CALL me sentimental, but nothing beats singing Silent Night among friends on a crisp winter's night with a mug of steaming mulled wine in hand to get into the Christmas spirit.
When you are joined by a swaying 40-strong choir in the shadow of the colossal Cologne Cathedral, lit up with tens of thousands of fairy lights, you have the makings of an unforgettable evening.
I'm getting my first taste of an authentic German market, an early present for my Christmas-loving wife, Carole, during a four-night Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets jaunt with Riviera Cruises.
Festive markets abound along this famous river, but the Weihnachtsmarkt am Kolner Dom (Christmas market at the cathedral) is the daddy of them all.
Excited children with colourful bobble hats weave through the crowds, sizzling bratwurst (sausage) and reibekuchen (a type of potato pancake) compete with gluhwein (mulled wine) to lure parents from the neighbouring shops, while glittery decorations and beautiful, handmade gifts adorn colourful stalls. It's a heady mix of gold, scents and mirth.
How fitting, then, that the shrine of the Three Kings from the Nativity story can be found on the high altar of the neighbouring cathedral.
As a resident of Salisbury and now York, I have a soft spot for cathedrals and Christmas markets, but I admit to feeling choked when first clasping eyes on the golden sarcophagus that is believed to contain bones of the biblical Magi (the Three Kings).
The sheer scale of the place, with its 515ft spires and cavernous ceiling, is quite humbling, and it's easy to see why it is Germany's most popular landmark with 20,000 daily visitors. It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1996.
Esta historia es de la edición October 30, 2023 de The Herald.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 30, 2023 de The Herald.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Whittaker hits his century of Argyle outings
MORGAN Whittaker is set to make his 100th appearance for Plymouth Argyle in the away Championship game against Stoke City today (12.30pm).
A WELCOME RETURN
CISSOKO BACK AFTER THREE MONTHS OUT
Argyle without Gibson as he heads to Preston
PLYMOUTH Argyle will be without defender Lewis Gibson for today's Championship clash at Stoke City after he yesterday joined Preston North End for what the club called a \"significant undisclosed fee.\"
New year, new job buzz for Hamilton
SWITCH TO FERRARI GIVES LEWIS FRESH IMPETUS AFTER A YEAR OF STRUGGLE
Musk 'could help us fight online abuse'
ELON Musk’s attacks on the UK Government’s handling of child grooming gangs are “misjudged and certainly misinformed”, Wes Streeting said.
Zelensky talks Trump
TRUMP is \"strong and unpredictable\" and those qualities can be a decisive factor in his policy approach to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Warnings in place as cold weather hits
LARGE parts of the country will face disruption from heavy snow and freezing rain over the weekend after forecasters issued two amber weather warnings.
Care crisis pledges
PEOPLE should be \"protected from the catastrophic costs of upfront care\" that see them forced to sell their homes, Wes Streeting has suggested.
Biker slams 'shoddy' new parking spaces
SAYS NEW SITE IN PRINCESS STREET IS MUCH SMALLER
Burglar's 24-hour rampage'
A MAN is set to face a judge for sentencing later this month after he admitted burgling a series of commercial businesses, including two of the city's most well-known latenight eateries.
