Christmas markets make the holiday in Europe really wonderful. Roaming around, eyeing sweets and toys and pretty little crafts, drinking steamy hot cocoas or ciders or - for those who really want to feel the warmth - wine, add a cozy glow to Christmas that I've never quite found on public ground in the U.S. In short, I love Christmas markets, even the busy ones where you get elbowed and have to squeeze your way through the crowds, and this year, with the snows we've had, it seems to double the Christmas cheer.I'm technically not supposed to leave Belgium until my visa is settled. It would have been tempting to go to Keuln, Germany this weekend since they are known for having one of the best Christmas markets in Europe, and it is a mere hour and a half by train (and travelling by train requires no passport-stamping). But, of course, instead of leaving Belgium, I stayed home and went to the Leuven Christmas markets:
If I had been to Keuln, I might tell you that the Christmas markets made the Leuven market, sweet as it is, look like cardboard boxes held up by broom sticks (there are, by the way, five markets in Keuln). The booths in Keuln would have been elaborate fairy-tale gingerbread houses, complete with colorful characters and a soft glow that made you feel warm, even in the freezing snow:
And, if I had been to Keuln, I might tell you that I circled at least one of the markets about four times in hopes of sampling sweet butter cookies, still warm and just crispy enough to melt when you bit into them, and spice cookies and cakes, reminiscent of the Speculoos cookies here. And chocolate. Chocolate coconut cookies, chocolate-covered fruits, chocolate for chocolate's sake. I didn't have any sauerkraut or bratwurst, but choices of it there were aplenty.
And I might have told you that, in the shadow of Keuln's remarkable, breath-taking Cathedral that resides right in the heart of the city, made the markets that much more special:
But of course, I wasn't there (and you can't prove that I was!!), so I guess I wouldn't know.
P.S. - If you want to see more about the Keuln at Christmas time, check out a fellow expat's blog post about it - she gives more of the sweet details!. A total coincidence that we were both there (err...not there in my case) on the same weekend!:
ReplyDeletehttp://khavanu.blogspot.com/
Your pictures look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteLove this post! The market looks very cheerful and warm amid the snow, and the one with the cathedral behind is awesome. Thanks for the photos! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteSara, I love this! Yeah I was totally un-there too =)
ReplyDeleteGood thing you only got to see Leuven's Kerstmarkt. I hope you are having a nice time in all the snow, I have not been able to get anywhere successfully on my bike, unless it means falling off multiple times. Now, I where a helmet - it kind of makes the scarf look foolish. Hope you to see you again soon!