12.26 GHOST TOWN

This is not the Boxing Day that I'm used to.

By the afternoon of Chistmas Eve the bustling market stalls throughout Germany start closing shop. Shoppers evacuate the city centre and head home only to surface breifly from their abodes to attend church service.

I went to a Lutheran service at St. Lawrence's, a Gothic church. The stone-cold stone I stood on left my feet frozen. I never did warm up despite the cozy crowd I nestled myself in between to listen to the organ music. Standing room only that night.

The crowds quickly dissipate after mass. I headed back to the hostel for a quiet night, followed by an equally quiet Christmas (on which I ate 5 - yes 5! - leibkuchen), followed by an equally quiet "boxing day."

On this day (a monumental day for gross sales where I come from) I took a walk through town and was astounded by the echo of my footsteps on the cobblestone. Like a bat, I could have closed my eyes and relied on echolocation to navigate the winding streets. But then I trip on the cobblestone with my eyes open...

(If I were a bat on Boxing Day in Canada I would hide from daylight and creep reluctantly into the shadows only when the deluge of shoppers have retreated to their dinner tables for leftover turkey.)

It was nice to go for a peaceful stroll. I was prompted by slight boredom and an equal curiosity about who/what might also brave the awkward silence of the city street. I crossed paths with a handful of presumably like minded tourists and a few German families marking the moment with photos in front of fountains and church steps.

I walked briskly to stay warm, but slowly enough to browse the shop windows as I passed. It was a subtle urge to fulfill the 'boxing day' tradition that means consuming: consuming reduced items amidst crowds of shoppers along with mountains of mashed potatoes and re-heated stuffing. It took little to satisfy this urge. I would rather deny it.

I hate to shop.
Right now I feel very far from home, but very far from homesick.

12.25 FROHE WEIHNACHTEN!

FROHE WEIHNACHTEN!

(night watchmen?....)

12.24 A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

This man stood, quietly, amidst the hustle and bustle of shoppers and tourists making their last rounds of the Christmas markets.

His good news, scribbled sideways, in largish text on a whiteboard: "Jesus Christus ist fur dich geboren."

He stood in front of St. Lawrence's Lutheran Church, and with the steadiness of a a palace guard, didn't flinch while I stole his photo.

12.23 KIRSCHMANNLE

Flying solo again.
At the first sign of distress, I lean to my trusty novel and find a sweet cafe where I can relax with a forkful in my mouth and my nose in a book.

I happened to land a forkful of Kirschmannle.

It is a cherry-chocolate-almond pastry that is deemed a specialty of Nurenburg. Hit the spot. Sitting at a long-time family owned place called Cafe Beer, I delved into my book, my attention interrupted only at chapter ends when I breaked to bite into dessert.

The book was engaging enough to keep me distracted from the couples, the families, the groups of friends coming and going from the cafe. But the slice of pastry was fit for two and I would have like to have someone, anyone...Casey...to share with.

12.22 CHESS ANYONE?

Casey will be leaving for Munich tonight, then departing to Canada tommorow. We had a relaxing day, just enjoying the city scene, staying warm, and eating good food.

We found a quaint cafe alongside the city castle where we ate pretzels and tea and challenged ourselves to a game of checkers. We couldn't sort out the rules of the game, figuring we'd be better off playing chess if we had the set.

Its a good thing we're pretty.
Cause we're apparantly too smart for this game.

I think Casey smoked me in the end though I'm not sure. We were both pretty confused by the end of it and made up rules along the way. I was distracted anyhow by the fact that she was taking off soon and I'd be playing solitaire for the next little while.

It has been amazing travelling with Casey, sharing the bitter burn of frostbite, sampling together the bittersweet bite of gluewein, and sharing woes and worries about school over a soothing plate of knoodle and goulash. All the while, it has been loads of fun.

12.21 TOURING A LOCAL

Casey's friend Stephen joined us from Erfurt for his first visit to the town of Nuremberg. This well travelled bloke had never been to this historic city, despite living only a few hours away by train.

It speaks to the notion that we percieve what is farther away or outside our nation's bounds as being more exotic and therefore having more appeal.

So how do you show a German around an old German town? Both Casey and I were stumped and so meandered the streets alongside Stephan exchanging information about our hometowns instead. I learned a lot about Erfurt, while Stephan got plenty of detail about my life in the UK.

Casey provided a more suitable tourguide, showing him to the gourmet Lebkuchen stalls and insisting he turn the legendary Nurenburg Ring, an ironwork of intricate piercing inserted withing latticed grills by the renaissance locksmith Andreus Kuhn. It is said that turning the ring once will bring good fortune and make your wish come true.

We toured the Nuremberg tower with Stephan and tried to explore some of the history, but realized we knew very little about the town, its history, or its art. At the end of the day, he said we had seen what Nurermberg wants us to see. I was disappointed that we had only skimmed the surface but then wondered if I really want to see what Nuremberg doesn't want me to.

We ended the day at a local brewery where we dined on traditional food local to this town and bid Stephan adeiu as he hopped on his return to Erfurt.

12.20 SANTA SPOTTING

Casey and I travelled from Munchen to Nurnburg today. This city boasts a reputation for being the Number 1 Christmas Town. It certainly hosts plenty of markets to make its name and is home to the best ever Lebkuchen, or traditional ginger bread cookies.

And there certainly is no shortage of Santa Claus posers.
I spotted him here today with his pup.

Later in the day I found he was also musically inclide, with accordian in hand and puppy in tow. I'm not sure if it was Santa's merry making or the adorable sidekick that had me, along with most passersby, throwing our money at the man.

Anyhow we made our way through this beautiful town, on either side of its Pegnitz river, through several of its ornate gothic churches, and up and down the christmas market stalls for treats and souvenirs. I browsed a couple of bookshops as well and landed an golden find: A copy of "Rotkappchen" by the Bruder Grimm. It is the original german text of the story of Red Riding Hood, only the illustrations have been done by a contemporary artist in a wild and abstract juxtaposition to the text.

Merry Christmas to me.