From Europe to Africa in America - A Sisters' Expedition

[Flossbolna]

Hi everyone, thank you very much for the well wishes! It cheered me up a lot. I am back at work today, but have lots to catch up! Besides that all kind of Christmas related preperations need to be done and then I am volunteering again next weekend... I still hope to get some updates done for you soon, the next few are already written, some still need to be reviewed by my editor (aka nodnol). And I have some Christmas Market pics for you as well, which I took the weekend before last.

 

[brookelizabeth]

So glad you are feeling better and back at work! I remember after being away from work for even a short while, coming back to stacks of paper and hundreds of emails.

Looking forward to the updates and the Christmas Market pictures whenever you are able!

 

[lovealldisney]

Hi everyone, thank you very much for the well wishes! It cheered me up a lot. I am back at work today, but have lots to catch up! Besides that all kind of Christmas related preperations need to be done and then I am volunteering again next weekend... I still hope to get some updates done for you soon, the next few are already written, some still need to be reviewed by my editor (aka nodnol). And I have some Christmas Market pics for you as well, which I took the weekend before last.

Hi Magdalene!

Feel better soon We'll be here, just take care of yourself.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Hi everyone, thank you very much for the well wishes! It cheered me up a lot. I am back at work today, but have lots to catch up! Besides that all kind of Christmas related preperations need to be done and then I am volunteering again next weekend... I still hope to get some updates done for you soon, the next few are already written, some still need to be reviewed by my editor (aka nodnol). And I have some Christmas Market pics for you as well, which I took the weekend before last.

So glad you're feeling better. My family and I always end up sick about 2 weeks before Christmas! Honestly, I could set my calendar by it! It's so strange. Christmas is a mere 12 days away and I don't feel prepared at all this year. Maybe it's all the time I spend on the disboards?

 

[All7OfUs]

Great to hear you are back to work and a bit better!! I totally am looking forward to the Christmas market pictures!! I have some of the Lebkuchen too, but need to get them uploaded.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Magdalene, I am sorry you've not been feeling well. Hope by the weekend you'll be much better.

The pictures of the Christmas Market sound wonderful - will look forward to seeing those when you are feeling better and time allows.

Take good care!

 

[tiggrbaby]

Take care of yourself! It's so easy to overdo this time of year.

 

[englishrose47]

Yes Magdalena Feel better soon !!!

 

[marvali]

Just checking in Magdalene! Hope you are still feeling better, especially with all the catching up you had to do! I know that can drain you physically as well so make sure you get some much needed rest at every opportunity!!!

Only 11 more days until we leave!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Just checking in Magdalene! Hope you are still feeling better, especially with all the catching up you had to do! I know that can drain you physically as well so make sure you get some much needed rest at every opportunity!!!

Only 11 more days until we leave!!!

Hi Marvin! I am feeling much better and am slowly trying to catch up on my subscriptions - but now I am going to be away for the weekend volunteering again.... I saw your updates on your PTR! It really sounds like you are more excited about WDW than Christmas!

But we have news on our DLP trip in March which Katharina might share with our readers soon!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Glad you're feeling better! No one should be sick over Christmas.

 

[kid-at-heart]

I like to be in the parks on rainy days because, as you said, the crowds are low. Love the expression on Katharina's face as she is eating the chips. Yummmm.

Kate

 

[Flossbolna]

I am trying to do some replies from my mobile because I am waiting for a meeting in a coffee shop with free wifi. I thought that this might Be a good opportunity to catch up here in the DIS! But therefore nö multiquoting or other Fun stuff.


Rosie, it is funny that you mention hard candy! my ex-BF was quite a fan of English old fasioned candy shops as well, he would have loved to pay in shillings for his candy as well.

Thanks for your description of christmas tea, but what is potted meat? Did I mention that people here eat bratwurst or hot dog sausages with potato salad before church?

Congrats on the first DVC booking Magdalena !!! I havr noticed in England that many things they sell are not as I remember !! AND they don't have PEARDROPSwhich are my favorite hard candy!!!! I have to check if they have the Flower Fairy Books as I loved these as a child !!!

I continue to be fascinated by all the Different Holiday Traditions !! So I will add more English ones !!
Christmas TEA I think I have mentioned it before on one of the threads !!
It was served around 6 pm and consisted of finger foods such as little sandwiches of various sorts, potted meat, cheese and cucumber etc . sausage rolls , and mincepies and Christmas cake which was fruitcake with marzipan and Royal icing and then decorated with Christmas figures and a Festive Paper wrap around the side !! Afterwards we would roast chesnuts and play monopoly!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

I am Presbyterian, and we have the three purple and one pink during advent, also. To confuse you some more, I am actually a descendant of Martin Luther, and yet I am not lutheran (never have really understood that one!).

That's interesting about presbyterians having the different candles as well. I really don't know much about other denominations besides Lutheran and Catholics, we don't have much of a variety here. I always find it fascinating how many different churches there are in the US.

And I guess religion just isn't heriditary. interesting that you are related to Martin Luther! Katharina and I have some famous relatives as well, like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet, and in some very far way, Prince Charles.

 

[Flossbolna]

Wow ellen i am NOT a descendant of Martin Luther but i am Lutheran !!!

