A Drinker’s Guide to Surviving German Christmas Markets…
The following series is a hard hitting look into the harsh realities of American tourists who have suddenly found themselves perilously surrounded by culinary temptation and overly festive Germans. Reader discretion is advised…
Kleine Verspätung
It was a dreary, overcast November morning when Lufthansa Flight # 0717 touched down at Frankfurt International Airport. Armed with all the proper documentation, two American women, schlepping a 15lb housecat, hurried their way through customs. Excited to see their nephew, and to deliver to him their heavily sedated burden, the women elbowed their way through the crowds at baggage claim. The wanderlust in the air was palpable. Today was the day that months and months of planning would finally be realized.
Seated at Arrival Gate # 2 since 7AM, a homesick American man nervously checks the digital clock overhead, which now reads 10:25. The flight for which he has been anxiously awaiting has been delayed for over an hour. He is exhausted from the prior day’s 4 hour drive and is not looking forward to the return trip. Still, his mind is on the arriving plane its special contents. Had everything gone alright during the flight? Did customs accept the paperwork? When all goes well, the new group will be happily sipping mulled wine by mid-afternoon, but if not, well, there was no backup plan…
Just as these final doubts raced through his mind, he looked up to see the sight for which he had been waiting for months. His two self-declared “favorite aunts” emerged through the automatic doors, with Max in schlepptau. All of his fears and homesickness suddenly evaporated and were replaced by an overwhelming feeling of joy. His Christmas presents have just arrived.
Bad Tölz
The historic and quaint spa town of Bad Tölz sits in the shadow of the towering Tyrolean Alps, along the banks of the turquoise Isar River. It is the flow of this pure, crystal clear Alpine river that defines the spirit of the southern Bavarian village; idyllic, steady, and untouched by time. The gothic spire of the beautiful Church of the Assumption of St. Mary dominates the skyline of the Altstadt, while the stately, baroque Church of the Holy Cross looks down from her perch atop the Kalvarienberg hill. The date is December 2nd and the central Market Street is now fully committed to the Christmas season.
The tiny red hatchback sputters into the last spot in the parking garage across town, its occupants filled with anticipation for their first, but surely not their last, German Christmas Market. The bitterly cold mountain air is like a slap in the face as they exit their warm sanctuary and head out over the bridge and into town.
Arriving at a tall metal gate announcing simply Christkindlmarkt, they peer up at a wide cobbled stoned street, lined with brightly painted facades. In the center, a line of temporary wooden sheds stretch off into the distance toward an onion domed church at the top of the gentle slope. The smell of grilled sausage, cloves and a hint of allspice greets the nose like an old friend. Suddenly, the icy grip of winter is forgotten. Eager to show off his new language skills and cultural knowledge, their fearless leader led the trio into battle.
For the rest of the afternoon, the slow grind of time no longer existed, as they made their way slowly to the end of the market and back. They talked, they laughed, and they cried as they watched snow-suited children play unsupervised on the ornate carousels, admired local wares ranging from wreaths to whiskey while joking with friendly merchants, and sought the gentle, warm embrace of Glühwein at each opportunity.
Served in festive ceramic mugs unique to each market, Glühwein is a seasonal blend of hot red wine, sugar, orange zest, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom pods in order to create a sinfully sweet beverage. It is at its best when coupled with the savory taste of freshly grilled bratwurst or crispy, homemade salted potato chips. One of the most powerful ways to connect with a culture is to experience it through your taste buds, and this is certainly no exception.
The Bad Tölz Christmas Market, like the town itself, is an honest and charming oasis in the turbulent sea of commercialization and mass production. Most of the items are handmade by local farmers or woodworkers and deals are sealed with a handshake. The hosts are always happy to spend time talking to their customers and explaining their product and the process involved in its creation. This tiny bit of insight really allows the customer to take ownership of the product they are buying and enables them to relay its unique story to their families. While rare in most parts of the world, this is just a normal part of doing business here in Bad Tölz.
Lubricated by the magic of the sugary elixir and intoxicated with Christmas spirit, our heroes turned northward. With heads full of whimsy and hope, they felt ready for the next step of their journey…
…To be continued…
Photo credit: Diana Neiderhiser
Wonder Where We Wander 
Leave a comment