A combination of greed and high prices has scuppered a trip to Poland for Christmas. Flights that cost £100 in the second week of January suddenly rise to almost £1000 for the week around Christmas.
It’s depressing that we can’t please everyone and be with them for Christmas and I feel terrible Agnieszka can’t be with her family at this time as the Polish Wigilia is much more about a meal with family than the consumerist-obsessed Merrye Olde English feast.
So to get a bit of Christmas spirit we went to Germany for a weekend of Christmas markets. The markets themselves were lovely, with Trier in particular being very pretty. 
It seems a nice town, on the banks of the Mosel, with a lovely pedestrianised centre; the markets plonked in the main square and in front of the squat, stone cathedral. On the way we went through a very snowy Ardennes but this disappeared by the time we reached Trier. The days were cold and crisp though, and perfect for wandering around clutching glühwein and eating either Bratwurst (Agnieszka and my dad) or Reibekuchen (me and my mum). 
Köln was packed, as it was the last time I was there. How anyone can enjoy the constant shove and crush of people, making it almost impossible to see or do anything, is beyond me. It took a bit of time to get used to the direct (read ‘shoving’) way the Germans push through the crowds, and the way young mums thought nothing of pushing a pram through, jabbing at the heels of the people in front if they didn’t go fast enough.
Köln was packed, as it was the last time I was there. How anyone can enjoy the constant shove and crush of people, making it almost impossible to see or do anything, is beyond me. It took a bit of time to get used to the direct (read ‘shoving’) way the Germans push through the crowds, and the way young mums thought nothing of pushing a pram through, jabbing at the heels of the people in front if they didn’t go fast enough. 
To make the best use of the time we had, we took the U-Bahn from the cathedral down to Rudolfplatz and from there walked back, taking in three other markets. Unfortunately, we just weren’t given enough time there. Although the drink of ‘Kölsch’ we had wasn’t rushed, neither was it relaxing – or followed by a second.
One thing Trier has that impressed me immensely was a restaurant dedicated to the humble potato. For me it was a dream come true. Almost every dish was potato-based, except for the schnitzels and steaks but even they came with… potatoes. The food was fantastic and choice excellent and the service was good, although we had eight different people come to the table. I was able to practice, plenty of times, my crappy Deutsch but everyone was very patient and listened to me and in most cases I got what I asked for. There was only one wobbly moment, when the woman in the cake shop asked if one teapot was big enough for two people. I still don’t know what words she used but she lost me completely. The tea was so weak it didn’t matter anyway.
One thing Trier has that impressed me immensely was a restaurant dedicated to the humble potato. For me it was a dream come true. Almost every dish was potato-based, except for the schnitzels and steaks but even they came with… potatoes. The food was fantastic and choice excellent and the service was good, although we had eight different people come to the table. I was able to practice, plenty of times, my crappy Deutsch but everyone was very patient and listened to me and in most cases I got what I asked for. There was only one wobbly moment, when the woman in the cake shop asked if one teapot was big enough for two people. I still don’t know what words she used but she lost me completely. The tea was so weak it didn’t matter anyway.
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