It's Christmas Market season here. I have seen them in France, Luxembourg Belgium and Germany. I imagine they are all over Europe in some form. Every year the main square in Luxembourg Ville is filled with wooden huts that sell sausages, burgers, sauerkraut, tacky decorations, imported crafts, hats, gloves, candy, cookies, and of course beer and "gluhwein". Gluhwein (always mess up the spelling of that word) is a hot, mulled wine. When it's home made it's very very good. The version you usually get at these fairs comes from a bottle and it seems like most fairs carry the exact same brand. The whole place takes on that sickly sweet and slightly chemical scent. But that is the only negative thing I have to say about Christmas Markets. The rest is good, old-fashioned tacky and festive fun.
The market is crowded, most of the day, especially during lunch and dinner. Lunchtime is when the highschool students and business people come for lunch. You can get a pretty cheap lunch of a sausage, potato pancake and beer for less than 10 Euros. Everyone stands around and chats, huddled near the large standing heaters, under a big tent in the center of the square.
As I was saying before, you can buy lots of tacky crap here. I have heard that many of the Christmas markets are now run by the same company so they have the same types of things for sale.
This night was especially cozy - lots of snow and lots of people.
Dinner time at the market tent.
Dave with our friends Cata and Alejandra, who are from Mexico and haven't really gotten used to the cold weather yet.
Dave, happy with his sausage dinner.
A teenage couple, out for a snuggle by one of the outdoor heaters.
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