Isn't that unusual in England? I thought most people were Anglican or as most English people seem to put it: C of E

 

[Flossbolna]

That's very interesting what you write about your church's decoration! I very much get the idea about wanting to keep Christmas about the real meaning of the holiday. However, here Christmas trees are very much seen as belonging into a church I would say. I think Germany used to be much less about decorating for Christmas than what it appears to be like in the US. I think in general we don't put as much effort into decorations. This is changingvin recent years since it has become a great money maker for many companies. For example, Halloween was not at all known in Germany, but about ten years ago the decorating industry started to really promote it and lobby it, causing the media to report about Halloween. Now it is very popular here, but so unconnected to any roots. I find that very sad.

But back to Christmas - our church tree is also always very simple: christmas balls (in our old church it used to be the lutheran colours white and purple which I think are also the liturgical colours), straw stars and candles.

I had read your post about the Stollen. Dresden is a city in East Germany and they are known for the best stollen- like Nuremberg is known for gingerbread.

Advent and the wreath/candles wasn't something we included as part of our Christmas celebration growing up. The past few years, though, it has become a part of our Christmas celebration at our church, which is Baptist. We have a different family each Sunday light the next candle and tell the significance of that particular candle prior to the main portion of the service. We always decorated the church with garland, wreaths and candles, but never a standard Christmas tree due to its ties to the "world" and commercialism. Now, however, we also have a tree in the church that is called a Chrismon (sp?) tree, where all the decorations are things like crosses, Star of David and other Christian symbols.
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, so learning about the different traditions is always really fun!
Yea, but any cheese that is described as camel poo will always cause me a less than small amount of hesitation.....
I guess I'm going to have to get my DS18 to bring me into the 21st century and teach me to use skype. He had to have a webcam not long after he headed off to college so he can talk face to face with some of his friends.

Back later to comment on your latest update! Since everyone is gone for the next couple days, and I have the house all to myself, I need to get on cleaning the carpet and putting up the Christmas tree! Always easier when I don't have anyone to work around or walk all over my hard work before it dries. BTW, check my update from yesterday on Jen's "Don't touch that" thread. I had some more info for you on the Stollen cake we were discussing.

 

[Flossbolna]

I really loved this chapter! I so enjoyed seeing all the empty park shots- you 2 must have been really enjoying having the whole place practically to yourselves! What a treat!

I think Mary might have gotten one of those buttermethfingeramphetamine cakes too, but I'll have to go back and check. That picture was pretty dang funny, Katharina!! (whom I haven't see post in a long, long time!)

That was quite the rain you were getting. I'm very impressed you were some of the very first ones on TSM even with that sort of downpour!! Great job in your mad dash to fun!

Your picture with sully and mikey is so cute!! I love how you got paired off!

After the two previous days this was actually so much a better day. We just were really happy and having fun. and already during the day I was really looking forward to writing about it in the TR. I think we had really arrived by then, felt at home and just enjoyed each others company.

The cup cake is really quite a thing! I think K looks so happy because we were in such desperate need of something salty after it.

 

[Flossbolna]

Excellent work getting to TSM at rope drop. Your DIS experience obviously served you well.

Amazing to see the pictures of a nearly empty park. I think if you gave me the choice of being dry and dealing with crowds or soaked and an empty park, I'd go with soaked!

The trick really is to arrive early - your position at the turnstiles is quite deciding!

I agree about soaked and empty! The good thing was that it was not cold that day. I think that's why we were still pretty happy that day.

 

[Flossbolna]

Hello Magdalene! I'm so far behind...but I wanted to drop you a big congratulations on your DVC!! How exciting!! I love your plan of catching MNSSHP *and* MVMCP! We were there 10/26-10/31 this year and had a blast. We had record breaking heat days (heat index was 105) so that made it more difficult but we still had a great time.

I'm thinking about you being so close to the Christkindlesmarkt and how I'd love to pop over!

Heather

hi Heather! Great to see you posting again! I have missed you and wondered what had happened.

great to hear that you had a wonderful trip, but the heat really sounds a bit much! It will be interesting to see how it will be next year. Obe thing I am looking forward to is warm evenings.

 

[Flossbolna]

I decided that I would want to splurge for my birthday abd first trip home and really wanted to get the boardwalk view. but I am really looking forward to being able to book standard view in the future. It sounds like a grwat option!

Glad you liked the Munich update! It is a very beautiful city, unfortunately it is so popular that cost of living is very expensive there.

Very smart of you not to finish the cupcake!!!

CONGRATULATIONS on being a DVC owner!!! Are you waitlisted for a standard view? We couldn't get standard in September this past year, the waitlist never came through. But, we were quite happy with the "garden view" which turned out to be partial Boardwalk! I haven't recently looked to see if our Standard waitlist for Feb/March has come through....

I loved your Munich update! All the beautiful buildings and the history bits had me dreaming. Plus your coffee looked delish!

Great WDW updates too - sorry to hear about all the rain, but sounds like you two didn't mind at all. That Butterfinger cupcake is tasty, but I agree with you-it's a lot! Joe, Henry and I shared one back in December and still ended up throwing part of it away. Katharina, the picture of you with the chips and your comment below it made me laugh out loud! Have you seen the "Worst Family Self Portrait EVER" picture I put on my recent update? Henry has the same look as you!