Advent 2

To Wangen

Last night it snowed. And snowed. And snowed. Everything definitely looked Christmas-y this morning. And the roads were slushy, and drivers were cautious. Rightly so. The main roads were plowed, but no side roads. And the snow kept falling all day, so plowed areas soon looked unplowed. THIS was the day some of us had planned to go on an excursion. The plan: a Christmas market across the border in Germany, then to the First Sunday in Advent at a Church on Sunday. Well, with a big pickup truck and a driver at the wheel who has been navigating Swiss mountains in all seasons for years, we arrived safely. 

This is a small German town. Not Swiss. The roads and sidewalks were unplowed. The traffic was not re-routed around the city center. And life went on its merry way. Waterproof shoes were much appreciated. But the views and atmosphere kept one’s attention on the season and events. 

For the next several posts, I will share some of that atmosphere. And Crèches. We went to a little shop on a side street, labeled thus:

“Gift and Nativities Room”

It is full of hand-carved Nativity figures from southern Tirol (German lands, subsequently bequeathed by map-redrawing to the Italians by The Victors in the Late Unpleasantness). I will show you the figures throughout Advent. Yes, we got some. Irresistible. 

But back to the town first. 

We started at an antiques store, with a bronze I had been eyeing ever since we found this town. Today, oh, great delight, my Better Half got me a gift. The revelation will have to wait. It’s presently swathed in bubble wrap, to try to arrive home safely. 

Then we wandered the snow-bedecked streets, and the market stalls. 

More to come…

Blessed Advent