Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Get-Together With Cousins, Progress on Piece

Happy 1st of December to everyone from cold and rainy Munich! Things are really starting to be very holiday-like here. Christmas time means many things, one of which is getting together with family and friends. I had a wonderful weekend experience getting together with the female cousins. I had met them all before and I spent a little time with a couple last year on the ski slopes. And I know my sister inlaw fairly well. But the chance to get together with everyone? Wow! I was so honored to be invited! We met at one cousin's house in a beautiful little town in Tirol. We enjoyed the music program and festivities in Rattenberg. Rattenberg is a medieval town known for it's glass refining businesses.


Because of the many glass products, you can imagine how bright and beautiful everything is. The town was completely decorated for the Christmas program in almost a medieval way with candles in all the windows, big barrel fires, torches lighting the streets and the smell of hot wine and food everywhere.


I for one cannot take photos at night but this one turned out sort of okay. This was the grand finale of the program. The angel in the middle, sitting on a big swing, sang in a clear and strong voice.


It was magical. After the singing, the church bells rang. They must have rung for a good 15 minutes. I personally could listen to the bells ringing for hours - I love the sound. After the program we had an incredible meal in an amazing restaurant which was the old train station restaurant. The food was absolutely perfect! After a nightcap in a local bar, it was off to bed. The next morning our day started out right with a great big breakfast at the farmhouse where we stayed.


We couldn't have asked for better weather. We visited the "der lustige Friedhof" or, as it is called in English the "merry cemetery" where funny tombstone verses from all over the area have been collected and are displayed. I'm sorry, I couldn't find a translated link but if you go to this link and click on the photos you can see at least what it looked like. After that, we went to Kufstein to a huge Garden store. It was amazing! The place is huge, I think at least 5 big halls and anything and everything you can imagine for Christmas was there. Everything imaginable to make your own wreaths or decorations to ones already made. Poinsettias in every size, shape and form and every other plant associated with Christmas and winter. In one hall, ornaments and decorations were grouped together by color. In another, by what it was. They also had a wonderful orchid display, bonsai trees and herbs. There were, however, no Christmas trees. It's still too early for that. A real tree is put up on Christmas Eve here and they are all down by the 6Th of January.



We all headed back to our own homes from the Garden store (after having some trouble just getting out of the parking lot there!) with good memories and a happy mindset to start December. To all the cousins.....thank you so much for inviting me! I had a wonderful time! I did learn though that being around so many people with so many conversations and topics that I need to get my German....faster!!! ha ha ha

I know this is a long post but I did want to share the great weekend. I'm almost done....I want to share a couple more squares on my Blackwork and Stones project.





If you click to enlarge the photos, you can see the details better. I can't tell you how much I enjoy working on this piece! Not only because I am designing it but because, well, it's colorful and happy and has so many neat things going on! More progress pictures soon!



And lastly, the house is decorated! It's great! The tree is beautiful...I used the big balls this year since last year I used only the smaller decorations. It looks fantastic but no pictures to post until I get one that is good. So far, they are too dark or too light or just not right. I don't think I often capture the true royal purple of the decorations. But some day.......

4 comments:

ilovebabyquilts said...

Wow! Great post!

Tell me, what is your pumpkin pie secret you alluded to?

Susan Lenz said...

Hi!
I want to go to that cemetery! Your designs are coming along beautifully!
Susan

verobirdie said...

Thank you for this virtual travel!
Last year same time I was in Munich and love every bit of it.
Re Creche, you have die Krippe in Germany. And I have been looking for Advent candles here, but with no luck. Shhhhh.

em's scrapbag said...

Beautiful progress. I'm with you bells chiming is a wonderful sound.