winter days

20.12.2006 9 °C

it's so cold!!!!!!!!! and foggy and generally just terribly freezing! But it's probably not even bad. yet.
On Saturday evening we visited the swedish market near central Leverkusen (small but sweet) where there were people making candles and carving wood etc..we also baked cookies for Christmas (Plätzchen)...

Malin while baking Plätzchen

Sunday we went to the middle age market in Siegborg, a little while away and that was exciting although a little overwhelming, with all the people. All the stallholders and entertainers were dressed in clothes from the middle ages, and selling middle-ages sorts of stuff like , and baking bread on-site in stone ovens. i forgot my camera so i have no photos. but don't worry, I won't do that again. I think it was in the town square, which was absolutely beautiful with tall old buildings with paned windows all around. The atmosphere was cool too - it was a big family outing for everyone I think. We took a little detour through Köln on the way back, and I had my first glimpse of the (as quoted) schwarzer, alter, doofer Kölner Dom. It's really big.
Monday consisted of school, and English and Sport (badminton) lessons for the first time, both of which were similar to in NZ, but in English they were studying grammar I've never heard of so that was great. After school was (as every Monday) lunch at Frieda-Oma's house, which is about 2 doors down from here. And did she feed us well. man. we went Christmas tree-hunting that evening, too
Tuesday evening we had a christmas party with Malin's old class at school in the cafeteria, lots of fun.

Caitlin(Canada), Cherie(US) and I

Everyone had to bring a 'bad taste' present for Secret Santa, which was Hilarious. And Malin made Kirsch-Pie (cherry pie), but here they actually have no word for pie, they just sometimes use the american one. they call it Kuchen(cake)or torte instead.
Wednesday we had the 'school's out' party at a youth club called E-Werk in Cologne, with the rest of Malin's year, which was also fun. Just dancing, dancing, dancing. and drinking water.
Thursday was shopping day with Malin and her friend Mara in Cologne (amazing). We went by train to the central station (Kölner Hauptbahnhof) and the central pedestrian zone is right there, and it's also HUGE!

Hehe i did take my camera this time, so photos will be coming soon...<actually they're here...>There were so many shops..even an 'English Shop' which is stocked full of food and souvenirs from the UK, in case some Britons get homesick I think! And we whipped by (not) the Weihnachtsmarkt beside the Dom, where there were so many stalls selling christmas presents for absolutely anyone, but very expensive.

The Dom was even more breathtaking from the inside...just totally humongous..and the stained glass windows...and lots of candles...but all the tourists were kind of a bad point...it just felt like a place where the flash of a camera would disturb something (it was too dark and you couldn't take decent photos anyway)...
so yea
photos coming soon (maybe later today)
love kim