christmas markets in germany

on sunday we went to the christmas markets in montjoie and aachen. compared to all our other group excursions, we had almost all free time and only one tour where we had to learn things, so it was very relaxing. my mom and dad and ellie came on the bus with us, and they got a lot of shopping done and collected the cool mugs that the spiced wine is served in.
first we went to montjoie, which was a tiny town with a river running through it that seemed basically just like a christmas town. we had to take a bus there because there was no parking. we got some of the local specialty, printen, to take home-it's sort of a spicy gingerbread. we also had a sausage, obviously-back in germany, need to have german food. it started snowing really hard as we drove to the next christmas market. perfect weather for the day!
next, we went to aachen, a much bigger town with a much bigger christmas market, and a starbucks! i went with my parents and ellie first and we walked around, then we split up so we could shop for secret presents. i hung out with my friends for a while, because it was our last trip together! then we met up with everyone for a tour of the cathedral in aachen. our tour guide wasn't all that great, but it was pretty cool to see the relics in the treasury, and charlemagne's remains and throne. most of the cathedral was new because it was bombed in WWII, and there is also a legend that the doors were shut by the devil himself, and there is a crack in the doors that is supposedly from the devil. (only one tour the whole day, that's why i remember so much!) then we all went and had spiced wine and hot chocolate, and CIEE paid for us to keep the christmas market mugs as a souvenir, and we drove back to brussels. it was really fun, and i am sad that it was our last group excursion, but happy that my parents and ellie got to come! i think they had a really fun trip, and our day trips to antwerp, bruges, and the christmas markets were the most fun, i think.