echt muss ich irgendwann meinen Blitz benutzen

so in the ongoing collection of Glühwein mugs, Esslingen was highly recommended. with an impromptu invite from my roommate, we left late in the evening and wandered trying to find the "Middle Age" Weihnachtsmarkt.

i know it must seem redundant, but each experience has been different right down to superficial souvenir mugs. for instance, the food stands in the Middle Age market were all from the era, ie: lots of open flame or stone oven cooking. einfach, aber lecker! i was also pleased to see that no one sold similar things. it was almost as if the merchants had to sign up for what they were selling.

there were also lots of activities from live music or medieval games. definitely cooler than your average ring-the-bell, shoot-the-duck sort of thing.

this week was lots of fun, beginning with Greg's birthday and a few days of hanging out with him and his visitor. Julian had a blast and insisted on coming back in the spring. holiday season away from home isn't killing me. =)

weil jemand Schokolade mag =)

after the first touch of Christmas in Heidelberg, the season broke open in Tübingen with a chocolate festival that we share with Perugia, Italy. since arriving in Germany, i have reestablished a love for chocolate, but this really tops it off.

[Schokolade auf dem Holzmarkt]

i mean, Ritter Sport definitely exceeds Hersheys and Eva had been bringing home Irish chocolate for years, but i never knew about chocolate with ginger or chocolate with chili. amazing! i got a set of pralines with some pretty odd mixtures of spices, nuts and sauces that convinced me that chocolate is a universal platform for deliciousness.

[Pralines]

by the weekend we decided on a cheaper option involving extra time hanging out with friends and had a fondue party. like usual, i wasn't keen on using my flash, though the light was terribly dim (also usual), so i let Pavel take over the camera for a moment.

if i want to get good photos of people, i'm going to need to break my flashless habits. this is especially so, considering how little daylight we have. though sometimes, i just want to relax and enjoy the moments i have while i'm here.

[Schokolade-Fondue]

Löwen streifen Heidelburg herum

okay, backdating time. Entschuldigung.

for once we managed to keep a group ticket to just five people. i invited Andrew to join our Startkurs crew and take some photos. we didn't leave too early. the trains weren't crowded. no plan, no problems. together we wandered until we found what we were looking for.

[suchen den Weihnachtsmarkt]

Heidelberg was beautiful as expected. i was hoping to see a bit of the university, but we spent a lot of time in the castle. i pointed out to Shiori that only one of the lions lining the outside of the building had his mouth open and then we noticed that every last one of them had a different face. couldn't get that small detail out of my head. thought of WWII. insert influx of wishing that i knew more.

[Burgruinen]

we found out that Davide would be going home to Italy for Christmas and not coming back for the rest of the semester. Shiori, Nikola and i immediately began planning a surprise going-away party. certainly nothing will be the same without his crazy attitude.

[Nikola, Davide und Arsch von der Pavian]

not much overall. it was our first trip together since the semester started and our first Weihnachtsmarkt. i had already had homemade Glühwein at a few parties, but discovered the mugs from the fests and promptly started a collection. my photos weren't stunning, but i enjoyed the opportunity for getting out of Tübingen for a day. i would love to get Andrew, Guy, Oli, Tillman and Penny together for a photo excursion. not too hopeful, but the thought is in mind.

warme Winter

i know, the title seems a little out of place, but it's how i feel. i'm enjoying the Christmas scene here. the Weihnachtsmärkt give me the same vibe as Oktoberfest. i know that in reality, everything is just as kitch as in the States, but i've brought back the "i'm just happy to be here" quote from Heath in Japan. can't think of a better way to put it.

we had our first snow. i was so happy that i put on a skirt with two layers of tights underneath and my new above-the-knee socks with the used boots i found for 20€, then rode in to town on my bike for the Markt. call me crazy, but you have no idea how much i'd anticipated that moment. i was prepared. the cold was fitting for the season. the colors looked different with all the whiteness the snow. the pedaling kept me warm. my camera was across my back. i was free.

[Schnee an der Wohnheim]

i took my favorite way into the Altstadt. from Nonnenhaus and the park, it goes up Pfleghofstraße to the church. etwas von dieser Weg klingt gut in meinem Herz. maybe it's the tunnel acting as a portal. maybe it's the beginning with thin alley ways and tiny restaurants. maybe it's seeing the intersection that is now finally through with contruction. maybe it's the uphill walking. the kicker is how Pfleghofstraße ends at Kirchgasse. you just walked up a hill, turn the corner, and then your view overlooks Holzmarkt. i usually just stand there for a moment a let the scene soak in. it is always a moment to be enjoyed; even the night before, when i went to see Feuerzangenbowle in the rain.

[Geist von Weihnachten vorbei?]

everything Christmas-like in Amerika comes from Deutschland, at least all the stuff that i like. it is amazing how much more sense the carols make! boughs adorn the stands. the one closest to me has roasted chestnuts. the smell steams in the cold air. i am so happy to be in Deutschland for Weihnachten.

[Weihnachtsmarkt, Tü]

i was photographing a man roasting almonds. he told me that in two minutes it would give off a lot of steam. it was similar to the photos with fire for the Feuerzangenbowle. i came back later to buy their almonds.

i snuck in a quick shot of a brat stand. i was looking at my camera when an older man working there used a skewered brat to get my attention and said "these are the best brats!" i took the cue to take a photo and smiled.

my favourite accordion player was out, as well as many other kids, a choir and a couple substantial wind instrument groups. i was most attracted to the sound of the clarinet today, but there was also a guitar player with wonderful tunes and a wonderful voice. i stopped in ice cream shop that i've been to a few times to break a bill for the musician (or perhaps i really like ice cream, even on cold days). the Kellner, who always politely asks if you would like a cup or a cone, said "you want that in a cone, right?" i warmed up my feet while watching passerbys from the windows that used to be completely open during Sommerkurs.

it was a wonderful day to be alone and just experience.