Luxembourg's Christmas Market v 2.0

Jeni and I weren't able to get too far afield this winter, so we ended up spending much more time at our local Weihnachtsmarkt. You may recall from last year that we weren't overly impressed with the Luxembourg Christmas Market, but after a year of mixing and mingling with the locals we decided to have a second look. Yep…still the same. Jeni and I did, however, use the rare opportunity of a sunny afternoon to sneak over and take a ride on the Grand Duchy's ferris wheel! 

…trying to look cool.

Jeni putting on her brave face.

So the observant reader will notice that we are not in the same photos whilst riding the wheel…that's because this thing was TERRIFYING. Well not terrifying, but the gondolas would spin 360 degrees if the weight wasn't dispersed correctly! OK, let me rephrase this. It was really really scary when the wheel lurched backward toward the ramparts and Jeni and I were sent spiraling around as the wheel reached its apex approximately 15 stories above the floor of the Petrusse Valley! Scambling for stability, we needed to sit on opposite sides or else the bucket would start whirling again. Yikes.

All in all we did get some great views over the Place de Constitution...

…and a view down the Petrusse Valley. Please note the white knuckles :-0

In Luxembourg City, we observed that the Christmas Market was a sort of after-work happy hour gathering point. By far the best selling items were the various fair-foods and, of course, the Gluhwein! We were able to meet up with friends and co-workers this year. That made this year's market more amiable, and we did, indeed, look forward to our visits downtown.

Jeni's office mates...

…and some Ultimate players.

We even got our own Gluhwein Pyramide this year!!

As with most things cheery and bright, there always seems to be some dark undercurrent. This year the Nativity scene was brimming with animals mounted in a taxidermy shop! Yeesh! Nothing creates that "you were there" vibe like stuffed livestock.

This little guy got nibbled on somehow,

and this guy appears to be on guard for the next snacker.

And, yes, that is a donkey next to a disembodied cow's head.

But let's not forget the real reason for the season. Missing all of our friends and family and wishing you the very best during this Holiday Season!

Merry Christmas to All from your pals in Luxembourg!!!