Germany like home!
Trip Start
Nov 22, 2007
1
9
16
Trip End
Dec 2007
Freiburg im Breisgau,
Germany
Friday, December 7, 2007
I left Bruges yesterday for an all day train excursion to Southern Germany. I am at Dagmar adn Stephan's apartment now and have taken teh most lovely shower I have had since I left home--- wonderful- no shower curtain trying to touch me, nice hot water... again, small pleasures.
We had a lovely dinner of tapas last night at the cutest place. It was so deliciious- olives, cheese, fresh baked bread, salad with turkey, potatoes with a garlic sauce, mushrooms with a lemony flavor- was wonderful.
This is a German keyboard, so things are a little different. Like Ö äü and of course there are red lines under all of my words indicating that I am spelling things incorrectly
Sunny and Me
. That means it is difficult for me to see my real spelling mistakes. I hope you can read this alright. Sorry.It is really nice out- well, the locals dontä like it but I think it is beautiful. Fog and light for shooting. I am going to head out in it now if you all donät mind and make an entry when it decides to pour. And, fyi- snow is predicted for Tuesday.... Ö
:)
I will write again in a little while. Much love tö you all!!!!
Happy Holidays!
Kath
Comments
Sinta Klaus
Black Christmas; zwarte piet
Independent, The (London), Nov 27, 1999 by Peter Stanford
Dutch children get two bites at the annual present orgy of Christmas. On 25 December, they open their parcels with the rest of Europe, but on 6 December they receive a special advance consignment thanks to Sinta Klaus - or Saint Nicholas. The build-up begins a fortnight earlier, when the impersonators of this fourth-century bishop arrive with great civic ceremony in Dutch harbours by boat, laden with goodies. By tradition a tall, white-bearded figure in red robes, Sinta Klaus is accompanied by his helpers, known as Zwarte Piets (Black Petes). Played by women and children, the Zwarte Piets have gold earrings, white ruffs and colourful velvet tunics and breeches, but it is not their fashion sense that today causes sidelong glances. Their white faces are blacked up.
The origins of the decidedly politically incorrect Zwarte Piet are disputed. Some say his face is black because he used to climb down chimneys to deliver presents. Others have traced a link back to the black Moorish slaves who served the Spanish when they were colonial masters of the Netherlands.
Zwarte Piet's manner has certainly moderated in recent years - he no longer growls, and is more clown than curmudgeon. Some towns have even tried making him red, green or white. But the Dutch, in every other respect standard bearers of liberal values, prefer to stick - albeit somewhat uneasily - with Zwarte Piet the way he has always been, rather as the British persist, shamefacedly, in buying jam with a gollywog on the jar.
Sinterklaas
Funny story nancy ;-)
The story is correct, but we had our gifts on the 5th..
Infact Sinterklaas is 'imported' to the states in the 17th century by Dutch Settlers.
bc/ Sinterklaas was a catholic Bishop (and this was not very done in those days)he turned into Santa Claus...also that december 5th and Christmas are very near....he fitted perfectly into Christmas.
Sinterklaas
Funny story nancy ;-)
The story is correct, but we had our gifts on the 5th..
Infact Sinterklaas is 'imported' to the states in the 17th century by Dutch Settlers.
bc/ Sinterklaas was a catholic Bishop (and this was not very done in those days)he turned into Santa Claus...also that december 5th and Christmas are very near....he fitted perfectly into Christmas.