To market, to market to buy some glühwein...

European cities are known for their Christmas markets.  Some are better than others.  This year we hit up Prague, Dresden, and of course Budapest.

Prague, Czech Republic...
Most beautiful square,
Most made-in-China crap to buy,
Best place to hang out with friends,
Best beer,
Most picturesque.

Dresden, Germany...
Most medieval,
Best craftsmanship knick-knacks to buy,
Best rebuilt city (demolished during World War 2 by the Americans, but rebuilt to look like it did before),
Best place to get new mulled wine (glühwein) mugs - even got one from 2011 this year... Hmmm,
My favorite market so far.

Budapest, Hungary...
Best market to buy pottery,
Best market for mulled wine,
Or any wine,
Best place to go out with girlfriends during Christmas,
The market that now feels like home.

CHRISTMAS!

Like everyone else around the world who celebrates Christmas...

We ate!

And drank.

And hoped for snow.

On our Christmas afternoon walk through the city, we saw some remnants of the few flakes that graced us on Christmas Eve Eve.
It was a gorgeous sunny winter day with friends, pumpkin pie, ham, presents, and several phone calls around the world.

Merry Christmas from Budapest!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The last three Christmases looked like this:

80 degrees, a nice sun tan, swimming pools, and flowers blooming never quite felt like Christmas for this Alaska girl.

This year Christmas looks like this:

Christmas markets, mulled wine, lights hung, wooly hats, my HUGE new warm parka... It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And feel like it too... Brrr! But my first European Christmas definitely puts me in the Christmas spirit! It's even inspired the making of 5 stockings and a tree skirt (thank you pinterest).

Remember... While you wrap your gifts and prepare goodies for your families, please keep praying that my friend Jess is freed from Somalia to be with her family for Christmas.