Nürnberg (4)
Dec. 4th, 2011 11:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bitchy_merlinIch und du, und noch ein [Bu], mein übriges Geld und die kleinen Kartoffeln.
- I and you, and a young [boy], my leftover money and the little potatoes.
Monday, November 28th, was probably my favourite (and, alas, also the last day of our excellent stay). We woke up early in the morning, with the intention of trying to cram another museum into our city tour, but we were thwarted by Monday being "Everything is closed!" day. Things turned out ok, though, thanks to our general awesomeness.
Before we left the flat that morning (Mark, Christian and Sandra all having gone to work or class already), Hanna and I did some Serious Thinking about our schedule for the day, since our bus would be leaving at 9pm sharp. We wanted to make our hosts dinner as a way of saying thank you for their hospitality. Since my culinary knowledge extends to "toast", we decided on Finnish meatballs with a side of mashed potatoes and some steamed broccoli. We figured we could do our Christmas shopping in the morning, then buy groceries on our way back from the Christkindlesmarkt. But then there was the question of what to do if we arrived home before anyone could let us in - so, borrowing from the archetype of German efficiency, we raided the kitchen for potato peelers before heading out the door.
We had great weather that day. Mark's flat was located just around the corner from a small playground (ok, it was actually kind of creepy, because the main play structure was made of bare metal pipes and sheeting, and it bore an eery resemblance to a sentry tower). But what the playground lacked in outward appearance, it made up for in sheer awesome because it had a ZIPLINE THINGY OH MY GOD - so now I have a video of myself swinging and bouncing up and down ecstatically because I am eight forever.
Anyway, we made it to the main square again and spent most of the morning wandering around. We checked out some bookstores, and I bought Hanna's Christmas present: a book - in German - about famous battles, which she went positively gaga* over in the shop. Then we spent a good while detouring and looking for a public washroom - we eventually succumbed to commercial culture and bought coffee in a nice bakery. We drank it sitting outside in the sun; across the street, there was A CAMEL, WTF, as well as several goats. They were all ensconced in a pen - presumably as part of the Christkindlesmarkt, otherwise I don't even want to know what the citizens of Nürnberg get up to in their spare time. (I also stole the coffee spoon from the bakery, because Orange Kitchen has a serious coffee spoon deficit.)
Sufficiently caffeinated, we then spent a good long time simply wandering the wonderfully twisty streets of the city. Cobblestones will never stop being awesome to me. Along the way, we saw an antique shop selling a selection of beer steins. I fell in love - but unfortunately not in ownership - with one decorated with the Bavarian crest. It was really cool, and I think next time I go to Bavaria (because there will be a next time, damn it!) I might actually pick up a beer stein while I'm there.
We wandered up to the church of St. Sebald, and I died a little at the, well, glory of its architecture.
Then, the Christkindlesmarkt! Oh man, I loved that place so much. Maybe it's because Nürnberg is a relatively small city, but the market didn't have the mass-marketed feel typical of North American Christmas events**. We wandered up and down the crowded aisles between the stands and marveled at the wealth of Christmas ornaments, Glühwein and Lebkuchen on display. It was really something else. I bought Christmas ornaments for my family and a prune man for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ironychan; great success! I sent Oma and G+G some postcards (favourite grandchild, favourite grandchild). I also bought myself a souvenir: a 1L bottle of Glühwein a;lsdkfja;lsdka SO EXCITED, that stuff is delicious.
And before we left the market, I treated Hanna and myself to fresh Lebkuchen from one of the stalls. It was heaven. I think angels might actually have started crying, that's how good it tasted. :D One moment of perfection, right there, standing next to the Christmas choir and eating our fresh, still warm Lebkuchen. ♥
Finished with the market (and carrying my own body weight in souvenirs), we hit up Norma's on the way back to the flat. As suspected, we arrived earlier than any of our hosts. Not wanting to waste any time in preparing dinner, however, we did the only logical thing: we got out our potato peelers and sat on the steps peeling potatoes for half an hour before Sandra got back and let us in. During that time, a couple other people living in the building passed us going up and down the stairs; we got some strange looks, but it was totally worth it. I made the mashed potatoes, and they were effing awesome, if I do say so myself. :)
So we treated our hosts to a lovely dinner, and thanked them for all they had done for us. Then, it was time to bid Nürnberg goodbye and catch our bus back to the Netherlands. It was the end of a really fucking awesome journey. I'm ridiculously, stupidly happy I went, and I cannot freaking wait to travel again!
PHOTOS UP AT DUTCH MY LIFE (tag: Nuremberg entries)
*Or at least, as gaga as a Finnish woman ever actually goes...
