Christmas Markets

Aachen's Cathedral - we'll have to go back to see the inside. 

The stalls around the church.  They weren't open yet as we were early.

Note the huge blow-up gingerbread!  Aachen is famous for their gingerbread.

Look closely and you'll see us walking in the crowd after buying some gingerbread.

Oh, so patient!

Germany is famous for their Christmas markets.  We're lucky to live near at least 15 or 20 markets within an hour of our house.  Most German towns have a market.  Some are just for a weekend, but most run the entire Advent Season.  Some markets are known for something particular, but many have similar items for sale.    Usually you'll find booths selling wooden handwork, toys, candles, ornaments, knit hats and scarves, bratwurst, soup, fresh waffles, crepes, potato cakes, gingerbread, and Gluhwein (a warm spiced wine).  I've really enjoyed soaking up the holiday spirit checking out as many markets as I can:)  Here are some pictures of a few of them.

Xanten, a quaint walled city

I took the train to Cologne with some friends while the boys were in school.  This is what greets you when you walk out of the station!

Amazing Koln Cathedral

The market was by the cathedral.  Pretty cool!

Some German for you:)  The bottom line says "Christmas Market Koln City Center."

They also had characters blowing bubbles from the roof tops.

Dear Kaleb, such a trooper.  Sleeps anywhere.

"Merry Christmas" in Koln.

 

Dortmund - famous for the largest tree!  Created with 1,700 individual trees to stand 45 meters tall.

  It was taller than the tall buildings around it.

Stalls around the tree in Dortmund.

More stalls in another section of Dortmund.

Lots of people enjoying the beautiful weather!

Buying a German hot dog - wasn't what the boys expected:)

Walking in the crowds of Dortmund, keeping track of everyone!

We have a few more markets we'd like to visit.  We'll see if the weather cooperates.  For now, Frohe Weihnachten!  Merry Christmas! 

Bochum Train Museum

With a house full of boys, we are huge fans of trains.  When I found out that there is a collection of retired trains in a town about 20 minutes away from our house I knew we needed to go.  While Oma and Opa were here we took our train loving boys and Opa to check it out. 

The DGEG Railway Museum Bochum-Dahlhausen is the largest private railway collection in Germany.  It is run by volunteers since 1977.  The museum is located in a former railway depot built during World War I.  It has a roundhouse with 14 tracks and a water tower which is still in use.

14 door roundhouse with turntable

The train going by was much more exciting than mama wanting to take the picture:)

Carter, Alex, Liam, Kaleb

Opa and the boys checking out a train.

The red vehicle has train wheels and tires so that it can go on tracks and roads.

The chimney for the smokestack

We could walk all around the trains and climb on some of them.

Pretty impressive!

Sweet Kaleb - such a trooper!

The frame of an engine.  You could see where the boiler sits, the buffers fit, and where the wheels attach.  Pretty cool.

Reading about an engine together:)

Engine from Dusseldorf - 1929!

Over 150 vehicles are displayed.  They show the development of German locomotives and carriages from 1853 up to the present.  Many exhibits are considered rarities because they have been saved from scrapping or even are the only preserved example.

Alex exploring on the car.

Does he look happy?:)

What fun!  Climbing in an old train car:)

We got to ride on a lever handcar with Opa.

Liam came home with a collection of huge leaves!

Checking out how the turntable works.

Oma and Kaleb

  
We had a great day.  There were some things that I had never seen before...and I've seen a lot being a mother of four boys!!!:)  It was a beautiful fall day.  Opa and the boys loved looking at all the engines and cars.  Kaleb was happy being with all of us.  Oma and I enjoyed seeing everyone so happy!:)

Saint Martin's Day

November 11 is Saint Martin's Day in Germany.  It is a traditional holiday that is celebrated in Germany, Austria, parts of Belgium and parts of the Netherlands.  According to Wikipedia, Martin started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me."

Lanterns the boys made in German class.

To honor Saint Martin, children make paper lanterns and walk the streets in a parade being led by a man dressed as Saint Martin on a horse.  They sing songs about lanterns and Saint Martin.  At the end of the parade there is a reenactment of St. Martin giving part of his cloak to a beggar.

Liam, Kaleb, Alex, Carter waiting for the parade to begin.

The boys and I in the Kaiserswerth parade.  The sticks have battery operated lights.

The boys have been learning the St. Martin's Day Lantern song in German and have been singing it constantly.  I learned it just by listening to them and could join along:)

The parade in Angermund

We went to the parade in Kaiserswerth and Angermund.  They were on different evenings so we participated in both.  The Kaiserswerth parade had all of their school friends and was very large. The Angermund parade was with mostly the German school kids, and a few ISD kids that we knew.  It was smaller so we could see St. Martin and the reenactment better.  Both were good - just different size.  Because the parents paraded with the children, there weren't actually many people watching the parade.  Everyone was participating instead.  Kind of fun!

Beggar on the left, St. Martin on the horse on right

We all stood around the reenactment and sang several times.

St. Martin giving the piece of his cloak.

Kaleb watching the fire.

Pictures from the Angermund reenactment.













































After parading and the reenactment the children receive a treat bag containing apples, oranges, nuts, chocolate and a loaf of sweet bread.  Then, they go to businesses and houses.  After singing a St. Martin song they receive more goodies.  This is similar to trick-or-treating, but I thought it was so much cuter.  The boys, Liam especially, sang their hearts out which was so cute. 

Singing a St. Martin lantern song at a store for candy.

Liam, Alex, Carter ready to sing!

Weckman bread for St. Martin's Day - sold at all the bakeries.

Kaleb bundled up.  It gets cold in the evenings.