A visit to German Christmas markets

Last year we started a tradition. Each Christmas season we visit a different Christmas market. After some thought this year we decided to head to Düsseldorf in Germany for a weekend.

The city had a number of small markets, much smaller in size than the ones in Köln, which we visited last year. We spent a day drinking glühwein from our coloured mugs, to keep us warm and walking around the little wooden huts each housing a different shop.The huts sell all sorts of things, not all Christmas related. Many showed local craftsmanship while others were selling all types of local food. Somehow we all managed to spend more money than planned!  We ate so much food, obviously starting with a bradwurst sandwich, followed by marshmallows covered in chocolate (luckily for me there was another chocolate lover in the group), followed by mushrooms in gravy, potato fritters and yummy bread with pork meat and onions. And that was just during one afternoon!

If you're planning to go to a Christmas market be ready to walk a day in the cold weather, so try to wear comfortable and warm clothes. The markets are very popular with foreigners, this one particularly popular with the Dutch, so be ready to miss some of the most crowded huts and push your way around in some sections. The markets are children friendly, but pushchairs are not very easy to move around. All this popularity means that for most of the evening most bars and restaurants are full. If you want a nice sit down meal be prepared to be rejected at many restaurants and be ready for a long waiting time!

 Düsseldorf can be easily reached from the Netherlands, with trains of just over 2 hours from Amsterdam. If you're visiting by car you have to make sure to get the Milueu stickers for Germany. These you obtain from ANWB pretty quickly. Also since December 1 2010 you will need winter tires fitted on your car while driving in Germany, otherwise you might get fined.

We had a great time on our short visit and will be looking forward to visiting a different market next year!

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When feeling under the weather

This last week both me and my boyfriend have been feeling weak from a cold. A week passed since the first innocent sneeze and somehow the germs are still present in my system. I'm not a whiskey person but at times like these I like drinking warm water with honey and a dash of whiskey. The smell alone usually starts making me feel better.

The Dutch introduced me to another drink which is perfect for cold winter days or when feeling a bit under the weather. It is fresh mint tea with a dash of honey. This is just what I feel like right now.

Do you have a drink that makes you feel better?

[Image Credits: Two Girls Cooking]

A New Bike

In my childhood I never owned a bike. Not many kids owned one in Malta. My cousin did have a bike which she lent me every now and then. So I learned to bike in a straight line but nothing else. I could not turn around without needing an area as wide as a football pitch.

So when I moved to Holland around 5 years ago I was faced with a problem. A twenty-something girl with no idea how to ride a bike having to start using a bike in the busy roads of Amsterdam! When I got my first bike I didn’t use it for ages. I think secretly I was hoping for it to be stolen, like most bikes in Amsterdam. Unluckily I had good locks and nothing happened to the bike. At some point I decided to teach myself bike riding. So I did; it took time and a couple of falls but now I can cycle a couple of kilometres without serious accidents.

I’m still not a proper Dutchie. The Dutch, while cycling, can answer calls, hold an umbrella while having a couple of kids and a dog on their own bike.

Hints of cycling in the city:

• Avoid tourists. No matter how much you ring your bell they will not move from the bike lane
• Be careful of wet tram lines
• Always carry wet proof clothes
• If you’re a beginner never answer your mobile phone while riding the bike



Since my last move over six months ago I didn’t have a bike. Last weekend we finally found a bike that I liked (and that also fit my height). There’s no more need for my boyfriend to piggyback me everywhere. Unluckily for me it’s time to make my own pedalling.

My Puch Limited Trendy purple bike:

[Image Credits: Bakfiets, Puch Limited Tendy]