Christkindlmarket in Chicago

I completely forgot to mention German Christmas market here in Chicago called Christkindlmarket .
But there is still time if you want to visit. I would definitely recommend it!

 

http://www.christkindlmarket.com/en/

History and Tradion:

 

Inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, which began in 1545, the Christkindlmarket Chicago brings a cherished German and European tradition with international flair and local charm to Chicago. Chicago's largest open-air Christmas festival was first held on Pioneer Court in 1996. By special invitation of Mayor Richard M. Daley, Christkindlmarket Chicago moved to Daley Plaza in 1997 and has become a staple event on the plaza ever since. Christkindlmarket Chicago has grown to become one of the most popular winter attractions in the heart of the city.

 

 

 

I love to go and visit every year because of the atmosphere and of course because of the food!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kartoffelpuffer/potato pancake - my favourite

Glühwein

 

 

Karlsruhe

I mentioned Karlsruhe in my other post, when writing about Ettlingen, one of the places I lived in Germany. Karlsruhe was where I was attending my German classes. It is only about 15 minutes from Ettlingen, as you can see from the map below these two places are almost connected.

 

 

Karlsruhe was founded 300 years ago by Margrave Charles William (Karl Wilhelm) of Baden.

According to the legend, Karl Wilhelm is supposed to have fallen asleep during a hunting trip in the Hardtwald of Durlach and dreamt of a palace which lies in the centre of his residence like the sun, the streets of city stretching out like rays of sunlight. He named his new city Karls...ruhe which in German means Karl's rest/repose.

 

 

 

 

The foundation stone of the fan-shaped city was laid in 1715 - standing at the centre of the 'fan', 32 'axes' extend from Karlsruhe Palace (Schloss Karlsruhe).

 

 

 

The town is the seat of two of the highest courts in Germany, the Federal Constitutional Court and the Federal Court of Justice.

 

 

Other attractions:

 

Market square (Marktplatz) is the best known square in Karlsruhe.

Situated on it is the city's hallmark, The pyramid. It is a monument to the city's founder Margrave Karl-Wilhelm and protects his grave. It was initially made of wood but was reconstructed in stone in 1823.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zoological gardens (Stadtgarten Zoo)  the combination of zoo, one of the oldest in Germany, and municipal gardens. Located in the heart of the city centre, it is one of the favourite destinations within the city.

 

 

 

 

Majolica Porcelain Manufactory (Staatliche Majolika Manufaktur) produces a variety of ceramic art - from small sculptures to tiles, vases, bowls, plates etc. I bought some "souveniers" when visiting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ettlinger Tor - a place to shop www.ettlinger-tor.de

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Dschungelkind"

When I lived in Germany, one day I was watching an interesting interview with Sabine Kuegler and learnt about the book she wrote "Dschungelkind".

I read it in German, but as I was trying to search for it on the internet now to find out if there is an English version, I also learnt about a German film adaptation directed by Roland Suso Richter in 2011. I will see if I can find it here in the US.
















So, you can find the book in English as "Jungle Child" ...or "Child Of The Jungle"

It is about her very different childhood as she lived from age 7 to age 17 with her parents and two siblings in the jungle of West Papua with the newly discovered Fayu tribe.

 

I read the book in two days. Amazing true story! I wonder how is the English version.

 

 

 

 
"In 1980 seven-year-old Sabine Kuegler and her family went to live in a remote jungle area of West Papua among the recently discovered Fayu - a tribe untouched by modern civilisation. Her childhood was spent hunting, shooting poisonous spiders with arrows and chewing on pieces of bat-wing in place of gum. She also learns how brutal nature can be - and sees the effect of war and hatred on tribal peoples. After the death of her Fayu-brother, Ohri, Sabine decides to leave the jungle and, aged seventeen, she goes to a boarding school in Switzerland - a traumatic change for a girl who acts and feels like one of the Fayu. 'Fear is something I learnt here' she says. 'In the Lost Valley, with a lost tribe, I was happy. In the rest of the world it was I who was lost.' Here is Sabine Kuegler's remarkable true story of a childhood lived out in the Indonesian jungle, and the struggle to conform to European society that followed" - Amazon.co.uk

Ettlingen...

" Nestling amid hills and mountains on both sides at the entrance to the valley, coursed by the continuously flowing waters of the Alb; the alleyways and streets throughout the evolved lineage and extent of the squares, vibrant yet without hustle and bustle; a castle in which city scholastic, artistic and social life has established itself; the old quarter that invites you to relax and feel at ease: Ettlingen is a city that exudes the strange but rare sensation that, here, the world is simply alright."

