Autumn becomes wintery

I have been neglecting the blog lately, mainly because things have been progressing without anything meaningful to report! But I felt that I had to update it with some happenings and perhaps a small observation.

Autumn is closing to an end here in Esslingen. The autumnal colours of gold and red are still present in most of the trees, but there has been a noticeable drop in temperature. During the October half term I managed to get home for a week to see close friends and family and surprise an unsuspecting girlfriend! During my time back in Blighty, Stuttgart and the nearby area was covered in a blanket of snow; a phenomenon that I was assured is quite rare for this time of year! Unfortunately, since then the sun has decided to desert the region and the days are becoming shorter and colder.

But with the end of autumn comes the promise of little wooden huts, handmade decorations such as nutcrackers, stars and angels, brilliant little wooden 'smoking men' (incense - nothing stronger!), Glühwein and the sickly sweet smell of German Christmas markets. They are still (just about) an 'unknown' gem for British tourists and have to be one of the best ways to get even the grumpiest of Scrooges into the Christmas spirit! The Germans just don't do Humbug!

Sad though it may be, I'm already counting down the days until I have my trio of visitors, heading from Bath, to discover all that Germany has to offer in the Christmas break department! As a nation I feel that we are, all too often, quick to disregard the 'Vaterland' as a holiday destination, perhaps due to the history that goes with the country, this coupled with Britons' firm belief that Germans still behave as they did in the 1930s and 40s! The truth is that Christmas time in Germany can be one of the most magical places, particularly when the possibility of snow is far greater than back at home! All that needs to be added is... bring on the Christkindlmärkte!!