Dec 10 2006

Only two weeks until Christmas, hard to imagine it's the holiday season already. Even more so...hard to image I've actually finished my shopping. Not sure how that happened.

A few years back I had the pleasure of being in Germany right before the holidays. To my great surprise I discovered the festive atmosphere that permeates the country during this time of year. After a long flight from New Delhi (and a bout of food poisoning on the plane...not something I would recommend by the way) we were told of the Christmas festival down at the Marienplatz in the center of Munich.

As we soon found out it was the "Christkindlmarkt" (Christmas Mart). Hundreds of local vendors set up stalls and sell their wares, mulled wine is served to help fight off the chill, lights abound, and local school kids sing carols from a balcony. As you stroll through the throngs at the marketplace, sipping a glass of mulled wine, it's hard not to get caught up in the holiday spirit...not necessarily something you get in sunny Southern California. And as luck would have it, throughout our Bavarian travels we kept running in to these little festivals, but none with the size and atmosphere of that down at the Marienplatz.

Scan from film negative

Munich, Germany
December 2003

ps. I know this isn't the best photo. It was underexposed and poorly scanned...but it is what it is.