Merry Christmas

 From the archives in Cologne Germany.

Christmas Market

 

Memories

 I was scrolling through the archives of 2010 and found this one of the  Cathedral  of Cologne in Germany dating from 1322.  We made a bustour from our residence Almere organised by our local bus company. Depart was in the early morning and you drove in a few hours to the Christmasmarket there.

It was real winter there with snow.

A lot to see there.

And a view at the river Rhine.

A Happy Christmas everybody.

Christmas Market

In our village we had a small Christmas market with a stable and some lifestock.

And a choir singing Christmas songs.

Christmas

Another picture in the pop-up Christmas store here.

They made nice scenes.

Christmas store

The shopping centers are becoming increasingly empty with vacant stores here. A pop-up store with Christmas items has now moved in an empty shop in our city mall.

Loved to look around in winter wonderland.

Rembrandt Square

We didn't have a real history of Christmas markets in the Netherlands but in recent years there are various places where commerce has found a new target audience. This market is at the Rembrandt square in Amsterdam with some stalls where you can buy and eat some Christmas related items.

A warm wool hat we don't need at the moment with unusual temperatures of 14 C (57.2 F).

Rembrandt is pensive looking down what is going on at his square.

As his "Nightwatch" figures are entertaining the tourists.
Linking to "Our World Tuesday"

Christmas

This photo was made early November when our local garden center was ready for the season and had put this guy with round cheeks at the entrance.

Each year they make a winter wonderland of their exhibitions which I must admit love to wander around.

Christmas decorations

In the Netherlands the Christmas decorations can be placed only when the feast of Saint Nicolas is over. So December 6th every shop starts very speedy to change the shopwindows into Christmas and so is the big Christmas tree at Dam square in Amsterdam. This one comes from the German Ardennes and is 24 metres high and will be decorated with 40.000 led lights. Because of the storm last Thursday it took a day more to place it, so last Saturday the lights still had to be attached.

But in the end of the day the job was done. 

At the wintermarket they were a bit late with changing the scene. Saint Nicolas hadn't gone yet here and was rubbing shoulders with Father Christmas. Must be confusing for the kids.

Father Christmas watched the intruder with stupor, move on boy, it is my turn now.

Cccold

At the Christmas market in Amsterdam this cute doggy was wrapped up in a coat accompanying his/her boss. Unfortunately the photo is a bit blurry, he suddenly moved his head and the light was poor, but I wanted to show you anyway.

Here he/she spent the evening guarding the wooden shoes and some unidentified sticks, have no clue what they are used for. Temperatures are now below zero here, winter has started last night. Snowfall is expected later this week.

Fortuneteller

In dark days people might be want to know what the future will bring. At the Christmas market in Amsterdam they could have a consultation with a clairvoyant in a pretty decorated  "Pipowagen" (caravan).

No, I didn't go in. 

Watery Christmas

In 2010 I visited the Christmas market in Cologne Germany, it is was a very cold day with lots of snow. We have no snow at all here at the moment, just rain and high temperatures of 10 C (50 F). So much rain has fallen day and night, that the largest steam-driven pumping station in the world in the province Fryslan in the north part of our country started yesterday to pump up over four million litres of water per minute from the Frisian drainage pool into the IJsel-lake. The pumping station ensures the people of Fryslan to keep their feet dry during high water and is only in use for emergency occasions.

Antwerp Christmas market

Another few pictures of the Christmas market in Antwerp. There was singing near the Christmas tree.

 

Life music.

 

A nativity scene behind glass.

 

A carriage with real Belgium horses and a bag to catch the shit behind.

 

And the merry-go-round for young and old.

 

Three trees and a Queen

Every year there is a big Christmas tree placed at Dam Square in Amsterdam in front of the palace. This one is 22 metres high and has 41.236 ledlights. I was a bit disappointed the lights were not on at this drizzly dark day, they probably wait until dark. But there were even no decorations, just a tree.

 

Suddenly I heard whistles of Police on motors and the traffic was stopped. Four black cars came speedy passing by and in one of them sat Queen Beatrix. I tried to make a picture but I am not a real papparazzi as you can see at the poor result. Later on I read she had just left the palace where she had lunch with the members of our Olympic sporting group. She doesn't live in this palace, it is only used for  events like this.

 

A little further on there was this tree at the stock exchange square. I think this one looks much more attractive.

 

Close to the Central Station at last I saw the most beautiful tree I have ever seen in Amsterdam. I was surprised to see so many trees this year at every square I passed.

 

Christmas lights in Antwerp

Saturday I went with SC and our daughter to Antwerp in Belgium to watch the Christmas markets. I like the city with its old houses and narrow streets very much but had never been here during the festive season before.

 

There were big bowls with fires to sit around and enjoy your "hot wine".

 

When it was getting dark the lights went on at the giant wheel.

 

The trees looked magical. 

 

At the Christmas market you could buy many beautiful items.

 

I wasn't aware of the tragedy that had taken place in Connecticut last Friday, we left Saturday very early in the morning and hadn't seen any news. I feel for the American people who have to cope with another deadly shooting incident at a school, it is incredible.

 

 

At the garden centre

The garden centre has a whole area with Christmas items where you can watch the newest trends. I am not sure what this is, a woodcutter, a garden gnome?

 

What do you think of a reindeer in your christmas tree?

 

I fear this will mean that we will not see the wood for the trees.

 

Santa

For a few years ago we never had a Santa Claus in our country. After the Saint Nicolas festivities we put a christmas tree in our home and that's it. But now we have christmas markets and there has to be a Santa too. There is no tradition here yet and I think this is a dressed up man in a poor costume, not somebody to look up to. Well Christmas the dutch way.