For years, people have been telling you that everything Christmassy comes from the North Pole. Santa, the elves, the trees, the lights… you thought they were all scurrying around the Arctic Circle, right? Well I’d like to enlighten you today. After a bit of investigation I’ve come to a groundbreaking conclusion. Seriously, this one’s a game-changer. Christmas actually comes from EASTERN EUROPE.
Thanks to a few Spanish holidays, we had a miniature break before finals, giving everyone the perfect opportunity to squeeze in our last few excursions. I booked separate trips to Prague and Freiburg, one on the recommendations of about every Duke student who has ever studied abroad, the other to visit a fantastic German friend that I met during DukeEngage last summer! And at each destination, I found Christmas. Prague and Freiburg are both known in Europe for their Christmas markets, and they did not disappoint. Christmas lights, mulled wine, sweet treats, beautiful ornaments, carolers and Santas… I was frolicking in a chilly winter wonderland and never wanted to leave.
Prague was just as beautiful as everyone told me it would be. If you’ve seen Shrek and know how magical the town of Duloc is, you can begin to imagine what Prague looks like. The castles, palaces, and cathedrals don’t look real, but rather straight out of a fairytale. I was completely dazzled by the city, and by its food too! We crossed the Charles Bridge, took the funicular up Pernil Hill, visited the Lennon wall, sampled Czech beer, and more. My time there was short, but I think we did a great job of hitting the beautiful city’s best landmarks. And we spent hours at the Christmas markets that were scattered around the town. Hours.
My next stop was Southern Germany, so I flew into the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport. You get to decide whether you want to exit to Switzerland, France, or Germany. How cool?! I chose Germany, and was greeted by my dear friend Corinna with homemade Christmas cookies and a huge hug. As if I hadn’t experienced enough Christmas in Prague, Corinna showed me the best Germany had to offer. We went to Euroland for beautiful Christmas lights, the Black Forest for a bit of snow (and by a bit I mean A LOT), and to Freiburg for its cheery Christmas market. It was so nice to stay at Corinna’s home with her family (there was a real live mom there!) and she couldn’t have been a better host. We hopped over to her grandmother’s home for a traditional “Mittagessen” (German lunch), ate fresh baked pretzels, and went to a brewery for real beer.
It was the perfect mix of German exploration and home-cooked meals to get me through the last bit of time abroad! Now I’m back in Barcelona, and its time to hit the books because those finals I’ve been neglecting are around the corner!
Besos from Barca,
Ashley