Christmas Market - Lili on the Loose

26 11, 2016

Souvenir Saturday: German Boot Mugs

By Lili|November 26th, 2016|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, boot, boot mug, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, Cristkindlmarket, deposit, ein Pfand, Europe, Germany, Glühwein, mug, mugs, Munich, Pfand, Weinahtsmarkt|0 Comments

As I've written before, collecting German Christmas Market Mugs can be addicting! Here are two examples of the elusive "boot mug" that you might find at Christmas Markets. I cannot recall where the red one is from (yes I bought way to many mugs) but the blue one is from Munich. It also is more molded, with buttons, laces, and more "fold" texture around the base of the mug. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

17 11, 2016

Munich’s Christmas Manger Market

By Lili|November 17th, 2016|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Events, Travel|Tags: 2011, christmas creche, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, creche, Cristkindlmarket, Europe, German Christmas Market, Germany, Kripperlmarkt, Manger Market, mangers, Marienplatz, Munich, Neuhauser Strasse, Ornaments, Photo Essay, Travel Thursday, Weinahtsmarkt|0 Comments

In a week Germany's Christmas markets will open for the holiday season. Munich has numerous Christmas Markets, from their traditional large market in Marienplatz to the unique Medieval Market at Wittelsbacherplatz. But Munich also boasts of the largest Manger Market. You can find it at Neuhauser Strasse, just a short walk away from the main market at Marienplatz. Here you can find everything you'll need for your own nativity scene! From Angels to fill the sky... To blank paint your own figures. And all manner of creatures to fill the barn With fuzzy,

17 02, 2016

30 at 30: Best Experiences So Far

By Lili|February 17th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories|Tags: Abu Simbel, Africa, Anaheim, Antigua, Asia, Aswan, Bath, Belize, Belize Barrier Reef, Bent Pyramid, birthday, Bostan, California, camping, Canyon Ranch Spa, castle, Caye Caulker, Cenote, Central America, Champ de Elysee, Chino, chocolate, Christmas Market, CIE, Concert, concert photography, Costa Rica, Dahshur, Dashur, DC, Disneyland, Egypt, England, Epiphany Night, Europe, Ewok, fireworks, Florida, France, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Germany, golf carts, Great Britan, Guatemala, Harry Potter, haunted, Ik Kil, Ik Kill cenote, Ireland, Island of Adventure, Italy, Japan, Karnak, Lake Placid, Las Vegas, Latin America, lightsaber, Luxor, Massachusetts, memories, Mexico, Middle East, Munich, museum, Nagano Prefecture, Nevada, New York, North America, Orlando, Paris, photography, Playa Del Carmen, Pyramids, racing, Red Pyramid, reef, Rome, San Francisco, sharks, sheep, Sister Cities, snorkeling, Spa, St. John, Star Wars, Suwa, swimming, temples, The Vatican, Tokyo, tombs, tour, Trafalgar, Trajan's Column, travel experiences, trolly, Tucson, UK, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Universal Studios, USA, USVI, Vatican, Vatican City, Washington DC, white water rafting, Wizarding World of Harry Potter, yukata|1 Comment

Today is my birthday, and I've hit the "Big 3-0". I wanted to look back at 30 of my favorite travel memories in my life, in no particular order: Fulfilling my dream of going to Egypt, seeing so many amazing tombs and temples Sitting alone in the temples of Abu Simbel and Karnak Climbing into and on top of a pyramid Wandering the Christmas Markets of Munich Seeing the castles of Germany Taking a haunted trolly/walking tour of Boston graveyards. Seeing as many museums as I could in Washington, DC Swimming with sharks in Belize Racing golf-carts on Caye Caulker Making

26 12, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Lebkuchen Ornament

By Lili|December 26th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Christmas Gift, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, cookie ornament, Cristkindlmarket, Europe, Frankfurt, German Christmas Market, Germany, gift, Gingerbread, Lebkuchen, Munich, Weinahtsmarkt|0 Comments

A gingerbread stall at a Frankfurt Christmas Market Lebkuchen is the German version of gingerbread. It is a delicious spiced bread/cookie. Around the many German Christmas Markets you'll find decorated versions in various shapes, but the most common is in the shape of a heart. This ornament appears to actually be a sugar cookie, decorated in the form of a Lebkuchen heart and then lacquered. My sister got it for me as a Christmas gift from the Munich Christmas Market. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

12 12, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Mugs from Munich’s Medieval Christmas Market

