Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas Markets) are pretty common throughout Germany, but it seems to me that they're even more popular in southernly areas (that is to say, Catholic regions).
Trier's Weihnachtsmarkt is particularly famous and large for a city of Trier's size and location, and it draws in so many tourists that - to borrow a metaphor once used by a friend to describe Paris - they are like pigeons: they coo unintelligently, bump into everyone, and poop everywhere.
Well, maybe not poop everywhere.
It's pretty annoying during the day since I have to walk through the Markt on my way to school, and there're so many tourists bumbling around. At night the place is usually even more crowded, with everyone huddling up together under the awnings or umbrellas if it's raining, and there's a general haze rising up from the crowd (a combination of breath, cigarette smoke, and Glühwein fumes).
Glühwein is a pretty standard part of the Weihnachtsmarkt, over all in Germany. Usually it's a mulled red wine with a mixture of herbs and fruit thrown in, though you can also find white wine varieties with a nice hint of clove, etc. You also get the wine in a little mug with an imprint of Trier's skyline, that says "Trierer Weihnachtsmarkt". If you want you can keep the mug, but you pay €2 Pfand (deposit) for it.
Meanwhile, the Dom rises up, noble and majestic as always, above the turbid masses below. I really wish I could adequatly describe the might of the Dom as it looms there, but I'm afraid I - and my photos - fail to do that justice.
The Dom is also stuffed with tourists at this point, including screeching children running around and using the pews as a Kinderspielplatz. Not appropriate.
One of the most important Weihnachtsmarkt traditions:
Bratwurst made by surly Polish immigrants
(And yes, I need a haircut, but I'm
waiting until I go to England again -
I don't trust German haircutters)
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