In 2012 I got to three of Salzburg’s 5 markets, the Chriskindel Market in the main square, the Mirabellplatz Christmas market and the Schloss Hellbrunn Advent Market on the grounds of a palace where the Gazebo from the movie Sound … Continue reading Schloss Hellbrunn Advent Market, Salzburg, Austria.
In 2012 I got to three of Salzburg’s 5 markets on the high speed Rain Jet train from Munich. The ones I visited were the Chriskindel Market in the main square, the Mirabellplatz Christmas market and the Schloss Hellbrunn Advent … Continue reading Maribellplatz Advent Market, Salzburg, Austria
In 2012 I got to three of Salzburg’s 5 markets, the Chriskindel Market in the main square, the Mirabellplatz Christmas market and the Schloss Hellbrunn Advent Market on the grounds of a palace where the Gazebo from the movie Sound … Continue reading Salzburg Christkindlmarkt, Austria
In November 2012 I stopped over in Munich on my way home from Tbilisi, Georgia. In Germany most Advent/Christmas markets open the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent. Austrian markets open earlier. Last year the German market opening day … Continue reading Residenz Advent Market, Munich, Germany
In November 2012 I stopped over in Munich on my way home from Tbilisi, Georgia. In Germany most Advent/Christmas markets open the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent. Austrian markets open earlier. The year before the German market opening … Continue reading Munich Chriskindl Market, Germany
We have had the pleasure of spending a part of two pre-Christmas seasons in London. Here are some photos, many from the market in Covent Garden To see pictures from Covent Garden, Christmas 2014, please click here. Continue reading London Christmas
The Budapest Christmas has expanded down the street. The Budapest Christmas Fair morphs into the St. Steven’s Advent Market. This paragraph is from a November 2011 family letter. The St. Steven’s Advent Market has a more commercial feel … Continue reading St. Stephen’s Advent Market, Budapest.
Here is a paragraph from a November 2011 letter talking about the Advent Fair at Fo Square in Obuda. If Pest has a Christmas Market, folks on the other side of the river in Buda, or in this case Obuda … Continue reading Obuda Advent Fair, Budapest, Hungary
We first visited the Budapest Christmas Market in 2009. First impressions are important. Here are my first impressions from the family letter for Nov 28, 2009. The Budapest Christmas fair is supposed to be about handicrafts, but to me it … Continue reading Budapest Christmas Market.
This is one of Europe’s big ones. I have visited it several times because we often visit our friends Dave and Carol Lam in Brussels on the way home from our various postings abroad. This is one of the high … Continue reading Brussels Christmas Market
We visited Brugge, Belgium on one of our trips home for Christmas from working abroad. This one was a trip back from Armenia. To see pictures of the 2014 Brugge Christmas Market Click here. Continue reading Brugge, Belgium Christmas Market.
This is from a letter I wrote in 2007. We stopped in Belgium and the Netherlands on the way home from Kosovo to visit our friends Dave and Carol Lam, who took us to Christmas Markets. In Europe the … Continue reading Bree, Belgium St. Nicholas Market.
Belgrade’s market is called a “New Year’s Market.” It starts later than most holiday markets and closes later. This market was about 120 steps from our flat. Continue reading Belgrade Holiday Market and Decorations.
This is an excerpt from a 2003 family letter. Although not properly a Christmas Market, it fits here. On Sunday Sinta Klaus (St. Nicholas) arrived in Amsterdam. Saint Nicholas is really from Asia Minor (today’s Turkey.) Dutch people know this. … Continue reading Amsterdam, the Arrival of St. Nicholas
Aachen was the royal city for Charlemagne and one of the first Christmas Markets we visited on one of our trips home from Slovakia. The market is in the shadow of Charlemagne’s cathedral. Continue reading Aachen Christmas Market, Germany
This is from a letter I wrote in 2007. We stopped in Belgium and the Netherlands on the way home from Kosovo to visit our friends Dave and Carol Lam, who took us to Christmas Markets in Belgium and the … Continue reading Valkenburg
Plevja is in Northern Montenegro where Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro meet. It is a multi ethnic area that saw a large influx of refugees during the Bosnian war. It is part of the Sanzak region which was part of the Ottoman empire, administered by Austria, and when Austria withdrew Serbia and Montenegro split the district. The “Holy Trinity” Monastery is just outside town. The Mosque is typical of the Balkans. The clock tower is a hold over from Ottoman times. The Ottomans put up clock towers in most of their towns. Continue reading Plevja, Mosques and Monasteries.
There are lots of little Monasteries in the hills overlooking the coast. This is one of them. Continue reading Coastal Monastery
In 1997 I first visited these islands. I have been back several times. Here is what I wrote then. June 1998 We visited the Church of Our Lady of the Rock which sits on an artificial island where the four … Continue reading Our Lady of the Rocks
The ferry crosses a narrow neck of the Boka Kotor making the drive from Budva to Dubrovnik about an hour faster. Continue reading Kotor Ferry
In July 1985 our family traveled to the Soviet Union, Leningrad and Moscow. This was our first exposure to Soviet life and, while we had not intended this, it provided a baseline against which to judge our later experiences. These … Continue reading Russia, The Prelude: Moscow and Leningrad, 1985
Rose Revolution Square is still under re-construction. It had two anchors, The Hotel Iveria and the reviewing stand for Mayday parades. One is gone and the other utterly transformed. In 2004 I wrote: “Georgia has some of the screwiest modern Socialist Realism on the planet, including a massive, several story high multi arched reviewing stand for May Day parades that looks like what Le Cobisier would build if he had a commission from McDonald’s. Locals playfully call it ‘Andropov’s Ears.’ Andropov’s Ears is where President Saakashvili reviewed the troops last week and made his saber rattling speech on Adjara.” Andropov’s … Continue reading Rose Revolution Square, A Transformation.