I’ve already written about Cologne a few times, so this one will just be pictures from the Christmas Market. We met our friends Jason and Erica (plus their daughter Addison and their cousin Courtney who was visiting from the States) for the day; which was really nice because we’ve been trying to get together forever! They are also from Greenville, SC on an expat contract and will be here one more year. Sadly they live down in Ansbach (about 6 hours away) so we haven’t been able to meet up much yet, but we’re hoping to make it down their way before they move back!
The couple we rented a room from in Bonn told us the story of the Heinzelmännchen of Cologne – which was fitting since a whole section of the Christmas market is dedicated to gnomes! If you want to read about the fairy tale you can find it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinzelm%C3%A4nnchen.
close up of some of the lanterns
I love the paper star lanterns.
the entrance to the gnome market
linens (we bought a Christmas table cloth here)
beeswax candles
cute bird houses
another gnome
more of the tree trunk carvings
gnomes on swings!
the Nutcracker House
the Nutcracker House
the Nutcracker House (where we bought our Christmas Pyramid!)
some of the mugs for sale
nativity scene
Erica, Addison, & Jason
choir singing 🙂
with our meat on a stick- it was actually pretty good
lunch!
nesting dolls
another shot of the carousel
cool carvings out of huge tree stumps
a shot from the gnome market (you seem them in the bottom left had corner?) There are gnomes everywere in this section of the market.. again it relates to the fairy tail story.
antiques
lots-o-people
walking around the market
Heinzelmännchenbrunnen – This statue relates to the fairy tale story about Cologne.
blue sky!
good shot of us with the Dom
Addison, Erica & me (wouldn’t be a picture in Eurpe with out someone in the frame smoking…)
