France-tastic

Vin chaud, glühwein, glögg, hot mulled wine... however you say it, 'tis the season for it! And this weekend, Strasbourg was the place for it. In the east of France, just on the German border, Strasbourg is a wintery Christmas paradise, if mulled wine is your idea of paradise (yes! yes!). It is a very pretty and charming town, famous in December for its giant Christmas market, selling mostly yummy food and even yummier mulled wine. They are clearly aware that Christmas cheer is the drawcard, so they go all out to deck the halls, so to speak, with all the charming little streets strung with I don't know how many thousands of lights and lanterns, while the buildings and shop windows look like postcards- but call me Scrooge (Alex already did), I still don't think Santa hats should ever be sported as legitimate items of clothing!

Not too much was really achieved on our weekend in Strasbourg other than eating and drinking (a climb up the cathedral tower and a boat tour on the Rhine were pretty much stop-gaps between lunch and first-afternoon-snack), but this was basically what we had planned anyway! The favourite was flammenkuchen, kind of a German mountainy pizza, so thin and crisp, and topped only with sour cream, onion and bacon. Oh my god, so good! Also tried and devoured were baeckeoffe- various porky goodies stewed with potatoes; bretzels- giant salty, bready pretzels; kugelhopf- yummy almond and sultana cakes; and a delicious stew of what was translated to me as "Bambi's mum" with the most amazing and delicious potato dumplings. In short, we certainly didn't go hungry, and with Christmas around the corner, diets will have to wait until January! Hurrah, pass the ham!



Part of the market from the cathedral tower.


Same scene, different angle!


One of the less tasteful displays, polar bears, hanging from their necks from garlands of Christmas lights...


A lovely nativity scene...


And lastly... Ahh, flammenkuchen... Where can I get more?!?