Sunday, 9 December 2012

Potsdam

Saturday saw us on a train for Potsdam which is a city in its own right on the south west edge of Berlin. I had read about its Christmas Markets and they sounded a bit special. Potsdam is a bit special too and somewhere I would like to visit in the summer time.

So, what was special about the Christmas Markets. Well this weekend it was the turn of the Dutch Christmas Market and Sinterklaas was due to arrive on his white horse, Americo, with his two stooges, the Black Petes. Here he is dismounting.



We were rather disappointed by the appearance of Sinterklaas (and Americo was not pure white) who was obviously a young slim man, especially when he was introduced later, on the stage, by a real looking Father Christmas. Maybe Sinterklaas is not meant to look anything like the traditional Father Christmas - but this guy filled the boots if you excuse the pun.



and the beard was real. (By the way, no idea who the sinister grey hooded person is on the right).

Anyway the Dutch community certainly went out of their way to entertain us as we watched two sessions of traditional dancing.



The women wore lovely lace bonnets with immaculate pleating at the back and they carried lovely little lidded baskets to do their shopping in.




We were also treated to some music from a blackened band but for fear of not being PC, and upsetting someone, I chose not to include them in my blog.

Here are some of the traditional crafts being demonstrated whilst the trades people sold their wares:









Well, I had to show you this vintage sewing machine didn't I?

The street where we were had lots of eateries and one was advertised a
little differently



Can you see who is driving? Obviously this little tot had as she did not want to come away.

This "hurdy gurdy" completes my pictures of the Dutch Market but where did we go then?


Another Market I had read about was the "Romantischer Weihnachtsmarkt auf dem Krongut bei Sanssouci" which roughly translated meant a romantic market In the beautiful Sanssouci Park.

A bus and a short walk led us to a market where you had to pay for admission. Now I know there is another one coming up that we have to pay to enter, but I don't mind as it looks a great place (we saw it on the bus trip) but I objected to paying €2 each for what mounted to about around twenty stalls and a couple of 'posh' shops. Plus we were in the middle of nowhere and I had to walk back for a bus with my whole body aching.

The only highlight was, whilst listening to this girl singing, watching the little one in red with a blue hat, getting totally absorbed in the music and treating us all to a wonderful display of dancing.



and the adorable Sheltie here


Plus, as we left the park we saw this gorgeous, lit up, windmill.



7 comments:

scrappymo! said...

I think that last market was worth it just for the last 3 photos!
This seems like such a wonderful getaway!

Helen said...

Brrrr, it certainly looks cold in your photos, Neet! I had no idea there were so many Christmas markets around but I am really enjoying your photos.

Paul B said...

I hadn't realsied you were going to do a tour of different markets. What a wonderful time you are having. So many different and new things to see at each. Hope you're not being too merry during the day haha. Great photos and love the shot of the windmill in snow. Pxx

JoZart Designs said...

Thanks Neet, for posting all these great pics. I'm really enjoying sharing the experience with you. Just like the markets I visited they are all so different and unusual to those classed as "German" Markets in England. Why, oh why don't we have English Christmas markets so those across the channel would come flooding here? No German person would want to see second rate German Markets when they have all those wondrous ones at home.
Can you just stay a bit longer so you get in even more for us!
Lv Jo x

Julia Dunnit said...

Cold! Orht it for the memories for sure, Berlin ans become a wealth of commercialised markets huh. Still, no getting away from the drive/seasonal feeling they leave you with.

Words and Pictures said...

Love to see the traditional craftsmen at their work... and that's quite a windmill! Lovely to share in your wonderful trip, thank you.
Alison x

chrissie said...

Such a difference between the German and the Dutch markets Neet-I did visit both kinds as well. Such a difference between the countries and the people.

I am so loving these pictures and the tour.

Thank you for sharing it.

Love Chrissie xx