Christmas 2019

Veselé Vánoce!  Frohe Weihnachten!  Merry Christmas and PF 2020.  I'm back in Friedrichshagen for another Berlin Christmas.

It's been a fun couple of days in Germany.  Of course we had to visit the Christmas Market at Gendarmenmarkt and go to Nikolaiviertel for the traditional Feuerzangenbowle.

For the first time in Berlin there was a gay Christmas market at Nollendorfplatz.  

It was in Schöneberg which is the city's gay neighbourhood.  The market was very small, and there was a lot of pink, but it was interesting.  

On the 24th we attended the Christmas service at the local Evangelical church where the children put on performance of Drei Engel auf dem Dach - Three Angels on the Roof. 

Then it was back to Claudia's parents' place in Rahnsdorf for dinner.  

Not long afterwards we had a visit from der Weihnachtsmann who showed up with a bag full of presents.

Natalie has been in Switzerland working with the Red Cross.  She caught a sleeper train last night and got here this morning.  Yeah for our favourite Kiwi making it here for Christmas.

This afternoon I FaceTimed my family in California and got to watch my niece and nephew open the care packages I mailed back in November. 

We've got a couple of more days in Berlin and then Nat and I will go to Brno to spend New Year's in Czechland.