It's the most wonderful time of the year

I actually can't stand that song, but the sentiment is apt for how I feel about Christmas. Especially Christmas in Germany. Seriously, Christmas here just can't be beat. The Weinachtmarkts! The sweets! The candles! The snow! Okay, so we don't have snow yet. Whatever, it's coming.

Today I visited my first Christmas market of the season, the one in my own district of Berlin, ye old unglamorous Spandau. Here follow some of my favorite pics.

It's not a proper Weinachtsmarkt without half a million stands selling headache-inducing amounts of sugar.

Deeeeeeein ist mein ganzes Heeeeeeeerz!I'm not really sure what the point is of buying/selling a giant gingerbread heart that proclaims "I love you!" and "Kisses!" but I'm down with it. If I get home for Christmas, I'll be bringing one for each of my nieces and nephews.

Germany, that land of medieval castles, monasteries, abbeys, the Reformation, and silly young men who reforge their father/uncle's magic sword and slay dragons, is not above putting up a medieval market for their people's shopping pleasure. I may sound like I'm mocking, but as someone who spent ten years as a die-hard Tolkien fan and a medieval re-enactor, I kind of love it.

That, and they're selling this fantastic dragon puppet, which WILL be mine.

The smithy.

Booze. Or rather, enormous copper vats of Gluhwein. (Remind me to tell you my Gluhwein story someday.)

These gents were more than happy to pose for me. They probably thought I was a tourist. Ah, well.

And as they say on Loony Toons, that's all folks!