Portuguese New Year in Germany

We had originally planned on spending Christmas in Lisbon with Bruno, but since he picked up a bit of work in Ulm, Germany; we went there instead! Our second year of a cold winter with Bruno and Marta. The only difference was this year, there were about 10 other unexpected people showing up including his family to the event. Not what we expected, but in true Bruno fashion everyone was included and we had a great time!

The Medieval Christmas Market in Neu Ulm with a great atmosphere which was very "medieval", very good mulled wine and amazing typical types of food (a sort of a Medieval fast food). It was great also seeing all the patrons dressed up in true Visagoth fashion! The city of Ulm is quite small and the real highlight is a building designed by a woman who worked for Richard Meier that was built right next to the old cathedral, it so does not fit in there. So needless to say, if that was the architectural highlight, there really was not that much to see in Ulm.

Just Ben and myself went into Augsburg to visit with his friend Oliver who lives there. He toured us around the town and we were able to get a traditional lunch made by his partner and meet his family. It was a nice quiet day.

We also made use of the Bavarian Ticket to head into Munich with the girls for the day while the boys worked. I got to play tour guide as I have been before and with my impecible timing, we were at the glockenspiel just as it struck noon so they could see the little dancers. Last time I was here it was sweltering hot so it was a vast difference.

We drove up to a small ski resort near the Austrian boarder and watched some Olympic Ski Jumping. No tricks, just flying really far off the jump. After about the third one we saw we were done being enthused and went to get some coffee. It was funny watching Duarte, Bruno's little brother, sled down ice on a garbage bag. None of us wanted to get involved, that just did not look that comfortable! Nothing like seeing grown men see snow for the first time and get all giddy! They were all excited about the snow ball fights.

We also headed over to Austria to see Lake Constance. It was beautiful but I could only imagine how great it would look during the height of summer. Pretty little towns along the lake, but sort of depressing to see in the winter. We all strolled down the lake side. And when I mean stroll, walk as slow as you can and then walk half as slow as that and you get the Portuguese saunter.

Our last day was spent going over to Neuschwanstein the castle that Walt Disney based his castle on. I had been there during the summer but I have to say the views are amazing in the snow! Since we were so late getting out of Ulm, we did not get a tour inside, but it was a nice day in the sun and snow for the hike up to the castle!

At the end of the trip we were so ready to leave the snow and when we got home to Ireland, there was even more snow here! But that is altogether another story....

Christmas with the McDonnell's

Christmas morning was a quiet one this year, just the two of us doing a video chat with my parents, 6am our time and 10pm Christmas Eve. It was great watching them open their gifts since I had even forgotten what I even brought home for them when we came to visit for Tobias's wedding in July.

Since we have no family here in Ireland, it was great getting invited to spend Christmas day with my 'adopted' family here, the McDonnell's. I have met most of Sean's family before, so it was not super awkward when we showed up Christmas day. We were so excited to spend the day with family even if it was not our own. We sat down to the most amazing dinner, heaped up on our plates, and then they put down even more food on the table. Ham, turkey, 4 types of potatoes, cooked carrots, cawlifolower, brocoli (and yes I even at the brocoli after I rolled it around in mash potatoes and gravey so I would not feel the icky brustly things and then swallowed whole), stuffing, hot pinapple, brussle sprouts, indian parsnips and gravey. It was so good, and I knew that I had to eat everything on my plate. Once we ate, the kids got to open their Santy gifts. It was pure mayhem when all the gift opening started. Mama McDonnell even gave us gifts (I am glad that we brought her something). With the ice that has been forming, Sean's sister slipped and broke her leg, so it was an eventful day. Once the kids were squared away with their gifts and the boys, including Ben, disappeared upstairs to play with the new Xbox, we tucked into some dessert. There were three different desserts; triffle, Christmas Pudding and chocolate espresso mousse pots. So good but by then I was ready to explode. We had a good bit of banter with the wine flowing and around midnight Sean got us home. It was a good end to a great day!

Strange Anomaly #47

Jails here the inmates can wear whatever clothes they want. Not like the required orange jumpsuits of maximum security prisons or the blue denim of the medium security prisons. Just strange to see prisoners wearing normal street clothes. Another random thing is, they put out hand sanitizer at the main common area of the local prison and they had to remove it since the inmates were drinking it to get intoxicated.

Thirty wONEderful!

With being broke and most of my friends the same, I made up a huge pot of gumbo, they brought the drinks and we had all my friends over to celebrate me fully embracing my thirties. I did recieve some beautiful flowers from Lucy and with all the wine and whiskey I also got as gifts, the next day was a bit painful. It was aqQuiet event, but full of good craic!

Irish Country Womans Association Xmas Baazar

My friend Catherine had getting me a corner of a table in the magic of the Tinahely Christmas Fair. Her mam's friend had a table for the Irish Country Woman's Association and was able to sell a few piece of my Jewelry for me. Which is great! The only snag is that southwest Wicklow and particularly the 3 villages of Tinahely, Shillelagh and Carnew (possibly Knockannana as well) are likely to be swamped with look-alike pieces of jewelery this time next year as I can just imagine all the old dears spending the next 12 months figuring out how I crocheted and knitted the pieces together!

Strange Anomaly #46

It may not be an Irishism, but with so many other nationalities here, you do notice things from other cultures. There are several Italians here and with the emense cold that currently has Ireland in the grips of an Arctic blast, there has been a group taking the LUAS with me in the morning, and only Italian men can pull off using a headband and still make it look manly and sexy.