Luxembourg Christmas Markets 2013

The Christmas markets of Luxembourg City were one of the first things I wrote about upon arriving here, so I felt compelled to bookend my one year anniversary by celebrating them again. They begin popping up around the end of November, so as not to sicken residents of the season months before it even arrives (see US shopping malls for comparison). They decorate a city which tends toward the grey and gloomy this time of year with light and activity, they fill the streets with festive shoppers long after normal shops have closed, and they have introduced me to the wonders of gluhwein and gromperekichelcher (which has taken most of the year just to learn how to pronounce).

Sunday in Trier

Given the weather had been warmer last week (up into the 50s!), and my partner had just come home after an extended absence, we decided to get out and explore Trier, Germany a bit. It is less than an hour away by train, and–being the oldest city in Germany–is home to a lot of interesting architecture and Roman ruins. On a more shallow note, we both wanted to see the new Oz movie, which was playing there (Luxembourg City theaters didn’t start showing it until today, and I can be impatient sometimes). Though there were a couple of hiccups in our plan (the weather turned out to be considerably colder than we had expected and the movie was actually dubbed in German rather than just subtitled), we still had an enjoyable time. Even in freezing temperatures, it is nice to get out of the house and escape somewhere now and then.

A Walk through the Grund

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These shots were taken during a walk my partner and I took through the Grund area of Luxembourg City. We took the walk before the snow hit us about a week ago, so things are greener (and much less cold) in the photos than they are currently. I still try to get down there and take a walk whenever I’m feeling stir crazy, as the views and trickling water are quite relaxing. I hardly even notice the cold.

Luxembourg City Center Christmas Markets

I now have a new top 10 Christmas memory (I’d say favorite, but that seems premature): walking around with my partner, in the snow, at the Christmas market here in Luxembourg City Center. I know I tend towards cynical sarcasm at times, but here I am being utterly sincere. It is too beautiful for words. So here are the photos instead: