'Tis the Season to be Jolly

Last week was busy and stressful. My Wednesday was full of nearing deadlines and a big interview that I was really worried about and thought I had screwed up. Thursday taught me that I shouldn't worry about things so much and that it was a new where everything ended up working out. I did very well on a report in one of my classes, recieved a call to set up an in person interview and everything worked out nicely. So before the Christmas themed weekend, I was already in a jolly mood and the weekend visiting Christmas markets in two different cities and touring one beautiful Cathedral added to my mood.

Friday started with a visit to the Maastricht shopping district at 5:30pm to find out that all of the shops closed at 5pm. Yes, you read that right, on a Friday during December the shops were already closed. So Olivia and I decided to make the best of it and head over to the Christmas market to ride the big ferris wheel, do a little ice skating, eat some good food, and enjoy a couple drinks. The views from above were a nice site and well, I survived ice skating with only one fall so that was a victory in my book. (Don't forget that you can click on the pictures to look at all of them in a larger size.)

Saturday we traveled via bus for €16 to Köln, Germany aka Cologne for a day trip. This was a short 2 hour bus ride that went by quickly and allowed us to visit the fourth largest town in Germany for 7 hours. As we walked across the Rhine River, we had a beautiful view of the city enter and the massive Köloner Dom. Touring the Cathedral was a top priority on my list and is something that I’ve been excited to see before we even left for our study abroad adventure. Construction began on the Cathedral in 1248 to house the bones of the Three Magi along with the faithful followers from Europe as the Cologne Pilgrimage became one of the largest of the Middle Ages.

Out of all of the churches that we’ve seen in our European adventures, this was my favorite. The stained glass windows were very decadent, detailed, and had vibrant colors. 

From the Cathedral we walked through the four Christmas markets in the city center. The first one was the Weihnachtsmarkt that is in the shadow of the Cathedral. We enjoyed a hot chocolate with some Bailey’s and some caroling by the glee club. We also visited a lot of mini booths, and looked at what the locals were selling throughout the market. It was a very enjoyable time and a nice beginning to the Christmas season. The Heimet Der Heinzel had a large ice skating rink along with an interesting game that was similar to curling. The Markt der Engel and Rudolfplatz were the other two markets that each had unique shops and sites.

The video is one of the glee clubs songs. It's interesting to note the traditional Christmas carol that they are singing.

As we walked back to bus and over the river, we had a wonderful view. It capped off our trip. Overall it was a nice weekend but I’ll be excited to come home soon and celebrate Christmas with family and friends. Happy Holidays!