My crew of 9 flight attendants left Oak Harbor Washington on November 26, 2012, carrying navy men to Leipzig Germany. We stopped in Portsmouth New Hampshire for refueling and for the appreciation reception the Pease Airport Greeters always give the soldiers going to or coming from areas of conflict. No matter what time of day or night the greeters are there with big smiles, welcoming hugs, hot coffee and chocolate, popcorn, desserts, ice cream, and gifts. This time they had bags stuffed full with knitted caps, which came in handy for me since I forgot to bring my own. Although it was cold in Washington, it was going to be colder where we were going. After 7 hours we landed in Leipzig, quite a large city in East Germany about 100 miles south of Berlin. The soldiers deplaned to rest for 3 hours before continuing to Afghanistan. Our crew took a shuttle to overnight in Halle some 20 minutes away, a city known for harvesting salt (it's name means salt) since the Bronze ages. It is also known for chocolate and is home to Germany's oldest chocolate factory. It's been an 18 hour work day for us.
The hotel Maritim is an old and elegant hotel with all the amenities; spa and gym, retail shop, salon, restaurant, bar, smoking room, night club, chocolate store, even a simulated golf room. My room looks comfortably German. There's a bath with a single sink and small shower. The sitting area consists of a marble table between 2 small chairs. 2 night stands and a single mattress bed dressed in crisp white linen topped with a soft white duvet is the bedroom, along with a matching chair and desk with a well-stocked fridge underneath. The Germans are very efficient, not overly indulgent, except for when it comes to food and drink.
After 14 hours of sleep I arose, very hungry, to a dreary and biting cold day. Another flight attendant and I struck out to find something to eat. The hotel is centrally located in this town of 200,000 people. The train station is across the street, convenient for getting to Berlin, a hour and 15 minutes away. We're heading to the shopping district just around the corner, a no cars pedestrian street walking mix of affordably priced retail stores, fast food eateries, candy shops, and pastry cafes. Up ahead there seems to be a flurry of activity, so we walk toward it. It looks to be a city square. There's a large tree at the beginning of it. Oh look. It's a Christmas tree, a live one, with a choo choo train filled with smiling kids going round and round. The tree must be 25 feet tall. How beautiful. What? Do I hear bells ringing? Yes, I do. I smell roasted nuts also, and gingerbread. Oh my! To our tickled pink surprise we have walked into a German Christmas Market.
A still man spray painted gold and dressed in 17th century finery suddenly comes to life and greets us. We shake his hand and take a picture. I believe he is the famous Baroque period musician and opera writer George Friedrich Handel, born here in 1685, whose real bronze statue we find at the other end of the square. He faces the Market Church of our Dear Lady and the Red Tower majestically overlooking the square. Built in the 1500's, these ornate architectural landmarks stand side by side, anchoring the square and silhouetting the city's skyline. In the center of the square is a magnificent 3 tier nativity German windmill that reaches toward the clouds. The attention to detail is astounding. The whole scene looks like a medieval wonderland. We are in awe of the life sized fairy tale characters staged in scenes, 10 of them in all. There is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Little Red Robin hood, Rumpelstiltzchen. Ah, the reason for the season, there's baby Jesus and the manger scene, all intricately carved in wood. We marvel at how real they look while drinking Gluhwein (mulled wine), a spiced wine that is a Christmas tradition, like eggnog in America. The wine is served warm and sometimes spiked with rum or brandy. It's really good, smells divine, and goes well with our bratwurst sausage. I didn't have the heart to try the reindeer sausage, especially after seeing the pair of reindeer on display in the middle of the square brought over from the Halle Zoo.
The arts and crafts are mostly all hand crafted. Stalls brim with specialty candles and holders, hand blown glass ornaments with glowing angels and lit Christmas trees inside of them, and wood carved figurines and incense smokers. I love the wooden santas and reindeer blowing frankincense through their nostrils. There are goods and food from Russia and Sweden and Finland. Oh my, the hand made toys make treasured gifts. We enjoy our time until dusk. It's getting colder and the crowd starts to thicken. By nightfall the square is packed tight with locals and visitors, a multi-cultural revelry of delight.
The next morning I leave the hotel in search of an affordable all American breakfast. I've had enough of worldly culinary treats. I want simple bacon and eggs. I try a place called Cafe Softi. It's packed with locals, so it must be good, except I can't understand anything on the menu. Luckily, the owner Stephan, comes over and assists me.He has visited the states a lot and speaks understandable English. He suggests what turns out to be a very delicious ham and egg omelette. It was great fun talking to him. His cafe specializes in fruit and ice cream sweets, made at the cafe. He serves a sample of a sweet treat propped on side my coffee cup. Um!! It's the best. I'm feeling lucky now, after a great meal and friendly conversation. More than lucky, truly blessed. I never would have found myself in Halle Germany, sitting in a cafe, chatting with a communist over coffee, if it weren't for divine favor. I really enjoyed my stay in Halle, a gem of a city, and cant wait to return. Everyone should see more of the world, up close and personal. Seeing the world is the key to understanding it.