**Although, in the "Sister City Market", there was a stall from Atlanta, USA; they were selling Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I almost bought some, but then I thought I might actually die of lulz. :D
- I and you, and a young [boy], my leftover money and the little potatoes.
Monday, November 28th, was probably my favourite (and, alas, also the last day of our excellent stay). We woke up early in the morning, with the intention of trying to cram another museum into our city tour, but we were thwarted by Monday being "Everything is closed!" day. Things turned out ok, though, thanks to our general awesomeness.
Before we left the flat that morning (Mark, Christian and Sandra all having gone to work or class already), Hanna and I did some Serious Thinking about our schedule for the day, since our bus would be leaving at 9pm sharp. We wanted to make our hosts dinner as a way of saying thank you for their hospitality. Since my culinary knowledge extends to "toast", we decided on Finnish meatballs with a side of mashed potatoes and some steamed broccoli. We figured we could do our Christmas shopping in the morning, then buy groceries on our way back from the Christkindlesmarkt. But then there was the question of what to do if we arrived home before anyone could let us in - so, borrowing from the archetype of German efficiency, we raided the kitchen for potato peelers before heading out the door.
We had great weather that day. Mark's flat was located just around the corner from a small playground (ok, it was actually kind of creepy, because the main play structure was made of bare metal pipes and sheeting, and it bore an eery resemblance to a sentry tower). But what the playground lacked in outward appearance, it made up for in sheer awesome because it had a ZIPLINE THINGY OH MY GOD - so now I have a video of myself swinging and bouncing up and down ecstatically because I am eight forever.
Anyway, we made it to the main square again and spent most of the morning wandering around. We checked out some bookstores, and I bought Hanna's Christmas present: a book - in German - about famous battles, which she went positively gaga* over in the shop. Then we spent a good while detouring and looking for a public washroom - we eventually succumbed to commercial culture and bought coffee in a nice bakery. We drank it sitting outside in the sun; across the street, there was A CAMEL, WTF, as well as several goats. They were all ensconced in a pen - presumably as part of the Christkindlesmarkt, otherwise I don't even want to know what the citizens of Nürnberg get up to in their spare time. (I also stole the coffee spoon from the bakery, because Orange Kitchen has a serious coffee spoon deficit.)
Sufficiently caffeinated, we then spent a good long time simply wandering the wonderfully twisty streets of the city. Cobblestones will never stop being awesome to me. Along the way, we saw an antique shop selling a selection of beer steins. I fell in love - but unfortunately not in ownership - with one decorated with the Bavarian crest. It was really cool, and I think next time I go to Bavaria (because there will be a next time, damn it!) I might actually pick up a beer stein while I'm there.
We wandered up to the church of St. Sebald, and I died a little at the, well, glory of its architecture.
Then, the Christkindlesmarkt! Oh man, I loved that place so much. Maybe it's because Nürnberg is a relatively small city, but the market didn't have the mass-marketed feel typical of North American Christmas events**. We wandered up and down the crowded aisles between the stands and marveled at the wealth of Christmas ornaments, Glühwein and Lebkuchen on display. It was really something else. I bought Christmas ornaments for my family and a prune man for
ironychan; great success! I sent Oma and G+G some postcards (favourite grandchild, favourite grandchild). I also bought myself a souvenir: a 1L bottle of Glühwein a;lsdkfja;lsdka SO EXCITED, that stuff is delicious.And before we left the market, I treated Hanna and myself to fresh Lebkuchen from one of the stalls. It was heaven. I think angels might actually have started crying, that's how good it tasted. :D One moment of perfection, right there, standing next to the Christmas choir and eating our fresh, still warm Lebkuchen. ♥
Finished with the market (and carrying my own body weight in souvenirs), we hit up Norma's on the way back to the flat. As suspected, we arrived earlier than any of our hosts. Not wanting to waste any time in preparing dinner, however, we did the only logical thing: we got out our potato peelers and sat on the steps peeling potatoes for half an hour before Sandra got back and let us in. During that time, a couple other people living in the building passed us going up and down the stairs; we got some strange looks, but it was totally worth it. I made the mashed potatoes, and they were effing awesome, if I do say so myself. :)
So we treated our hosts to a lovely dinner, and thanked them for all they had done for us. Then, it was time to bid Nürnberg goodbye and catch our bus back to the Netherlands. It was the end of a really fucking awesome journey. I'm ridiculously, stupidly happy I went, and I cannot freaking wait to travel again!
PHOTOS UP AT DUTCH MY LIFE (tag: Nuremberg entries)
*Or at least, as gaga as a Finnish woman ever actually goes...
**Although, in the "Sister City Market", there was a stall from Atlanta, USA; they were selling Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I almost bought some, but then I thought I might actually die of lulz. :D
