Unique Crafts at European Christmas Markets

On October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria, France, GermanyLeave a comment

Other than the crowds, there isn’t much not to love about the Christmas markets that can be found throughout Europe. With beer, wine, savory food, and sweets, they will definitely leave you with your senses satisfied, but the main reason for going to the Christmas markets is to see the unique vendors selling interesting crafts. We found several items throughout our various visits to cities to bring home as a reminder of our time there.

Obviously we were limited on what we could buy without having to ship things home, so we did more “window shopping” than actual shopping. That didn’t stop us for enjoying some of the more unique items that could be found for sale in the markets. In fact, in many cases we had to take a photograph of the items just so that we could remember them better. This year will likely be far different than years past with large crowds and hundreds of vendors selling their items, but hopefully they will occur in some shape or form.

Colorful Details on the Holiday Figurines

We Bought a Mozart Luminary from this Vendor

You don’t have to live in Europe to enjoy European style Christmas markets. We have been to wonderful ones in Denver as well as Chicago and we’re sure that there are ones in most major cities, especially those with a heavy European influence.

The Narrow Houses of Amsterdam

On October 9, 2020October 9, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Netherlands, Photo Challenge3 Comments

The architecture of the buildings that line the canals of Amsterdam is quite fascinating for many reasons. From the way that they lean towards the canal to allow pullies to bring the furniture to the upper floors to the very narrow buildings themselves, it is very interesting to see the different buildings along the water. Some of these homes are so small that you can touch both walls at the same time as they measure only 2 meters (about 6 feet) in width. The reason for these narrow buildings had to do with the way that the homes were taxed in the past where it was based on the number of windows and the size of the façade that faces the canal. Here are few examples, including the very narrow red home that is one of the three smallest homes in Amsterdam.

One of the Three Smallest Homes on the Canal

Pullies to Get Furniture to the Top Floors

Fest Des Federweissen (Fall Wine Festival) in Frankfurt, Germany

On October 6, 2020October 6, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn GermanyLeave a comment

It is hard to believe that it has been four years since we sold our home and moved to Frankfurt, Germany. It was a wonderful experience that gave us the opportunity to see many different cities and countries. During our first week in Frankfurt, we enjoyed the first of many festivals that we would get to see during our time there. The Fest Des Federweissen is a celebration of the wine harvest and specifically in Frankfurt it is about the Apfelwein. Traditionally Apfelwein is served in a pretty little jug called a Bembel and we actually received one from one our favorite restaurants as a gift before moving back to the United States.

Our First, But Definitely Not Our Last, Glasses of Apfelwein (Bembel in the Background)

Although wine is the star of the festival, it wouldn’t be a German festival without many varieties of food stalls, especially those selling sausages (wurst). The festival was located between Frankfurt’s busy shopping district and the old town (Altstadt) square. Although we would later go to many different Christmas markets throughout Europe, this little festival was just a small taste of what we would get to enjoy. With this year being the way it has with very little opportunities to explore places, we are definitely missing the time we spent living in Germany.