40. Frechener Töpfermarkt (Potters' Market)

Töpfermarkt 2015

Potters‘ Market 2015

Good timing for this year's Mother’s Day is the yearly Potters‘ Market (Töpfermarkt 2015) on May 9 and 10 in Frechen City.There are about 130 ceramic artists and craft potters coming from Germany and other European countries presenting

their creations from decorative vases to functional but attractive kitchen and dining wares. Loyal visitors and new guests to this 40^th Pottery Exhibition and Market get to know the wonder world of ceramics visiting stands and tents presenting works in modern sculpture, jewelries, water pipes, wind chimes, frames, soap and candle holders, animal figurines and other beautiful creations.Do not miss it. Bring the whole family and spend some time appreciating and supporting the works of the participating ceramic artists and craft potters. Just hope weather will be very cooperative for your visit and for the potters. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Christmas Eve Celebration in Germany

Sending of Christmas greetings through social networkings. Merry Christmas from the Little Warrior.

Traditional Christmas Eve dinner is taken at the normal dinner  time unlike in some countries like the Philippines when they have Noche Buena in the middle of the night inviting friends and other clan members. In Germany, it is shared normally by the so-called nuclear family, the parents and their children. Other family or clan members can come for a visit on the first or second day of Christmas so with invited friends. For this dinner, it starts with hot and delicious pumpkin soup.

To eat goose, turkey or beef? To settle the question, the hostess decides for something wild-Rehragout, venison gulasch. Soft meat, a bit spicy, and one is comforted with the thought that the meat is not full of antibiotics. Well...

To go with the Rehragout, Spätzle is served. Spätzle is a soft egg noodle or dumpling popular in Southern Germany.

Salad is never lacking. As photo shows, it is tomato and rucola combination.

Pears in red wine accompany the wild meat.

Red cabbage with apples as side dish.

For dessert, the dear hostess surprises us with her perfect mousse au chocolat.

The tempting combination of dark and white chocolate served with raspberry.

Christmas Eve means for many kids "Bescherung." This is the handing out of Christmas presents from their parents to the kids and how many gifts are handed out for each child. Kids start to play doctor ready to treat patients with the toy First Aid Kit.

The little girl needs coaching to complete her Christmas song.

 

She is so fascinated by the first-aid kit present and willingly poses for a photo. How charming! 

Merry Christmas!

Visits to Christmas Markets

Weihnachtsmarkt-Domplatz in Köln

Weihnachtsmarkt - Osnabrück

Weihnachtsmarkt-Münster

Attaching here a short video clip of street musicians playing near the Weihnachtsmarkt in Münster just beside Lambertikirche (Lamberti church).

Weiberfastnacht 2013

You know it is the Carnival season when your otherwise normal neighbors start wearing colorful outfits from cowboys to bishops complete with colorful wigs. It's the 5th season of the year or Carnival which starts every 11th of November and ends on Ash Wednesday, a pre-Lenten season of merrymaking, German jokes, masquerading and most importantly, non-stop drinking for many hard-core Carnivalists. In Rheineland area, the five main days of celebration starts on Weiberfastnacht, traditionally on Thursday when women in colorful costumes storm symbolically the local city halls, sniff off men's ties throughout the day and can kiss men they fancy. Colorful parades take place on Rosenmontag, Monday before Ash Wednesday. This will be the day when millions of tourists be visiting German cities celebrating Carnival like Cologne, Mainz and Duesseldorf screaming either Alaaaaf in Cologne and Helau in other cities.