Stories and Lessons

So, the last bit of the last post was what you call "stringing the readers along."  The headline is usually better than the story, just so you know.

Anyway, last week we went to Strasbourg for the Christmas Markets.  They definitely have the best Christmas Markets I've seen outside of Germany.  Take a look at my pictures, and you'll see what I mean.

(Now that I've revisited these pictures, I think I didn't take any pictures of the actual Christmas Market, just the houses around it...oops!)

 I think it's safe to say that I want to live in a house like these (not that squished together, just the architectural style)

 There were a ton of musicians on the streets.  There was one band that had this guy playing the weirdest instrument I've ever seen:  it was like a guitar-harp-glockenspiel. When I find out what it was, I'll let you know.

 Ok, so I have one picture of a cool hut.  Witches are really big in Strasbourg, but we couldn't figure out why.

The chalets sold everything from decorations to the best kind of food.  Since we were sort of on a food mission, we tried vin chaud (I caved for the rouge because it was cheaper, not because I like it better than the blanc) and got these really cool boots to drink it in.  We also ate bretels, boules de mousse (which is a chocolate covered marshmellow).  When it came time for lunch, we went around trying to find out the price of the sausages (which is difficult, because they don't advertise it so you can't compare prices...which is what we were trying to do...).  We must have been standing too close to one of the booths (there is a space beyond which they cannot consider you a customer), because the sausage guy started shouting at us in English (he overheard us talking).  We told him we spoke French, but he waved us closer to talk to us (and sell us sausages).  He then noticed that Laura and I were twins (we were also with our lovely friend Sam, who is, unfortunately for the sausage man, very vegetarian).  He said "oh look, one for me and one for my friend here (the guy cooking the sausages).  Do you accept, do you accept?"  We both gave him a blank stare.  In between confirming our orders, he kept saying, "do you accept?"  even though we kept saying no.  Since Laura and I were keen on eating sausages anyway, we totally fell for his selling scheme.  Whatever, it was funny.  I didn't even really get a choice of sausage, he made me choose the white (which was ok, Laura really liked it) and he made Laura put a sauce on hers, even though she said no to sauce about three times.  Once they get you talking, they can sell you anything.  But, even when the sausage was safely in my possession, he still kept asking me if I accepted.  Sheesh! He wasn't too bad looking, so he'll probably have a girlfriend by the end of the Markets.

 The cathedral.  we couldn't go inside because they were in the middle of a live nativity which we didn't have time to see.  I still like the cathedral in Metz better...

Sleepy river...

Lessons: I've learned that...

 - I am not a duck.  When my feet get wet and cold, I get sick, like I did this weekend. Hrumphf!

That's all for now.  I have to get enough sleep and recover from this cold!
--Mary