Winter Warmers (Playlist)

After the Christmas period is over, I find it's nice to have a few cosy tracks to keep you warm through the winter months (figuratively, of course):
Laura Marling – Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)
Bon Iver – For Emma
Jamie Cullum – High & Dry (Live From The South Bank Show)
Kate Rusby – I Courted A Sailor
Lucy Rose – Place
Ich, Alexander – Ab und zu nehm' ich ab und zu
Michael Berk – Untitled
Norah Jones – December
Jack Johnson – No Christmas For Me
Noah And The Whale – Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Sarah Ellen Hughes – Little Wing
Amy Macdonald – The Road To Home
Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
Snow Patrol – The Planets Bend Between Us
Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
Mumford & Sons – Winter Winds
Nat King Cole – Let's Face The Music And Dance
ALESSI'S ARK – THE ROBOT
Sting – The Hounds Of Winter
Gabrielle Aplin – Home
Zaz – J'Aime A Nouveau
Villagers – On a Sunlit Stage
Tunstall, KT – Patience
Bruce Alexander – Weathers
Enjoy xx

Weihnachten, Weihnachten.

Weihnachten (ie. Christmas) is going to be the topic of this week's post, and well it should be! As I may have mentioned, the Germans do Christmas in a BIG way - none of this waiting-for-the-week-before business, as soon as gets wintry (and I'm talking the middle of November here), these guys start preparing the way for a good bit of Christmas cheer. It started subtly, with a few lights in the town centre, then developed into displays in all the shops, then the candles that began appearing everywhere (and I mean everywhere!), then came the Christmas trees on the lamp posts (see last post). Now we've got the whole shebang, with Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkten) on every corner and ice rinks being all the rage. It even snowed the other day!

I have, of course, been throwing myself into this Christmas spirit whole-heartedly. I was lucky enough   to receive a hand-made advent calendar from Oma, with a little present to unwrap each morning - only for family members, apparently - what a privilege! Then, there was St. Nikolaustag on the 6th of December - St Nic decides to pop over a bit earlier in Germany- got to get round everyone, I suppose - and not only that, but he uses shoes instead of stockings to leave his gifts in. So, I was woken up very early on Wednesday morning to go and check out the rather lovely pile of presents waiting in my old walking boot - lucky I didn't get coal really, they definitely weren't polished up to German standards! This weekend was the big event -Kläschen - Lemgo's answer to a Christmas fair, and the social highlight of the year for many locals, apparently! Now I'm trying to make it to as many Christmas Markets as possible, to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a bit of Glühwein, Bratwurst and gebrannte Mandeln (caramelised almonds) - mmm, lecker!

This ridiculously extended Christmas period is rather charming, particularly as it gives the impression that it's the Christmas holidays from about the 1st week of December. The only problem with that being, of course, when you still have to go to work! And there is the worry that, after all this Christmas activity, that one would just get rather tired of the Yuletide fever - but, after all's said and done, I'll have to admit, I'm a massive fan. Looking forward to the next Weihnachtsmarkt!

p.s. I almost forgot - we brought a bit of the British Christmas spirit along and made mince pies the other day! Photos are to be seen on Facebook (as they are of all the other events - feel free to peruse =])