Christmas!

Yay, it's December so now I can start talking about Christmas! I had a most wonderful day yesterday, so I think I'll share it with you. I had a very nice, lazy morning before meeting my new friend Jessica in Ludwigsburg. We strolled along the streets until we came to the big palace/castle I've told you about before. Because it's December and there are no flowers, they let you stroll around the gardens and castle grounds for free in winter. So we lazed around, took some pictures, and enjoyed the beautiful structure. Then, we headed to the Ludwigsburg market square for the Christmas market! Yay!

Almost every town (it seems) in Germany has a Christmas market. Just imagine booth after booth lined up selling all sorts of fun things. Food, trinkets, wine, oil, tea, hats, gloves, stockings, ornaments, chestnuts (roasted over an open fire OH MY!), and more. A real paradise, if you take my word for it! Jess and I spent two hours poring through each booth that looked interesting. If you look at the picture above, you can see us wearing our two lovely new hats. We have decided that we look just like Jackie O. and we dare any of you to disagree.

If any of you women out there reading my blog don't have a frilly hat, I definitely recommend getting one. I feel just a little bit regal wearing one. And it always feels nice feeling just a little bit regal.

After the market we walked over to the Miehle-Honecker residence (Peter & Bettina's place). They opened the door of their beautiful, yellow house and let us in. We shared a two-hour tea. Warm conversation and hot tea serve to melt even the iciest of toes. And oh no, we didn't just have tea. Bettina has been baking Christmas cookies (quite wildly as it appears from listening to Peter), and so we had plate after plate of cookies and torts. Even my favorite, the Linzer torte. OH, that is SO GOOD! I could eat it every day I think!!!!

After tea Jess left for Stuttgart, and I spent the night. I helped Bettina make cut-out cookies and spent a good forty-five minutes painting (literally, with a brush) chocolate onto the most interesting cookies I think I have ever eaten. Maybe I'll take a picture if I remember so you can see them. They have a type of parchment paper (edible) on bottom, then a mound of sweet lemony-organgy-nutty flavored stuff, and then you paint a layer of chocolate on top. Such a strange, yet delicious swirl of flavors. Incredible... incredibly tasty!

Now I'm at home, but I'm not alone. Me and the Rat Pack are together singing Christmas carols, waiting on the 25th.