Stunning photography!!!

    Hugs!

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  5. Nice collages! Last evening I watched a show about European Christmas markets and Rothenburg was included!

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  6. Now that sure sounds like a good time! A quick trip to Europe without the plane tickets. There is always more to do and see, isn't there? You do know how to plan a great evening.

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  7. This sounds like so much fun. I wish we could find a way to spread out the time with friends all through the year, the dinners, the concerts, the white elephant parties, the singing. We load it all up into December, but it seems like there are more fun events to go to in December (like this one you've described).

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  8. What a fun outing. I would love to go to a German Christmas market. But Vancouver's sounds like a more reasonable option.

    Our daughter and her husband went to several markets in Berlin this year. I'm waiting impatiently for pictures!

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  9. Oh I would've loved to hear the music on the bus ride home...

    I see that Heidi is in the Potatoe Business. =) Is this a baked potato?

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  10. This sounds like SUCH a wonderful Christmas experience!! Visiting your blog was the next best thing to BEING there along with you!!

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  11. The weather was perfect...and it was a great evening for all, except for some who could not handle the crisp winter air...where was your touque and mittens.
    I loved the mingling of friends and Christmas carols.
    It still stuns me that it was called the European Market, but I noticed vendors with names of Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

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  12. OH I saw some things I would love to sample. .and did I see birds? Oh so fun! I wanted to do this year ...but time is getting rather short.

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  13. You have a way of making me feel like I was right there visiting this village with you. Since I have never been to Europe, this gave me a glimpse of what I missed. Sounds like a fun, educational way to spend a day.

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  14. Where is the Christmas market located Judy? My daughter is working on a theatre production in Vancouver this month and I know she'd love to visit this market. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

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  15. What a wonderful afternoon that must have been. I could just imagine the smells of all the different sorts of food. The drive back sounds like the perfect ending to the day.

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  16. That would be my kind of outing! Glad you enjoyed it!

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  17. This looks like a wonderful market to browse and enjoy some of the tradional tastes of the season, Judy.

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson