It's beginning to look a lot like Weihnacht

I just wanted to start this post out with a picture of cake. There must be something in the water here, like bagels from New York, that makes the cake just really stinkin' delicious. Seriously, you cannot go wrong with a piece of cake here. Unless you're working hard to keep your figure in which case you can probably go wrong. Do you see that piece of Frankfurt Kuchen with the ball of buttercream frosting and cherry on top? The side and layers are also thick with buttercream frosting. Not good. Yet so, so good at the same time.

In other news not related to my culinary adventures (wait, everything in Germany eventually relates back to the culinary world, I think), Mainz is getting decorated for Christmas! First, the Marktplatz (market square) started being strung with lights. Then, the bahnhof (train station) started setting up Christmas tree decorations on the front, and I'm told there are lights on the back of the building. Then last night, I spotted the first real Christmas tree. In the Altstadt ("old" part of town), not far from the Marktplatz. There it was: tall, so tall. haphazardly strung from the top and half way down the tree with big, white bulbs. That's going to be my Christmas tree, and I shall post pictures of it here once it's lighted.

Marktplatz getting decorated with lights

You guys, all of these things is that it's almost Christmas time in Germany! This means Christmas markets, Glüwein (mulled wine), and cookies. In my imagination, this also means constant merriment, softly falling snow enough so that everyone leaves footprints but not enough to get in the way of all the merriment, carols, rosy cheeks, and a magical month that is like living in a live Advent Calendar. Is that so much to ask? I didn't think so either.

Plus, yesterday I passed someone on the sidewalk humming Jingle Bells. This time last year I was in DC and I knew Christmas was around the corner because I heard a bum humming the Nutcracker. Humming is a tell-tale sign that the holidays are approaching, apparently.