07/12/2024
December is when I wear my red scarf and recall seeing my breath between sips of hot spiced wine from an old-fashioned mug at Nürnberg's much-loved Christmas market.
It was here that I realized why so many people go reindeer-crazy for Germany's holiday markets. All around me, a happy crowd of revelers and wonderstruck children sampling fresh gingerbread roamed a festive scene of roving brass quintets, sausages sizzling on the grill, and a world of artfully hand-crafted traditional little treasures: whirling candle chimes, carved and gaily painted nutcrackers eager to chomp on anything with a shell, and folk dolls with dried-apple faces.
Under strings of twinkling lights, I paused at the doll stall and met a woodcarver selling an array of handmade ornaments. He was as wrinkled as his dolls' dried-apple faces and surrounded by a blanket of curly shavings. From his perch on a stool, he greeted me in German. If I understood him correctly, his father and grandfather before him had carved figurines at this same stall…and it was their family crest etched into each. I purchased an ornament I knew a friend would like, and he gifted me with a second one — perfect for my own tree.
That must have been 15 years ago, and memories of that encounter are refreshed each December when I unpack my Christmas ornaments.
Christmas is a time of gifts. My favorite gifts are those that come with memories or bring experiences that create memories — like going somewhere new, meeting someone new, and learning something new. When I look at that ornament on my tree, that simple little gift kindles vivid memories of that delightful interaction with the man who carved it and the merry market scene that surrounded us.
In this month's edition of Travel News, we help you get into the spirit of the season with a visit to Norway's self-proclaimed Christmas capital, celebrate the reopening of the venerable Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, provide some helpful tips on researching your next trip, and share Cameron Hewitt's impressions of the unexpectedly delightful town of Prizren, Kosovo. It’s all available right here: www.ricksteves.com/news
Happy holidays — and happy travels!
