A Cheerful Spirit!

Despite being slapped by winters cold hand and falling victim to a terribly draining cold, I am enjoying Nogent-le-Rotrou more and more. I finally have a handful of French friends, I love spending time with my host family, and I just returned from the Christmas markets in Strasbourg!

Quoted from an e-mail:
Here we are, just a short month until Christmas. We are still far enough away from the holiday that the Christmas spirit is building in each of us, and the terrifying last-minute shopping and idea of hosting in-laws hasn't instilled fear in us yet. I am lucky enough to be in full-swing-Christmas-spirit since I arrived in Strasbourg on Thursday night. The goal was to visit "the most famous Christmas markets in Europe," but the result was much more significant. I discovered a town where people are happy! I don't know if their temperament was improved by the Christmas spirit spilling out of the streets, but the people were calm – city drivers stopped during a green light to let me cross the street, bikers lightly rung their bells to let me know they were coming from behind (and to add "Jingle(ing) Bells" to the already Chirstmas-y city), even the shoe salesperson was exceptional: when my roommate bought leather boots the woman got down on her knees and carefully sprayed her leather boots with a water repellent. That care could be found all over town – in the patisserie shops which showcased delicate waves of chocolate balancing on one another, embellishing an elegant square cake, a dome of raspberries balancing atop a brownie, drooling with a light glaze, and detailed Santa cookies created using twelve different colors of frosting. In short, Christmas doesn't appear to be as commercial in Strasbourg as it is in many places I have been. Gucci, Louis Vitton, and Cartier even seemed to settle into their own space, humbly leaving room for more Christmas spirit to fill the streets. The people are genuinely cheerful and overflowing with kindness. Decorations abound, but none of them are plastic or neon or ugly! The city must have an ordinance that their Christmas decorations be tasteful and classy. Since this was the first weekend of the markets we saw the market take its final shape. We saw huge teddy bears lining gallery balconies, sheets of white lights draped like blankets above pedestrian walkways, big and small, colorful Christmas bulbs lining shop windows, pine trees – natural and purple and red – squatting on street corners, and REAL chandeliers lighting up an oversized alley. All over Strasbourg, lights brightened the city, dancing above Christmas shoppers and flickering on the ground as if playing in the rain puddles with scarfed children. Everywhere, but especially under the chandeliers, the lights arouse the city from its slumber, creating an artificial "day" which will last until December 31 in which people find energy to keep shopping, eating and drinking.

As we concentrated on what gifts might please our family and friends (keeping in mind that we had to carry our packages across two towns, onto two trains, and on a metro across Paris) we were presented with innumerable smells. The most notable were the mulled wine (red wine steeped with nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon, sweetened with honey, and garnished with lemon and orange slices), crepes (cheese, ham, and Nutella), and bratwurst with sauerkraut (yes, Travis and Elliot, I tried both!). Strasbourg sits on the border of France and Germany and has changed hands several times so everything from their food to their architecture to their government reflects aspects of both cultures. Despite the rain, which lasted ALL DAY on Thursday and Friday, the city was alive and beautiful. And then we were blessed with mostly clear skies and a little sunshine on Saturday! A rare sight for me these days, I celebrated…. with a day full of mulled wine!

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I hope you are able to appreciate a place or a group of people that invokes a genuine, joyful spirit this holiday season.

Pura vida,
Molly


Yes it is raining, and yes there is snow on the pine trees behind me. It is an illusion...


The Southwest part of town was a little bit like Venice mixed with Austria, very interesting.


The bottom of an astronomical clock which sits in the cities Notre Dame Cathedral.


KASSAMA: one of my favorite posters from the contemporary art museum.


A beautiful church just a block from our hostel.


This was the biggest market of the 14 markets. The sign was finally hung and the trees illuminated on Friday night.


Strasbourg: City of Light


This was one of my favorite things – a little tacky, but beautiful to look at!


This wasn’t one of the real chandeliers, but it was a beautiful interpretation.


These nativity scene characters are very famous in southern France.


Everywhere you looked, there were beautiful decorations, unique and handmade.


Bretzels are the most famous food at this market. They are one of the German influences of the areas cultural fusion.


Even Christmas bulbs want to be unique.


Are you hungry? This is a nice twist on caramel apples...


Homemade macaroons anyone? This was one of my favorite things at the markets. I love macaroons!


The colorful displays were my favorite!


This was our FIRST mulled wine of the day. It was five o’clock somewhere! I was in Strasbourg with other assistants: Deborah, Bonnie, Sadie(roommate), Holly(roommate), and Lisa.


The bulbs at the market were beautiful, especially when they were set up across from a Christmas light display.


We bought these hand-painted cookies for our little host brothers, but instead of "Joyeux Noel" they said "François" and "Guillaume."

This is a good shot of the Christmas market huts with some classic Strasbourg architecture in the background. The architecture is another element of German influence...


This drain pipe is on the outside of an old princes castle. It has been transformed into a museum now.


This is a classic Christmas-y street, decorated with white tree branches and tasteful decorations.