finding christmas in Munich pt.1

So last year we started a new tradition. Christmas is NOT a real holiday in Japan. It is not even a day off of work. The Japanese adopted some of the Christmas trappings, but none of the good ones. Mariah Carey "All I want for Christmas" blares everywhere and crazy neon plastic decorations are abundant. But nothing warm, nothing family-oriented, nothing that seems "Christmassy" to me. So last year, I took vacation at Christmastime and my husband and I went to Vienna and Prague where we heard Christmas traditions were alive and well.

It was fantastic.

And this year we decided to do it again, this time my Mom will be joining us too! Which is the best Christmas present ever.

My Mom's side of the family is German, and most Christmas traditions come from there, so this year we choose; Munich, Nurnberg and then Back to Vienna for the end of the trip. Mom gets in early tomorrow morning, but we have been here since yesterday. And the report so far is that Christmas is everywhere!

There is a fantastic Christmas market on Mariaplatz. Hot mulled wine, bratwurst, gingerbread are the market specialties. There are goregous decorations. Window shopping is loads of fun. And I am totally in Christmas heaven. The shot above is a collage of some of the sights this evening. from top left-clockwise.

1. a goregous tree lit up on a darling little back street
2. the main Townsqaure, with a massive goregous traditional tree and the start of a very big christmas market
3. me and santa :-)
4. a beautiful fruit stall

On our first day we also had a fantastic Christmas Sunday Brunch (they do it in the hotel each sunday of advent). More on that later.
time to try hard to go back to sleep in spite of jet lag!