Berlin, Berlin, Berlin!!

Berlin you stole my heart!! When we arrived there was so much snow falling from the sky it felt like we just stepped into a snow globe.  Seriously beautiful white fluffy blankets of snow everywhere.
We checked in to our awesome hotel and headed straight for nearest Christmas market across the street.

This market blew away the ones we saw in Vienna, sadly it was the only market still open after Christmas so who knows how amazing all the other ones were.

Every booth felt more like a real store then just a wooden hut. Some you could actually walk into.

Check out the snow!

This market was also in front of city hall.

We found a little bar inside one of the huts with champagne for $4!!
They had sparkly chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, I was in heaven sipping away while watching the snow fall.  Speaking of heaven there were two ladies dressed as angels with big wings walking around on stilts.  They sprinkled glitter on little Harlow's head and gave us all German fortunes for the new year.  Mine was the word "Life" which was fitting since I've been having a bit of trouble in that department, maybe this year we'll finally have another healthy baby?

It was the perfect way to start off the second half of our vacation and pretend like we didn't experience one of Harlow's massive tantrums on the bus ride in earlier ;)  seriously this one topped them all!

You can't really see how much its snowing in the pictures so take a look at this clip, but you might get a little dizzy, sorry.

Wierner Christkindlemarkt

The Vienna christmas markets were the first thing we did when we arrived.  I had seen so many pictures online I couldn't wait to get to them.

First thing you see when you walk up

The town hall in the background is the type of gothic architecture you see all over Austria.  So beautiful and detailed you could gaze at for hours, and then they go and light it up, it's jaw dropping!

It's so hard to find a photo that captures it in person.

The little wooden booths were all decorated and sold food, toys and christmas decorations.  Most of the items we saw weren't really things we'd buy or they just wouldn't travel well.

The ornaments were mostly handmade, glass and extremely delicate.  I shouldn't have been allowed to stand next to them, ever.

We bought Harlow her wooden mice from this guy, I loved his booth.

This one lady made all types of puppets, Harlow thought she was hilarious...

until she saw this puppet on a mechanical rod that made it keep flipping upside down.

she was HORRIFIED!!!

It's all fun and games till they bring out the creepy puppets, she just kept saying "No, no, no" and pointing at it.  Even I was creeped out a little.

Some of the booths were bars where we saw tons of people crowed around with coffee cups.  Immediately I imagined hot chocolate with Kahlua and whipped cream, so I made Jason stand in line to buy one.  He had to put a deposit down for the ceramic coffee mugs, the name of the market is on them and a christmas picture so we kept them.  Pretty smart way to kept all the waste down I might add.  

   Anyway since he couldn't understand the German signs he just ordered two different types, and I  have to say I do not get it!  He came back with what seemed to be hot punch with alcohol.  Later we learned they even sell hot red bull and alcohol.  I mean I get it's freezing outside so hot beverages are nice, but the punch thing wasn't for us.  The whole night we kept saying mmmm did you finish your Theraflu yet?  That's pretty much what it tasted like.  Hot apple flavored Theraflu.

I really did love the markets though, the smell of all the baked good was intoxicating so many people roasting chestnuts too.  How do you not walk by chestnuts and not sing 

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire?"  

I did.

Every single time.

xoxo