Christmas Markets

In Before Covid (BC) times, Scott and I had planned to sail the Rhine River in December of 2020 in order to experience the magic of Europe’s Christmas Markets.  As everyone knows, travel in 2020 was cancelled, and we were forced to postpone our planned trip for a year.  


Unfortunately, Covid times are still with us; in fact, they are making a strong resurgence in many European nations.  We are happy to report that we have been able to visit many Christmas markets in the past ten days (and have continued to test negative on our nearly-daily covid tests).


We traveled the Rhine with our very good friends, Monica and Loren Kersting.  Monica and I first met nearly forty years ago when she was a student of mine in the school psychology graduate program at what is now called Minnesota State University—Moorhead.  She and Loren married about the same time that I married Scott.  The men had nearly as much in common as Monica and I did, and during our years in Fargo-Moorhead, they were among our best friends.  Since Scott and I moved to Arizona twenty years ago, we have not seen the Kerstings very often, but we have stayed in touch.


When I proposed a river cruise to the Christmas markets, Monica jumped at the idea.  “I’ve always wanted to go to the Christmas markets,” she enthused.  Loren was more sanguine.  “Why would I want to go somewhere cold when I could stay home and be just as cold?” he asked.  But he was convinced, and we made plans to travel together during the last half of November, 2021, when the pandemic would surely be over.  It isn’t, but we persisted and kept our fingers crossed and our masks on.


The Cologne markets opened the day that our ship docked there, and we have found markets in nearly every town we have visited since, much to Monica’s delight.  During the Christmas markets, town squares and main streets in the old towns are decorated, and booths are set up to sell food, mulled wine, arts and crafts, and Christmas baubles.  There is often live music; there might be a beer garden or a merry-go-round; and children and adults alike are bundled up against the cold.  A party atmosphere prevails.  Enthusiasm for the season appears not to have been dampened by the covid-certificate checks and resulting lines at the markets’ entry points.




Scott lost his enthusiasm pretty early on, although he was a good sport and accompanied us on several strolls through various markets.  I don’t know whether or not Monica got her fill, but I think Loren and I were glad not to have to visit any more of them after the first twenty or so. 




I will say that I have loved seeing the decorations and the lights.  For the past several days, we have had snow, which has made the markets quite magical, and I have definitely gotten into the Christmas spirit.




Scott took this photo of the Cologne Christmas Market when he participated in a night visit to the Cologne Cathedral towers.  

May you and yours be blessed with Christmas joy, with good health, and with a trip to Europe’s Christmas markets someday.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 30, 2021 at 12:33 PM

    It looks magical.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kath RahnNovember 30, 2021 at 2:34 PM

    Great pictures and narration. Safe travels home.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wendy WNovember 30, 2021 at 4:42 PM

    Beautiful! So glad you could see them!! Safe travels home.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CocoDecember 4, 2021 at 1:22 PM

    After these magical, snowy days, an Arizona Christmas may seem rather plain.

    ReplyDelete

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