By Lili|December 12th, 2015|Categories: Drinks, Geek, Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, deposit, ein Pfand, Europe, Feuerzangebowle, Germany, Glühwein, Holy Grail, Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Last Cursade, Mead, Medieval, Medieval Market, Middle Ages, Mittelaltermarkt, Movie, mug, mugs, Munich Adventsspektakel, Odeonsplatz, Pfand, renaissance festival, rum, Warmer Met, wine, Wittelsbacherplatz|0 Comments

There are hundreds of Christmas Markets in Germany during the Christmas season. A of the unique one that I visited was in Munich, and it was a Medieval themed Christmas Market. Found in Wittelsbacherplatz, a short walk from Odeonsplatz it is called the "Adventsspektakel und Mittelaltermarkt" (Advent Celebration and Medieval Christmas Market). Since Christmas Markets in Munich date back to the Middle Ages, it is easy to get in the mood here, with the stalls decorated like a mini-renaissance festival. You'll see people in period dress and they play their roles well. You may also be treated to dancers or musicians for entertainment. The stalls

28 11, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Ulbricht Night Watchman Nutcracker

By Lili|November 28th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, Christmas Museum, decoration, Europe, Germany, Käthe Wohlfahrt, night watchman, Nutcracker, Rothenburg, rothenburg ob der tauber, Ulbricht|0 Comments

As I've written before, I really enjoyed the "Night Watchman" tour in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. On my last day in Rothenburg I stopped by the large Christmas store Käthe Wohlfahrt to get some souvenirs. This location is their head office, and actually spans multiple buildings and has its own Christmas Museum on site. One item that caught my eye was a wooden and leather mini Night Watchman Nutcracker made by Ulbricht. It stands a little less than 5 inches tall, but is beautifully crafted. He carries with him a traditional symbols of his job: the halberd and a lantern. I'm glad

23 11, 2015

Travel Missteps: Bag full of Mugs

By Lili|November 23rd, 2015|Categories: Buying Guide, Drinks, Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2011, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, Cristkindlmarket, deposit, ein Pfand, Europe, Feuerzangebowle, Frankfurt, Germany, Glühwein, Heise Schokolade, hot chocolate, Kinderpunsch, Mead, mit Schuss, mug, mugs, Munich, Pfand, rum, Warmer Met, Weinahtsmarkt, wine|0 Comments

People Making Merry at the Frankfurt Christmas Market Staying Warm at the Market with the Best Christmas Drinks Christmas Markets are the perfect place to meet and socialize. Many stalls will have places to sit, or standing tables to gather around. But the trick to stay warm for this winter pastime? Drinking hot beverages! Here are the traditional drinks you may find: Glühwein is the most popular of the holiday drinks. It is made with mulled wine, usually red wine, but you might see versions that are made with white, rosè, or fruit wines. It is mixed and heated

14 11, 2015

The History of the Christmas Nutcracker

By Lili|November 14th, 2015|Categories: Buying Guide, History, Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Alexandre Dumas, Austria, buying guide, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, decoration, E.T.A Hoffman, Europe, Fuchtner, Germany, guide, history, Nutcracker, Salzburg, Steinbach, The Nutcracker, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Ulbricht|0 Comments

Nutcrackers at a German Christmas Market. Nutcrackers in some form have been around since ancient times. However, they were much different in design and from from what we consider the Christmas Nutcracker. Those didn’t appear until the mid 1700's when many Germany mines had shut down and the workers had to figure out other sources of income. They turned to the abundant forests and their woodworking skills to craft dolls, toys, Christmas Pyramids, angels, and nutcrackers. The first nutcrackers were made to look like authority figures such as kings or soldiers. These “nut cracking” officials symbolized the

23 12, 2013

Travel Missteps: Lost for Christmas

By Lili|December 23rd, 2013|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2011, Bavaria, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, Cristkindlmarket, dragon, Europe, food, Germany, lost, Marienplatz, Munich, Secret Santa, subway, U-Bahn, ubahn, Weinahtsmarkt|0 Comments

On December 23rd, 2011 I was with my family, enjoying the last evening of the Christmas Markets of Munich. This year we had decided not to buy each family member a present, but instead this year we'd do a "Secret Santa" where we would pull a person's name out of a hat, and only buy them a gift. However, that person couldn't know who was their "Santa". This secretiveness, combined with just the amazing sights of a real German Christmas Market, meant I was especially distracted and awestruck. Throughout the night I did fall behind, or dart around to another