Christmastime Photos

As I’ve done a few times before, here are some photos that I’ve taken in the past few months:

Around Town:

Friesenplatz at Sunrise, around 8:30am

Cologne's Cologne

The sun begins to set around 2pm. 

Christmas Photos:

In the central train station, there is a nativity scene set in post-WWII Cologne rubble.

We’ve set up some traditional German Christmas decorations, including an Advent Wreath and Advent Calendar.

And a little bit of Sophie:

This is her new favorite place to hide from us.

Cologne Christmas Markets

Since there’s no Halloween or Thanksgiving standing in the way, Christmas decorations began popping up in department stores around late-October. We marched full-speed ahead toward Christmas and during the last weekend in November (first Sunday of Advent), the famed Cologne Christmas markets opened. There are seven markets spread out around the city, each different in its own way. More information can be found here: http://www.cologne.de/events/christmas-markets

Simply put, the markets are just plain cool. It’s impossible not to get into the spirit of things as you walk through the lit-up booths and see all the holiday trinkets for sale. One of the markets has a public skating rink set up and I’m hoping that we’ll be able to go this week. One of the less commercial and more social aspects of the Christmas markets is the food. This weekend I tried Glühwein (warm, mulled wine) and Reibekuchen (fried potato pancakes). Both were delicious! The markets are a really fun way to celebrate the season and a great new holiday tradition to look forward to each year.

Heumarkt Christmas Market

Glühwein

Must-Have Survival Items for Germany

Last month marked sixth months that we have been (and survived!) in Deutschland. I think that we are finally starting to feel completely settled in and have been more comfortable in our new surroundings. As the six-month mark was approaching, I started to think about the things that have been the most helpful in our transition and I came up with this list of “must have” items. If you are thinking of uprooting your life and relocating in Germany, I highly recommend putting the following things on your packing list:

1. Comfortable Shoes- In the US, I considered myself a fairly active person. I wasn’t a gym rat, but I still managed to get (what I thought was) a fair amount of walking in each day. It was still a shock once I realized how much walking I would be doing in Germany. Every day I walk about 15 minutes to and from the tram station and usually for about an hour or two as I do errands after school. There are two grocery stores within walking distance to our apartment, which means a car is only necessary for big trips. The inner city of Cologne is still comprised on narrow, cobble stone streets and it’s nearly impossible to find reasonable parking options. This means that evening and weekend activities are also zu Fuß. My go-to summer shoes were my tried-and-true Tom’s, but in the winter I’ve transitioned to more water-proof options.

From Guatemala to Thailand, these shoes have seen it all. 

Not a Stiletto in sight. 

2. A Quality Dictionary- I first got a dictionary for my German class, but I was surprised at how many times I found myself pulling it out in the bus, in a store, etc. A lot of people rely on electronic or internet translators, but I find that I can find things quicker myself. However, Google Translate is a live-saver for translating larger amounts of text, like letters and websites.

3. Patience- PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE. Although there are many similarities between the US and Germany as two westernized nations, there are still days when everything seems completely different—like you’ve woken up and been transported to some kind of alternate universe. The food is different. The language is different. People have strange mannerisms or habits that you don’t understand. Things get lost in translation and nothing makes sense.  On days like these, it’s important to take a deep breath and remember that each day gets a little easier.

4. A Trusty Cellphone- I’m outing myself as a millennial with this one, aren’t I? I really did not get the most out of my iPhone until I got to Germany. With the map/GPS functions, translation apps, and free iMessaging and FaceTime, my phone has probably been the single most helpful thing that I brought with me. We’ve also discovered how much cheaper cell phone service is in Germany compared to the US.

5. Holiday Decorations- When I was packing, I tried to be as practical as possible and only ship the absolute necessities. As the holidays rolled around, we realized that many of our holiday decorations had not made the cut. I wish that I had had some things to decorate for the 4^th of July, Thanksgiving, and additional things for Christmas. Celebrating holidays from “back at home” is an important way to combat homesickness and make a new place feel just as cozy.

Frohe Weihnachten!

6. Ranch Dressing- Because there is NO ranch dressing in Germany!

Köln Volksfest and Museumsnacht Köln

Last weekend, we went to two traditional Köln events in one evening: the Köln Autumn Carnival and Museum Night. Before the citizens of Köln pull out all the stops for the "real" Karneval in February (think Mardi Gras cranked up 1,000 notches), there's a small fall carnival on the banks of the Rhine. From the top of the ferris wheel, we got some great shots of the skyline.

That night was also the Köln Museum Night, an annual event where most of the city's museums are open late and visitors can buy one ticket for entry into all of them. We took advantage of the extended hours and swung by the Schokolade Museum café for some DELICIOUS cake. 

Lille and Bruges

Oh my— time has gotten away from me again! I have been composing several posts in my mind, but haven’t had time to write anything down for a few weeks. We have been so busy, but were able to get away to Lille, France a couple weeks ago for our last trip of 2014.

Lille is in the far northeast corner of France and is only about three hours away from Cologne by car. We spent a long weekend there and also took a day trip to Bruges, Belgium. Lille definitely had a much different feel than Paris and was unique in it’s own “small provincial town” sort of way. Bruges was also really interesting compared to Brussels (Dutch-speaking vs. Francophone) and was really beautiful.

Most of our time in Lille was spent strolling through the cobblestone streets and window shopping in all of the stores. We also visited the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Treille, where half of the church's façade has been renovated into a more modern style.

Streets of Lille

Original side of Lille Cathedral

Renovated side of Cathedral

In Bruges, we took tons of photos along the canals and listened to the town's 700 year old bell tower. Will was delighted to find some of his favorite Belgian Grimbergen beer, which is served in a rather ornate chalice. 

Bruges Town Square

Belfort

Bruges Canals

On a side note--this trip to France was totally different for me language-wise than before. While there in the summer, I was able to use French, but this time I felt like German had taken over my brain. I could understand everything that people were saying to me, but I just couldn't wrack my brain fast enough to come up with a response. Often when I did try to say something back, it was half-French, half-German. I guess all these German classes are paying off!

October Activities

After our Oktoberfest excursion, things haven’t died down much and there’s still been a lot going on!

Deutschkurs

My German class is going very well. Each month is a new module and every two months we will reach one of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language level milestones, which range from A1-C2. By the end of my course in February, we will finish B1.

We just finished the A1 module and according to the Goethe Institute, that means I can do the following:

“Can understand and use familiar, everyday expressions and very simple sentences, which relate to the satisfying of concrete needs. Can introduce him/herself and others as well as ask others about themselves – e.g. where they live, who they know and what they own – and can respond to questions of this nature. Can communicate in a simple manner if the person they are speaking to speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help.” (http://www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/pba/bes/enindex.htm#A1)

Kölner Philharmonie

When we were in Pittsburgh, one of our favorite things to do was to see the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Last weekend we went to our first concert at the Kölner Philharmonie. The concert ended up featuring opera singers the whole time, which is not quite our taste, but it was still fun. The concert hall is also beautiful and the symphony has a free practice session open to the public every Thursday morning.

Dinner in Düsseldorf

On Thursday, we rode the train to Düsseldorf to have dinner with some friends. We ate at What’s Beef , which is a NYC-inspired burger restaurant. The burgers were probably the best we’ve found in Germany, but still just not quite the same as home.

After dinner, we walked around and got a mini-tour from one of the guys who is a Düsseldorf native. The big, built-up, modern city presents a definite contrast to Köln.