Glühwein und Lebkuchen

Glühwein (hot wine) to drink and Lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies) to eat. If you can't go to them, bring them to you!

Which is to say I/we did not go to the Christmas markets yesterday, nor will I/we go today. Hmm, you say. Well, it was rainy off-and-on all day yesterday and we had already decided to stay home for the evening to rest. After all, even though I am here to play, Donica is here on business to work and she's still tired from the trip over, let alone last week's work in Atlanta! Tonight we have a dinner engagement here in our neigborhood with one of her Atlanta co-workers who will join us afterwards here at the apartment. So, no go!

In the meantime (before I definitely head out again tomorrow and maybe Thursday, my last two days), let's play with tradition here at home! Bring it on!

Glühwein: hot, mulled "glow" wine, usually prepared from (not too expensive--the above bottle was €1,79 = $2.10) red wine, which is heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves and sugar. "In the old times wine often went bad, but by adding spices and honey it could be made drinkable again. Nowadays it is a traditional drink during winter, and especially around Christmas, to warm you up."

Landlady Uschi showed me the above bottle and told me I could buy it at our grocery store a block away. In a New York minute, I had it, along with the Lebkuchen. She told me you can drink it half-n-half with hot tea (which I did this morning :) or with rum, which we saw available at many market stands the other evening (maybe I'll partake tomorrow!).

I love wine-bottle labels and particularly this one because it comes from Nürnberg/Nuremberg, where we visited several Thanksgivings ago just as they were setting up their Christmas market. I'll either keep the bottle or soak off and keep the label. A nice momento.

Donica isn't into hot (sweet) wine, which, as we know, only means more for us! So come on over for a bit of an afternoon (morning and/or evening!) treat: Glühwein und Lebkuchen! (And NO, I'm not a wino!)