My 5th day I'm in Kiel, where my friend Ute lives. We had spent the previous evening exploring the Kiel markets (except for the teeny tiny one across from my hotel that she said "doesn't count") so, after getting into the spirit of my trip focused on Christmas markets, she asked me if I would like a tour of other markets in nearby towns. Well, of course I would! When she then mentioned that we could cross the border into Denmark and check out one there, I was all in!
She had some work in the morning, so we started off late in the morning. We were also joined by her husband, who I would learn would very entertaining.
This would be my first time in Denmark and first time on the Autobahn. Everyone is always so interested in the fact that there is no speed limit on certain areas of this highway...but it's not as frightening as it sounds. It seems that most go about 130 Kph, which equals a little over 80 Mph. I've hit that speed in Texas. My life didn't flash before my eyes even once.
Anyway, the drive was about an hour and a half, so not so long to go to a completely different country. Our destination was Tønder, right over the Germany/Denmark border. It is a cute town with a very historic center. We were greeted by a huge tree.
The stalls, except for the food, were all indoor mini-shops and it was all decorated very festively.
.jpg)
Ute and I decided to try Æbleskiver, which we had assumed contained apples. Nope! They were just round balls that were kind of a cross between a cake and a pancake that you dipped in jam and powdered sugar. They weren't very exciting, but they hit the spot.
We continued to explore the town after our snack.
Much like Kiel, they also have something that will fly across the square at night. This time, it was more of a traditional sleigh and reindeer...but it only ran Fridays and weekends. Bummer.
Apparently, it is a thing for Germans to stop and get a hot dog topped with ketchup, fried onions, and pickles. So Ute and her husband had to get theirs at this stand. If you look closely, you will see a Christmas Train circling the roof and the last car is transporting a hot dog.
We then decided to check out the church, which was lovely and had some interesting decorations.
We then went on a quest to find my Christmas tree ornament. I ended up with a couple, which were very cute. I also got some salt licorice and tiny bars of soap that smelled like Christmas apple and orange.
I'm noticing some of my photos are kind of out of order here, but I'm not re-posting them on a moving train...too much of a pain.
In Denmark, Martin (Ute's husband) was a source of constant amusement. He was fascinated by the toy train sets...which caused one of the shop keepers to explain that it was only old men that messed with them, not children and that is why they had a "do not touch" sign on them. He also has a hobby collecting Danish plastic bottles for the deposit (which is a thing in many EU countries), so we had to stop at a grocery store for him to collect the deposit for them. It's good to have a hobby...LOL.
Then, it was back over the border to Germany and the town of (insert later when I remember...LOL)
.jpg)
It was a lovely, scenic little town with a pretty little market. Ute even managed to track me down an ornament! She thrives on challenges.
We then headed back toward Kiel and stopped in one last market on the way. It was a small, neighborhoot market in the town of Eckernförde.
Martin offered to drive at this point so that Ute could have a drink with me. I had one of the best white gluweins that I have ever tasted. Ute's was spiked (which I had passed on) and it went straight to her head...LOL.
It was a small market with mainly food and drink stalls and a great example of a non-commercial neighborhood market. Locals go after work, just hang out and drink with each other.
Ute and Martin did offer to let me come over to their house and hang out for awhile by the fireplace. Unfortunately, I had to get my stuff in order and packed back up. I also had purchased some groceries that I needed to consume before moving on.
We parted ways at my hotel and I went up to my room to make dinner (grilled cheese) and get myself organized so that I could quickly pack up in the morning. I finished up a bit earlier than I though I would, so I decided to check out the Christmas Markets one last time.
I checked out the tiny one acoss from my hotel and, if I hadn't eaten already, I might have tried some of the yummy smelling food. As it was, Ute was right...it didn't really count. I then headed over to the main market and got myself another gluwein because I could. I almost got the bread stuffed with cheese and mushrooms, but I couldn't justify a second dinner.
After I got my fill of gluwein and people watching, I headed back and hit the hay. An adventure to Bremen awaits.
No comments:
Post a Comment