Weihnachtsmarkt- A German Tradition

During the four weeks proceeding Christmas, many of the cities in Germany are lit up and full of people visiting the Weihnachtsmarkt. The Weihnachtsmarkt is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas. The first Christmas market was held in Dresden in 1434. Nuremberg is one of the most famous markets today and draws each year about two million people.

Over the weekend, another couple joined us for a trip to the Nuremberg Weihnachtsmarkt. We knew that we were approaching the Weihnachtsmarkt when the aroma of toasted almonds captured our senses. The market combined food, drinks, vendors, bands and choirs, all in the open-air of the city center. Glühwein, a hot wine, is a very popular drink at the market and helps to keep you warm. Hot chocolate is also available. But my personal favorite was the chocolate- covered strawberries. I’m still dreaming about them a day later.

Going in with a set budget, I was able to secure some beautiful Christmas ornaments for our tree and a few very unique candle holders. We had a wonderful afternoon eating, shopping, laughing and shivering with our good friends and their puppy Denzel Washington.

Our First Christmas Tree

This year my husband and I will spend our first Christmas together. Even while dating, Christmases were always spent on different continents. He with his family in Germany and me with my family in the States.

Well, last week, while visiting my in-laws, we cut down a fresh Christmas tree from their back yard. My mother in-law also gave me some beautiful hand-made ornaments to hang on our tree.

Later that week, Matze and I bought more ornaments and lights and spent an entire evening decorating the tree and listening to jazzy Christmas songs.

We Had Church!

Thursday evening the Jackson Singers, a traveling gospel ensemble, came to Ingolstadt. And what a glorious time it was.

The Jackson Singers began by singing old spiritual hymns, hymns that I hadn’t heard since childhood. Later, they moved into some hand-clapping, foot-stomping praises. The Germans in the crowd, who are usually difficult to get out of their seats, were standing, clapping and shouting hallelujah! The village of Ingolstadt was truly blessed that evening.

A One Night Trip to Brazil

Brazil is a place I’ve always wanted to visit. Beautiful people, beaches, warm weather and Samba! Well,for two hours, we experienced Brazil without having leaving Germany.

Born to Samba is a live Brazilian show performing at a local theater. I thought the show was fantastic. The dancing was so infectious that I felt like jumping on stage and shuffling my feet along with the performers.

We heard great Brazilian music, experienced Carnival and watched amazing martial arts; the acrobatics were incredible. This show was just enough to satisfy my need for the Caribbean- for now.

A Son of a Legend Performes in Germany

In the small village of Neuburg, just outside Ingolstadt, sits is a charming little jazz club called Birdland. It’s named after the famous Birdland in New York.

Ravi Coltrane, the son of the legendary jazz saxophonist, John Coltrane, performed on Friday at Birdland. After Ravi completed his first set, Matze asked if I wanted to meet him; he thought that Ravi would be delighted to talk to a fellow American of color.

Matze was right! Ravi was so open and pleasant to talk to. He was even interested in knowing why I was in Germany. The only disappointment - the battery in my camera was dead.

Prague: Better than in the Movies

Over the weekend, Matze and I took a mini-vacation to Prague, and it was much more than I expected. Thanks to Germany’s centralized location within Europe, driving to Prague took only three hours.

We were invited by a friend who is a native of the Czech Republic and grew up in a small village outside of Prague. Having her and her husband there to show us the treasures and take us to places known only by the locals was priceless.

Above, the Orloj- a mechanical, astronomical clock, whose dial dates back to 1410

German Beer Drinking At Its Finest- Oktoberfest

Last week marked the end of Oktoberfest. First originating in October, 1810, this 16 day festival is held each year in Munich and runs from late September to early October.

Oktoberfest is one of the most famous events in the city and the largest in the world. Over six million people attend each year and beer plays a central role in the fair.

In addition to beer, visitors consume large quantities of food such as sausages, chicken, bread and sauerkraut. Many dress in traditional German attire, men sporting Lederhosen and in women Dirndls.

As a new inhabitant of Germany, this was one festival I had to witness first-hand. Although I’m not a beer drinker, I’ve always been curious as to what the big fuss was all about.

At the location of the festival, there were many tents filled with thousands of people. Our tent contained 16,000 people. There was a big band that played traditional German music and songs from the 80's, while the masses sang along. Sporadically, a large group of people would shout “prost”, as they collided enormous glasses of beer, and then slammed them down on the table, slightly spilling its contents – this is German-style.

Later that evening, I had noticed several people who had over indulged, staggering through the crowds or sitting outside the restrooms in a drunken stupor (not my idea of fun).

Anywy, for me, Oktoberfest was fun to experience once. Being in the mist of large crowds and drunken people brings no value to me whatsoever. However, I can say that this was one more adventure I can cross off my “100 Places to Visit before I Die” list.

A Gut-Ripping Honeymoon Gift

My husband Matze’s favorite sport, next to football (soccer in the US), is car racing. He thinks that he’s the Mario Andretti of the Autobahn. So, as a honeymoon gift, he was please to present me with an eight-hour training session, on a race track, driving the new Audi R8 sports car.

Matze has attended seven of these types of driving experiences; this was my first. Aside from driving 200km/hr on the Autobahn, I had never taken a sports car around hairpin turns, while breaking at just the right time, with the right force, in order to avoid gliding the car.

For the first half of the day, the race track was split in three sections so that the drivers could become familiar with the track. During this time, I was very proud of my performance. Matze was in the passenger seat directing me along the way.

The second half of the day, the entire track was open for driving. For me, this was when nervous tension set in. How was I going to keep up these guys? I didn’t want to drive like a sissy-soft girl. And being the competitive person that I am, the pressure was on.

I set as a passenger with Matze for a few rounds to build up my confidence. Soon I found it necessary to step out of the car in order to settle my stomach (he was a fast and fearless driver). Then, it was my turn. “My lady,” said the trainer, gesturing for me to enter the car. I began to pray as I snuggled into my helmet and fastened my seat belt.

The drive was tremendously exhilarating! I totally understand why Matze loves it so much. The speed was so electrifying that it made my skin tingle (my stomach too).

Later, the trainer said that my gliding put two new tire marks on the track (that wasn’t supposed to happen) However, I received a certificate that acknowledged my successful completion of the driving experience, and a round of applause from all the men in the room for being the only woman in the driving experience.

While driving home that evening, I found it very difficult to maintain a normal speed on the Autobahn because I was anxious to practice what I had learned earlier on the race track.

What’s New? Everything - Including A Root Canal

Well, a new chapter in my life has begun. A new husband (married now for five weeks), new country, and the official launch of a new business. In addition to all things new, I had to find a new doctor. I needed a dentist, to be precise. And having lived in Germany for a little over four weeks, anxiety began to set in.

My problem? Ich spreche nur ein bisshen auf Dueutsch! (I speak only a little German). So, as you can understand, it was extremely important for me to find a dentist that was fluent in English and could communicate in a personable manner. To my delight, my husband Matze suggested a great dentist; a dentist he had visited for the first time just several weeks earlier.

During my appointment, Matze put my racing nerves at ease. “I’ll go in with you,” he said. “If the dentist doesn’t speak English well enough, I’ll stay in the room and translate everything for you.” Well, that’s all I needed to hear.

Astonishingly, my root canal went perfectly. It was absolutely painless, and I didn’t need the translation assistance of my husband either.

Next search, OB/GYN. Oh God help me!