Shocking! No new posts for weeks and not so much as a “by your leave?”, not even a perfunctory Merry Christmas or Happy New Year message. Certainly no mention of my suitcase eventually returning in time for me to schlepp it back to Stuttgart via London and Paris (and Metz, every piddling, little train station between Metz and Forbach, then Saarbrücken and Mannheim - even though I did get a free warm beverage of my choice for the inconvenience).
Regular commentor JCS even sent me a link to a Financial Times Deutschland story about how German Christmas markets are popular in the UK. Now, I’m not sure about popular, but they do exist. Much travelling and extensive research can allow me to reveal that a 0,2l Glühwein at St. Enoch Square in Glasgow was £3.50, whereas in Manchester it was £4.50. I’m not sure how it tasted, because there was no way I was paying more than the standard €2,00 a mug (see the results of a higher education in Scotland and Swabia?)
If I’m lightning quick, I might have the honour of getting the first comment in 2006 in. Well, welcome back. Your cruel silence is totally forgiven. But get blogging again with a vengeance, for God’s sake…
BiB:Actually, you’re 358th, but you are the first who isn’t offering “penis enlargement products”, “/iagr@ at $1.59 per dose” or “online poker” - well, not initially.
So yes, okay, you were the first to get past the spam filter - which this message won’t.
Welcome back…..thought you were on massive Xmas/New Year bender, and were too hungover to type!
I had a Gluehwein at St Enoch Square. And at least two Bratwurst. But then I’m used to Rip-Off Britain now, so I didn’t complain.
HOORAY! HE IS BACK!!
Talking about “Glühwein”. A friend and I (y do I always wanna write me instead of I??) happened to pose for the best ad for Glühwein in Amsterdam that was ever taken. REALLY! They should pay us!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/rhythmgal/LindseyIadvertisinghorredwineAmster.jpg
We all thought you were dead, as usual.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and welcome back to the ratrace.
welcome back, happy new year and merry christmas!
i think many of us decided to take a break… that’s why you didn’t get comments.
Haddock: It was more an extreme case of can’tbearseditis. As for drinking too much, well that’s for a different post, but let me just say that I haven’t been a member of the Liberal Democrat party since 2001.
Armin: I remember you saying you’d been - it wasn’t very big was it? And what was with the guy selling the traditional German samurai swords?
that_girl: HOORAY! Enthusiasm…
Christina: “thought you were dead, as usual“? I’ll have you know I haven’t had to go to hospital for over five months. I haven’t even had to visit a doctor since er, December 20th.
Gwen: Thanks! And seasonal felicitations to you too.
Samurai Swords? I must admit I can’t remember seeing those. But then I was trying to find some Schmalzkuchen, which they didn’t have.
It was indeed quite small, may be I should have tried the one here in Swindon (allegedly there was one in town centre, but I hardly ever go there)
Armin: There was a guy selling samurai swords (I think. Maybe he was using it to make Erzgebirge wooden tat) and a chinese lantern guy. The people who had mis-translated the signs on the stalls were obviously the most authentic and I will be referring to it as “mullet wine” from now on….
Chistmas is over. It’s time to start planning for St. Pat’s day. Yay! Big green hats and black pints.