JANNE VISITS THE CHRISTMAS MARKET - DECEMBER 3, 2005

We hadn’t been to see Anne and Ingo all year. We only saw Anne in February when we met in Lüneburg to go to the Hitzacker Music Festival and Ingo hadn’t been able to join us, so it was high time we paid them a visit. As an added incentive, their granddaughter Janne was staying with them because she had been ill and her parents had to work. Luckily she was fine by the time we arrived. Frank and I left on Friday afternoon and were there in the early evening. After a delicious meal of “Grünkohl”, (The dictionary says it’s kale. Maybe it is, I don’t know. It’s a North German specialty and really, really good, especially when Anne makes it.) Frank and Ingo went to play chamber music with some friends. Anne spent some time – well, maybe a long time – convincing Janne she should go to sleep. Once she fell asleep though, she slept all night, which was really nice for Anne, as it was the first time all week that that happened.

                                                                              
                                                                              
The next morning we had another chance to admire Janne’s table manners. She’s two and a half and eats like a young princess. It’s especially fun for me to watch her, since I’m used to my darling grandsons who are seven and eight and aren’t quite in Janne’s class yet. (They’re working on it but it might take another decade.)

After breakfast we wanted to go to the Christmas market in Celle. Christmas markets are a German tradition and attract a lot of tourists to the big ones like in Nürnberg. But almost every town and village has its own and the small local ones are often much nicer than the bigger more commercial ones. Frank and I went to our village’s market last weekend – it’s only on the weekend of the first Advent and I had my annual mug of hot spiced wine. Anyway, getting a child dressed for cold weather is quite an accomplishment and reminded me of how much I hated getting into and out of my snowsuit when I was in kindergarten in Ohio.

                                                                                                               
                                                            Janne was therefore the first one of us ready for our excursion and the nature of her dress dictated that she spend her time waiting outside, otherwise there was some danger of melting.

                                                                              
Janne loves her bicycle and was ready to bike the ten or so miles into town.

                                                                              
She saw no need to wrestle herself into the car seat but gave in when we told her she could continue her biking tour in Celle.

                                                                              
So we drove to Celle and even managed to find a parking place only about 15 minutes from the Christmas market in the center of town.

                                                                              
I must say, Anne is a very patient grandmother, but 15 minutes away means something entirely different when you have a small child along.

                                                                              
                                                                              
Janne, who is not allowed to watch any TV at her tender age (even though, or maybe especially since her father works in television), was determined to pick out a TV for herself so she could buy one as soon as she could afford it. Or, who knows, maybe it was the shoes that fascinated her so.

                                                                              
After a while we were able to draw her away from the TV and she pushed forward, at a snail’s pace and not always in the right direction, but in the end we made it to the market.

And who should we run into there but Janne’s granddaddy, Ingo. Oh, good, someone else to carry her. (Anne turned out to be not very good at long-distance child toting.)

                                                                              
Just where we met Ingo there was a children’s carousel and when we asked Janne if she was interested, she was all for it.

                                     However, once the carousel actually got moving, she found it a little too adventuresome and wanted out. She was fine once she got used to it though.

                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                                                                 There was a lot to see, for example this huge Christmas pyramid (the smaller versions are very popular here). This one was particularly nice because you could buy a hot drink.

                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
There were lots and lots of stalls with all sorts of different things, a lot of Christmas decorations, but some stalls had things that had nothing to do with Christmas. There was little or no junk though, which made it very pleasant.

The long march and all the excitement had worn Janne out, so Ingo helped Anne carry Janne back to the car and Anne took her home for a nap – which Janne decided she didn’t need.


                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
Frank, Ingo and I went to this Indian restaurant for lunch. The food was okay and the owner was very friendly. The building doesn’t look very Indian though.

                           
                           
                           
                           
After running a few errands we said good-bye to Celle and walked to where Ingo had parked his car….

                                                                              
….by way of the Celle castle.

In the late afternoon, even though Janne had not had a nap, we decided to visit yet another Christmas market, this time a more private one in a village near where Anne and Ingo live.

There was a lot of atmosphere at this market, partly because it was almost dark and they had several fires going.

However, the main attraction was the manger which fascinated Janne….

                                                                              
…. until the donkey got a little too up close and personal.

                                                                              
Since it was pretty cold, we were happy to be able to go into one of the houses and warm up….

                                                                              
…and choose a little something to take home with us.


                                                                              
In the same house there were some women demonstrating spinning wheels and Janne seemed quite interested in learning how to spin yarn.

                                                                              
Back at home Frank and Ingo gave Janne a little concert before she went to bed.

Good night, Janne, and sweet dreams.