Weinachten

Loooong overdue post on Christmas!
The day after the fam departed for Christmas at home in Brooklyn, my friend Danielle, who I've known since I was 9, arrived to spend Christmas with me!
We went out to explore the city, and the Holocaust Memorial was beautiful in the fading afternoon light, covered in icy rivulets and frost:



We also baked some gingerbread cookies using my collection of Berlin cookie cutters: the Brandenburg Gate, the TV tower, and the Ampelmänner--the little men in the walk and don't walk lights at crosswalks. Plus a star shape for good measure.

We decorated them with icing, too!

On Christmas Eve we attempted to go ride the ferris wheel at the Alexa Christmas market, but it was closed! As was Weinachtszeit in front of the Rote Rathaus. I had heard that in Germany, and Europe in general I think, Christmas Eve is more the holiday than Christmas Day--that's when presents are opened and a large family meal consumed--but somehow I hadn't made the connection that that would mean everything was shut down. Ah well. We grabbed some Chinese food instead, haha. The weather was shite, anyway...the TV tower was shrouded in mist at midday:

And then it was CHRISTMAS!
We got up early and prepared the turkeys and stuffing and got them into the oven. I had never roasted a turkey before, but luckily Dani had some experience, and between us we managed to do ok! (despite the somewhat lacking pan situation and not-well-calibrated oven in my kitchen)
We fixed some mimosas and gathered round the tiny tree with my roomie Josh to open some prezzies. Josh had never heard of a mimosa before, and neither had his dad and brother when they arrived--guess they don't make them in Australia!

We spent the rest of the morning cooking and soon our guests arrived for a feast of epic proportions!!!

That's two small roast turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, peas, cranberry sauce, and gravy.
The turkeys and veg were easy enough to get, and my mother brought me canned Ocean Spray cranberry sauce and Stovetop stuffing mix from the States for a taste of home. I couldn't find a baster or an aluminum pan, but I found a meat thermometer and improvised the rest with lots of foil and a ladle.
And of course I wore my hideous thrift store Christmas vest. Woot!

Dessert was even more epic...I baked two batches of muffins (chocolate and banana-chocolate-chunk) and the gingerbread cookies, we had mince pies and krumkaage (norwegain cookies) brought to me by my mother, and the piece de resistance, a christmas pudding from KaDeWe (brit tradition via my father), soaked in brandy, set on fire, and served with homemade brandy butter. Mmmm.
Then of course we also had piles of various chocolates including the liquor-infused ones hung on the tree. Yum!
All in all...I was able to recreate some of my family traditions, other families were able to come together, and I think everyone had fun.


Next up: New Year's Eve. And maybe then I'll finally be up to speed!
Bis bald,
D.

Frohes Neues Jahr!

Ok I know, I know, I haven't updated in ages.
I plead holiday season craziness and a straight *month* of visitors from the States!
Some highlights:
Pre-Christmas "princess party":

Visit from the 'rents and little bro, Dec. 15-22:

This delightful traditional beverage was described to us as "like Glühwein, but more alcoholic." And how!
We also had great fun rediscovering an old Grandpa Bowers favorite: Lamumbas, aka alcoholic hot chocolate (at the Weichnachsmärkte, with rum or amaretto; grandpa B used to serve 'em with chocolate milk and Spanish brandy).
I took the fam for a Berlin specialty: currywurst! It's a chopped sausage smothered in curry ketchup and curry powder. This is the German idea of spicy. At least at Curry 36, supposedly one of the best currywurst stands in the city, you can add extra chili flakes which actually do pack a punch. Here's a picture with some typical accompaniments, an order of fries (pommes) with ketchup and mayo and a nice cold Berliner Kindl:

Mostly the food at Christmas markets is a smorgasbord of traditional German delights, but this stand in Spandau was going for a different approach:

Very authentic I'm sure.
It snowed every day they were here! leading to some very nice views of snowy (and cold!) Berlin:



Especially walking home from the Museuminsel (this was at 5pm-ish):

My parent's hotel, the Radisson near Alex, had a giant aquarium in the lobby...pretty surreal going up the elevator in the middle of it and looking out at the hotel through schools of fish:

We attended almost every major Christmas market in Berlin to sample the goods (mmm...hot alcohol. and bratwurst) and the fanciest one (with a 1eur entry charge!) was at the Gendarmenmarkt:

We enjoyed watching a bunch of ducks and swans get fed by a German family on a snowy walk through Park Sansoucci in Potsdam:

...that's my brief recap of the family visit. I'll update again soon on Christmas and New Year's celebrations!
Bis bald,
D.

Weinachtsmänner & Weinachtsbaum

Yesterday I met a friend at the Potsdamer Platz Christmas Market. Man, I cannot WAIT to try tubing down the fake snowhill there!
It was raining, so we took a quick spin through the market, then took shelter at a nearby coffee shop for a while. The rain, however, just got worse, until it was sleeting, and then suddenly--snow. It was snowing!
I had forgotten an umbrella and wasn't wearing a hat and dear God it was freezing cold, but I was somewhat protected in the bus shelter and just tried to enjoy the pretty swirling whiteness.
But the bus was taking for-freakin-ever and my toesies were starting to freeze even in my sturdy Scottish hiking boots! I was just starting to get grumpy when the presumed reason for the delay rounded the corner: a police motorcycle, lights flashing, leading a motorcade.
"Great," I thought, "some politician needs to come through this way and I get to freeze because my bus is delayed."
But then I heard what sounded like a marching band. And instead of the usual black cars, there was a big ole truck behind the police cars. And what was inside it? An orchestra, all the members wearing santa hats and playing Christmas songs. I grinned big. Totally worth the wait!
But I didn't even know the half of it...
Behind the truck came an army of motorcycles, each being driven by someone in a Santa suit! Some had angels or polar bears behind them or in sidecars, and all were decorated with flashing lights and Christmas paraphernalia. They were grinning and waving despite the cold and all of us huddled under the bus shelter grinned and waved back. It was so awesome!
I took some pictures and a video:



See how dark it is? Yeah, four o'clock in the afternoon. Sigh. I think I have S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder).
So "Santa Claus" auf Deutsch is "der Weinachtsman." At least I think so. To be honest, I'm not really 100% clear on the difference between the Weinachtsman and St. Nikolaus. St. Nikolaus Day is December 6th and that's when people (kids mostly I guess) put their shoes out to get gifts in them overnight. Bad kids get rocks. Really bad kids get a wooden switch to get beaten with. If you're not good, St. Nikolaus will go totally Grimm Brothers on yo ass.
I bought a small Christmas tree for the apartment yesterday because it is absolutely ripping my soul in two not to be going home for Christmas and I wanted something festive and homey. Maybe it was a waste of money, but I sure like having it in the room.
Carrying it home on the U-Bahn was fun.
Here's how it looks:

I picked up the Santa glasses at a party last night...I can't decide if they're super awesome on the tree or super creepy. Thoughts?
Here's how it looks in the dark, with the Rathaus tower illuminated in the background:

Check out Jim Gaffigan's take on the tradition of Christmas trees:

He cracks me up...one of my favorite comedians. I was listening to him on the U-Bahn today and had to stifle my laughter.
Bis bald,
D.