This was written by Josef Werner, a resident journalist in the town, for the first edition of his photographic portrait of the city, which became my home for a few years too.

Ettlingen (population 38 000) is a town in Baden-Württemberg - the third largest of Germany's sixteen states located in the southwestern part of the country with the capital Stuttgart.

Not only is it about 1 hour from Stuttgart, 1 and a half hours from Frankfurt, but also 1 hour from Strasbourg in France and 2 hours from Basel in Switzerland. It is just perfect location if you want to start exploring Europe. I loved living there.
I admit, I did miss a bit an atmosphere of a big city as the closest bigger city was Karlsruhe (8 km, population 300 000), and I will write about this place in my next post, but somehow it wasn't big enough for me :-).
I moved to Ettlingen because of my husband's job offer and it wasn't always easy. I didn't speak the language, had to 'leave everything behind', but I still remember the first day after arrival like it was yesterday, even after so many years... I walked from our apartment to the town center and back...., and felt like I had always lived there...it was home. I have so many great memories!

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my favorite places:

 

 

1. Cafe PIEROD

 

 

 



 

Cafe Pierod 

Kirchenplatz 5-7

www.cafe-pierod.de

  

 

 

 

2.

Swimming pool

Albgaubad Ettlingen

Luisenstraße 14

76275 Ettlingen
http://www.albgaubad.de/typo3/index.php?id=15

 

 

 

3.

Lake Buchtzig

 

Badesee Buchtzig

Badesee Buchtzig, Am Baggersee 4
(Nähe Industriegebiet
Ettlingenweier)
76275 Ettlingen

 

 

4. hiking in Black Forest

 

 

 

"The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres (4,898 ft). The region is almost rectangular with a length of 160 km (99 miles) and breadth of up to 60 km (37 miles)"

 

 

I hope I will be able to go back in the future, together with my husband...it was our first home and has a special place in my heart.

 

 

Düsseldorf and Köln - Germany

Some of the places I visited when living in Germany were cities of Cologne (Köln) and Düsseldorf. It takes only 40 minutes to get from one city to the other.

Düsseldorf is the capital of the German state North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr region. I really like this city and I wish I could go back and explore it even more, perhaps even live there. I think it would be one of the cities on my list to live in Germany. Located on the banks of the river Rhine, it has great architecture, art scene, it is an international business and financial centre known for its fashion and trade fairs, it is a modern city with historical quarter...this city has it all.

 

 

Main attractions:

Old Town / Altstadt - is known for its historical architecture, but even if you are not into ' old buildings' go and check out its "longest bar in the world". I believe there are about 300 pubs and bars all within this area.

 

Media Harbour / Medien Hafen - is a former industrial harbour transformed into a modern business and residential district. I really enjoyed the view.

Rhine River Promenade -  is my favourite part of the city. You can get from the Old Town to the Media Harbour walking along the Rhine promenade. It is a place lined with cafés, so you can just pick one, relax and watch the life go by or stroll along.

Königsallee - the locals call it the "Kö" and it is definitely a place to visit if you want to do some serious shopping or just enjoy window shopping along this boulevard.

Cologne/Köln  is the fourth largest city and one of the oldest in Germany, located in the same state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the both sides of the Rhine river. During the Second World War about 90 percent of the city was destroyed, but rebuilt after the war and for that reason it is now characterised by the post-war architecture.
It is a cultural centre with many museums and galleries.

 

The Cologne Cathedral / Kölner Dom -  it is the second highest building in Cologne and you can see it from almost everywhere in the city centre. It was damaged, but survived the Second World War bombing. It is a beautiful example of Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. You have to see it!

 

http://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=rundgang&L=1

 

 

 

Cologne Carnival - it is called the "fifth season of the year" and begins on November 11th at 11:11 am. (By the way I have been seeing this number all the time!)
It is a highlight of the season and is held in February or March visited by thousands of people every year.

 

Love Locks - this is something special. There is a place called 'Hohenzollern Bridge Love Locks'.
It is a really nice Cologne's tradition where couples fix locks to the railings of the bridge to make sure that their love lasts forever and then throw the key into the river. Unfortunately, I didn't know about this when my husband and I were visiting years ago, but we are still together, so I guess we didn't need a lock. Maybe next time, to make sure...:-)

And of course there is Eau de Cologne / Kölnisch Wasser. It all began in the city of Cologne in 1709 when the Italian perfumer John Maria Farina made Cologne famous by naming his new fragrance Eau de Cologne to honour his new hometown. You can find all about it in the Farina Fragrance Museum.