Dec 2, 2012 - SNOW!

The view from our kitchen window this morning

The view from our living room window this morning.

Dec 6, 2012 morning - It snowed again last night but not much, maybe .75 of an inch.  But since it was just a little sunny and I knew it wouldn't last long, I went out for a walk around the lakes first thing this morning.  I took my camera but it was so cold that neither battery had enough charge to fight the cold and as soon as I tried to take a photo, the battery would say it was empty.  That is OK, there wasn't that much to take a photo of anyway and my hands where freezing and my everything was freezing.  What I didn't expect was that a lot of the pathways around the lake where totally iced over.  When I stepped onto them, I am sure I looked like Bambi trying to walk on the ice.  Luckily I think I was the only one in the area so I didn't hear any loud laughter from people seeing me slide all over the place.  For the majority of my walk I walked next to the path in the lightly snowed covered frozen grass.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS (Weihnachts Markt)
The Christmas markets in Germany are famous.  Here is the one in Mannheim.  Some of the activity is at the Prada Platz, some in the area behind high end department stores, and some in the Wasser Turn area.  There is plenty of food and drink and gifts and people.  When we went at night, it was so cold.  Next time I will wear more warm clothes.
The Wasser Turn area.

One of the warm drink vendors.  Pretty elaborate booth!

This is in the morning before it got crowded.

Many department stores in the area set up the display windows that makes it fun to look at with animated stuffed animals.  These guys are making bread.

More department store windows.

The children really enjoy seeing these windows.

Dogs are always welcome everywhere.  

We liked these paper stars.  We bought several for gifts and one for us.  Designed and made in Mannheim.

Little ceramic houses are very popular.

This is one of the drink vendors.  It isn't quite finished yet.  The second floor will soon be open for people to go up and have drinks and a view of the Market.

This vendor makes sculpture out of metal welded together.

The local craftsman, more expensive things, are in a Weihnachts Markt that is in another area of town like this one.

Typical street scene with the tram.

This is at the Prada platz.  They set up areas for children to see the different fairy tales.

The Wasser Turn and Market below.

Schneeballs.  Like a waffle molded into a baseball and coated with different sweet flavors.

Wasser Turn and Cristmas trees.

Wasser Turn.

A few people had period costumes.

Displays for children's fairy tales.

Displays for children's fairy tales.

We had to try the local bratwurst.

Getting warm with fire and hot drink.

Warm drink

The crowds and lights at night.

Candles are very popular here in Germany.  There are many very pretty kinds.

These next photos are from the Heidelberg Market.  We haven't been to it yet but plan on going soon.

GRAVEYARD IN THE NEXT TOWN
The day was very nice and warm so we walked to the next town for a stroll before starting in on making food for Thanksgiving.  This is a really beautiful graveyard in the next town.  So well kept and very well loved by everyone. 

THANKSGIVING
We have so much to be thankful for this year.  We love our family and friends and our new friends and being in this wonderful place full of new adventures.  We made our big meal on Saturday for Thanksgiving.  
I found a small (4200 kg = 9.2 lbs) frozen turkey last Wed so it was thawed and ready to cook on Saturday.  It had a lot of ice in it so I think they add water to increase the weight.  It wasn't the best turkey I've made, it was a little dry, but the couple we invited over had never tasted one so they didn't have anything to compare it to anyway.   All the other side dishes where good too.  Even tho I didn't make all the usual dishes we have a lot of leftovers.  So today we have the missionaries (both are from Texas) coming over for dinner and to use up some of the leftovers.
I forgot to take photos once our friends arrived.  But you have all seen turkey dinners before anyway.  I just wished I had taken photos of our friends.  I will at another time.

This is our outdoor refrigerator.

We move the table into the living room and put the leaf into it so we can have 4 people comfortably.

The pumpkin pie and gourds I found on the walk to the Vet the day before.

WALKING TO THE VETERINARIAN (TIERARZTPRAXIS)
Today was a beautiful clear day so I decided I should walk to the next town to introduce myself to the Veterinarian.  Just in case the cats need to go there when we are gone, I wanted the vet to know who I am and that it would be OK for someone who is taking care of the cats to take them there and I could pay when we get back.  It went really well.  It took me about an hour to walk there.  On the way, I found some small gourds on the road so they will look nice on the table for a Fall decoration.  You can see them in the photo with the pumpkin pie I made today.

On the walk I go through some farming crops.  I see these strange root things.  I have no idea what they are.
Found out these are sugar beets.

These root things are really big.  At a distance I thought they where potatoes but they are much bigger ,  as you can see from the size comparison with my shoe.

I am almost to the town where the Vet is located.  In that small town there with the water tower.

Pumpkin pie I made today and the gourds I found on the walk to the Vet.

SHOPPING
November 15th, 2012 - The Real (like Walmart) store that is a 35 minute walk from here had a grand opening today.  They had a lot of free samples of food and drink and to buy on the way into the store and on almost every isle inside the store someone was giving free samples.  I didn't try the alcohol drinks offered but there were plenty of people there to try them and the store was very crowded.  The samples I tried where all good but I didn't buy any except the fresh bread.  I'm still finding small things that would be nice to have in the apartment and if I know the item won't be coming on the boat with our "stuff" I might buy it.  I try not to buy more than I can lift if I decide to take the bus back home.  Today though I bought TOO much to lift so I walked home with my heavy cart.  Trouble is, when the cart is heavy, it tends to stop abruptly when it hits a rock on the path so I dumped the entire load once today when it jerked out of my hands and crashed.  I got warmed up and had a good workout putting it all back into the cart and pulling it home.  It was cold out, about 36 degrees F so I had to take off my gloves, scarf and coat to cool down after that spill.  You might find some of the photos of the vendors interesting.

This is the hall entrance to the Real store.  Usually it is empty.   Later more stores will be going into the areas on both side of the hall.

Guy on stilts and carrying a shopping basket.

Giving free ice cream cones and being a comedian and magician at the same time.

Free champagne samples. 

Free alcohol samples of many kinds, and of course you can buy them if you want them.

Leergutannahme means "returned empties".   This is where you can take your empty plastic, and glass bottles and put them into here, get a receipt and get cash at the register in the store.

This guy had a LOT of empties to return.

There was live music, sounded pretty good, both American popular songs like Beach Boys as well as German songs.

There where a LOT of guys in line for Tattoos.  Pretty girl doing them,   SOO...      

Sandwich stand outside.

Serving rotisserie beef, I THINK?

My heavy cart, 95 euros (~120 dollars) worth of stuff.