Rudesheim Christmas Market

After our belly-stretching Turkey day, we had to get out of the house to burn off some excess energy. I was adamant that we weren't going to do that Black Friday thing as I found the commercialization of Christmas to be rather off-putting. Last year I missed every single one of the Christmas market because I was either busy throwing up or couldn't properly walk because of the sciatic nerve. Even though it was so incredibly cold (33-34 degrees), I had come to terms with the fact that this was as good as it was going to get for a while. So we packed up Chase's bunting suit in her diaper bag and off we went to Rudesheim. It's a small village on the Rhine river that has a rich and long history in winemaking. We headed straight into the beautiful old part of town for the market, and what a fun time we had! I didn't get as many pictures was I would like, because it was so cold and we had to keep moving. There weren't that many tourists around just yet since it was in the middle of Friday afternoon, but a bunch of Germans, who belonged to some kind of funny hat club, were all out drinking and having a good time. They were fun to follow and watch. We also got to meet up with our dear friend Carol and Bryan, who was home for R&R from his tour in Iraq, at the end of the day at a lovely, and cozy warm, restaurant to have a really great meal. Welcome home, Bryan! Here are some of our pictures:

Cold little ponies.

Ralphie...
Chaster saluting the toy soldiers.
Yummy fresh mushrooms.
Drosselgasse is a famous street in Rudesheim because this short and narrow little street is completely lined with bars and restaurant on both sides. During the harvest season and wine festivals, it's often called the happiest place on earth. I don't think Mickey could compete with booze.




She doesn't look too happy, does she? Maybe we have an animal rights activist on our hands.
Rudesheim Castle.
My little World Traveler was such a great sport. She missed 2 out of her 3 naps that day, couldn't suck her thumbs because of the bunting suit, but still managed to charm every German grandma in the village. My kid rocks.

I don't know if you can see a sea of Santa's hats in the back. Those were the funny hat people I was talking about. They sure did know how to have a good time in the cold.
I adore all the wooden handmade toys. This shop was really like Santa's workshop.
Not exactly a beautiful section of the Rhine, but you can see another beautiful little Rhine village of Bingen in the background (at least I think it is Bingen--we'll find out when we head back up that way the next time).
Had to get my share of AMAZING spiesbraten and caramelized onion. I display the kind of exuberant joy when I see meat on a spit much the same way most other females do with shoes and handbags. What am I going to do when we leave Germany?
Carol and Bryan.
It was so dark when we left (I had to triple adjust the exposure of the picture, so you can actually see something), and it was only 6:00 P.M.