Thank God it's X-mas

As you might already have found out, it is nearly X-mas, and I don't know about you guys, but for me, it is always a special time. The whole atmosphere changes here in Holland after "that old fart with his white horse" is gone. Lights start to appear on the houses, shops have a little more different appearance, more friendly, welcoming. It just makes the early sunset a little more bearable.
And I know that X-mas has been heavily commercialised, and that the Dutch coziness ("gezelligheid") is forced upon us with even greater force than normal, but somehow I don't really mind.

Today, we went on a shopping-spree in Amsterdam. Well, not really a spree, since we didn't really buy much, and were more window-shopping. But just the whole atmosphere is just so friendly, with the lights, and the X-mas decorations in the shops.
Of course there were also the huge amount of tourists, coming to Amsterdam for the shopping, or smoking certain products Amsterdam is famous for, or both. Somehow it just adds up to it all.

Still, I am missing the X-mas markets like they have in Germany. We actually had planned to go to Dusseldorf or Koln, but since Alec has been ill this week, we decided to take it a little easier
this weekend.
I don't know if you ever been to a German X-mas market, if you don't, just hop in the car and go. It really is worth it. Oh, and don't forget to bring your appetite!

A few years ago, Amsterdam made an attempt to have a X-mas market to. I am not sure what they had in mind with it, but it just was hilarious, if you are used to the German ones. Only the Beurplein had a few stands (for those of you who know Amsterdam) and that's about it. On their defence, Amsterdam isn't really a city where you can have a market like that, with those narrow streets, and all.
Anyway, we probably won't go to a X-mas market this year, but we sure will go next year.
Meanwhile I am just going to enjoy the Dutch "gezelligheid"!