After thinking about some of the things I can talk about today, I think, no maybe not, not this, not that, not the other. However, maybe I can talk about a memory?
Christmas Markets featured predominantly in my 'memories' today. Last year's Markets in and around Frankfurt, especially the video of the luminous creatures ins white, walking on stilts. a pair of them, evoking a magical feeling. Like the Avataar movie.
Other memories and with lots of photos, were of our 9 nights in Berlin for the 2014 Christmas Markets. At that time, I fell in love with Berlin. We stayed at Panko which was at the end of the train line, and from the balcony of our prewar apartment we could see the Tram stop. Busses too were nearby, so it was a good location.
The 'house', itself was a grand affair. Very high ceilings and very wide and extremely high double doors, so high you couldn't throw a towel over it. That should give an idea of the height of the ceilings. Not to mention the ornateness or the rest of the place. Massive living areas, and huge bedrooms. Period furniture. Large balcony. Even the stairs and the common areas of the building were grand, including the carpet on the stairs.
Berlin has 9 big Christmas Markets and a couple were close to each other. Just like in Cologne, where three Markets are almost side by side. The Markets by the River, are a stones throw away from the one near the Cologne Cathedral, flanked by an old Roman wall. The Frankfurt Cathedral Markets are the big ones, the main attraction, where I met the most amazing character, who looked as if he was from another world. The Absinthe man- the man selling Absinthe in his quaint shop, also selling mead. Both these were just names for me before I saw him handle the bottles and pour the liquid.
Mead, supposedly made from honey, was the popular choice in books, and it's the one I remember mentioned in the stories of Robin Hood -drinking or offering it to his one true love, Maid Marion and perhaps having a jug or two with Friar Tuck and Little John.
Absinthe was always more mysterious to me. Made most commonly as an anise and fennel flavored drink, absinthe gets its name from its main ingredient, Artemisia Absinthium- or wormwood. Typically, it's supposed to be green in color and is mysteriously called The Green Fairy. I always imagined fairies drinking absinthe.
This Absinthe seller was a man of peculiar looks, and he really looked like someone from the Fairy kingdom. That was Cologne. Just sneaked in. After all, German Christmas markets are well known the world over. I think the Germans take their Christmas Markets tradition very very seriously. As does Austria- some day I will get there too.
Anyway, back to Berlin. 2014. I'm so much younger in the photos, smiling more, smiling with my cheeks and my mouth and my eyes. Anyway, Berlin. It captured my heart from the moment we landed. However, before that, let me rewind a little.
We had flown out from Brussels, and had to change planes in Munich. For those of us from the US, flying in Europe can be full of surprises. In almost every airport, at least in my experience during our Brussels adventures and even now, the most inexplicable thing that comes to mind, is that why in the world, do the airlines not know confirmed departure gates! Yes, serious.
We were super early, for whatever reason, and were actually given a gate number. We sat at the adjoining gate, which had plenty of room, as compared to 'our' gate, which had a previous flight to ours, scheduled for departure so was thus more crowded.
As it neared time for our flight, I decided to go use the restroom, which was near the next gate over. Used the restroom, and on my way back, just happened to glance at 'our' gate, and horror of unbelievable horrors, saw a flight to Spain listed on it. This is just before we were expecting to be called for boarding. Came back hurriedly, looked at our tickets and checked again- that was the right gate! Darn it! Rushed to the monitors, and saw that our flight's departure had been moved to a different gate, quite far away! Told another family waiting with us, and made a mad, mad dash, to find our flight boarding. No announcements, nothing. Passengers are always advised to keep checking the gates on the monitors. Phew- made it!
It is the same here in the UK, no matter which airline we fly, or which airport. Now we know that we have to keep checking the gates. Fortunately the Lounges too usually have departure information monitors, so when we are using a lounge, that makes it less stressful.
The other inconvenience of European and UK airports is that flights will often wait on the tarmac and passengers are bussed over. Sometimes even a 10-15 minute bus ride away on the open tarmac. Which means you physically climb up the flight of stairs, which are wheeled to the door of the aircraft. No going through the gate tunnel onto the aircraft. It's no fun when it's cold or wet, and we have carry on luggage.
Back to Berlin via Munich. Arrived Munich, and proceeded to the next gate. We boarded on the tarmac, but luckily, the plane was not far from the Gate.
It had been snowing in Munich, so we were not surprised that the flight was delayed. The snow started coming down heavily, and I had a window seat. It was quite exciting for me, as snow was still a novelty, of sorts. I mean I had seen snowfall earlier, many a time, and while I find the flurries magical, when the snow comes down fast, the urgency of its dropping in puffs has it own charm and excitement. It's like watching the snow pieces racing with each other to make a soft landing on the ground.
If I were a child, I would want to imagine what it would be like to come riding down on one of those little cloud-like scraps of snow. And to touch down, legs out, feet first. Then stand steadying oneself, as feet sink into the white powder. But I'm not a child, yet I can dream. Dream, a much better and far forgiving word than envision. Envision has a mercenary ring to it, while dream has a gentler quality about it, vulnerable, and open to the unexpected. Curiously adventurous too, maybe?
Anyway, back to Munich. I'm sitting by the window and suddenly I'm accosted by a foaming substance and brushing and rubbing against my window. Something I had never seen before. Our plane was being deiced! I always remember that about Munich. My first deicing experience.
We took off from Munich and arrived into a sunny Berlin afternoon.
It's 11:11 pm now, and I want to sleep early tonight. Do you mind, dear Blog if I continue tomorrow? Plus, it's already become so long, and I do not want it to get boring for you. I hope you appreciate I am not neglecting you and am writing everyday. I hope to keep up the streak, at least for all of December, and we can ring in the New Year together. You and I, my trusted and beloved keyboard and blog page. catching up with you at the end of my day.
More about Berlin tomorrow. I promise you will not be disappointed. First it's going to be the story of the Airport- what it was like and how it was built and by whom, and with what. The second memory that stands out is of the old man, who sat in the toilets, servicing them, with a small Christmas tree and a few odd bits on a table, where he was also eating dinner.
And yes, I bought my woolen coat in Berlin. After much searching, I found something which was all wool, warm, and not too heavy around my shoulders.
Until tomorrow blog, see you then. Maybe I should give you a name, just like I have named my car. What I shall I call you? Let's talk about it tomorrow, shall we? And of course, Berlin.
Veenu Banga
December 5, 2024
11:25 pm.
Continued here: https://veenubanga.blogspot.com/2024/12/what-weekend.html
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