Tag Archives: Christmas Market
The Christmas Market
When I lived in Germany, I would take in a half dozen Christmas markets each year. I didn’t limit myself to only German ones – I also checked out markets in France and Austria. That of course was pre-pandemic. I’m not sure how many Christmas markets were permitted to operate this year. I know in […]
Missing The Market
Europe’s Christmas markets aren’t happening in 2020. Too many crowds for safety during the pandemic. So I thought today we would revisit the Christmas market in my wife’s ancestral hometown of Lippstadt, Germany. These pictures and comments are from 2017. I have visited Lippstadt before, but always in the warmer weather. I didn’t know what […]
Christmas Decorations
I hadn’t realized how much I missed being in Sulzburg last December until I saw the Christmas decorations going up in the market square. Sulzburg is beautiful at Christmas. European towns make Christmas a big deal. There may not be much faith left on the continent, but the traditions remain. Even in 2020, when so […]
Reflections on Advent
This is the second Sunday of the Advent season, the time set aside to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a time of anticipation, and spiritual reflection. Most years there is a Christmas Market in in front of the Rathaus (city hall) in Vienna. It is big and colorful with lots for […]
The Christmas Market
One of the big casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the cancelation of Europe’s many Christmas markets. These colorful Advent celebrations just aren’t happening this year. At various points this month I might give you a glimpse of what we are missing, starting with photos I took in 2017 in Colmar, France, which traditionally […]
The Christmas Market
For the first time ever, Ottawa has an outdoor Christmas market, modeled after the ones in Europe, which are a huge tourist attraction. I was excited when the market was announced. Then I realized that this is a modest first year for the market. There are only about 20 vendors. I guess that makes sense […]
Another Rink
Yesterday’s post reminded me that I took some pictures of the skating rink at the Christmas Market in front of the Rathaus in Vienna. That rink impressed me with a far more creative approach than most of the other outdoor rinks I have seen in Europe. Instead of a rectangular slab of ice which could […]
Visions of Advent
There is a Christmas Market in in front of the Rathaus (city hall) in Vienna. It is big and colourful with lots for sale. But there is more to it than just commercialism. Part of the market is the Nativity Trail, a series of 12 nativity scenes, different interpretations of the birth of Jesus Christ. Back […]
Sulzburg Christmas Market 2018
In the big cities in Germany the Christmas markets run for a month or longer. The goods on display are slickly made. In sleepy Sulzburg it is a one-day thing, and there is a lot of home-made baking and clothing for sale. And gluhwein of course. The market is open until 8 p.m. local […]
Terror Too Close To Home
When they are far away, they are just news items we may or may not pay attention to. It is different when they happen in your neighbourhood. Throughout the day Wednesday, people in Canada were forwarding me news stories about the terror attack at the Christmas market in Strasbourg, France. It is only an hour’s […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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