Before it is too far after Christmas, I should probably update you on the first of my 25 before 25 tasks that I ticked off over holidays; I went to the Berlin Christmas markets!
I went to some in Potsdam with some colleagues from work, where I saw the most fantastic salami selection I have ever seen in my life! They had some salami that had been rolled in chilli flakes, some that had been rolled in fried onions, and a few other coatings too! It was awesome - I taste tested the chilli one, that was probably a mistake, but my tongue has recovered now!
I also went to my local market; the Schloss Charlottenburg Christmas markets, where I bought some Christmas decorations for my sisters and my Mum. I drank some glüwhein and also some Christmas beer - which didn't taste particularly Christmassy to be honest - it just tasted like beer, but it was still good beer.
I also went to my local market; the Schloss Charlottenburg Christmas markets, where I bought some Christmas decorations for my sisters and my Mum. I drank some glüwhein and also some Christmas beer - which didn't taste particularly Christmassy to be honest - it just tasted like beer, but it was still good beer.
They had the most fantastic food stall where there was some kind of fish set up over the fire, it smelled delicious, and I was very tempted to try some if the line hadn't been quite so long!
I also went to Alexanderplatz and had a quick wander through the stalls, it’s hard to pick a favourite because they are all so similar, but I think a mixture of the Potsdam and Schloss Charlottenburg markets would have nailed it, mainly for the salami and the fish!
The Christmas bonus for me was going to the Potsdam markets with my workmates, the lack of socialising with colleagues threw me a bit when I first moved to Berlin from Dunedin - where we went out for a beer every Friday and my supervisor bought the first round. Here they mostly do their socialising in their lunch breaks, and my German isn't nearly good enough to understand them yet, especially when there are a few different conversations going on around the table! So it was nice to get to hang out with them outside of the Laboratory setting and they worked hard at speaking English to me, teaching me a few of the German Christmas traditions and asking me about Christmas in New Zealand.
I spent my Christmas in California where you couldn't really tell it was winter, so I am yet to have my first ‘White Christmas’ - something to look forward to for next year perhaps!
