Lviv Christmas Market

Apologies for the seasonal post that is a few months late. We're still cranking out travel photos from  December. 

We first unexpectedly bumped into Christmas Markets in Vienna. Then were ecstatic to find that it wasn't time to say goodbye yet, because they were also in Budapest. Imagine our delight when we heard that Ukraine, our home country, also has their very own Christmas markets! 

Ukrainians celebrate Christmas (or Рiздво) on January 7th, so naturally their Christmas Market opens later in December. The wooden huts were being nailed together and lined with lights during our time in Lviv, and the market was scheduled to officially open on Sunday, the day we were set to leave-- major bummer! The gigantic Christmas tree went up in front of the opera house on our last day and we never got a chance to see it lit up. 

However, a lot of the shops opened early and were already selling baked pastries and bread, handmade gifts for the holidays (like candles, stuffed animals, and jars of honey), and most surprising of all-- Glühwein (German hot mulled wine)! Drinking Glühwein while wandering the Christmas market in the evening was comparable to drinking an ice cold water in the desert. It was so relieving. Some days in Lviv were so frigid cold that all my extremities felt like they might break off if anyone bumped into me. We would hop into McDonalds just to warm up our fingers, since the large crowds there helped conceal us. 

I think Christmas Market hopping around Europe in December should be a tradition. I'm waiting for one to open in Seattle (wishful thinking). 

- Julia

Giant Christmas tree going up in front of the opera house. 

This man is stringing lights on the shops that are getting ready to open for the season.

The sign above this shop reads "just good bread" and is constructed of bread. Clever!

The honey shop. Don't they look cold?

In case you're curious, 8 hryvnia equals $1 (these two pasties are labeled 6 & 9 hryvnia). 

The shops with the lines were selling Глiнтвейн (Glühwein).

Our cups of Глiнтвейн.

And of course, a Christmas market is always more magical at night.Young soldiers and a guitar. Some things never change (all of our dads have faded Ukrainian photos from their army days of their buddies and guitars).

Budapest Christmas Market

Sorry you guys are all pumped for Valentine's Day this week, and we have a Christmas post! We are still catching up on all the heaps of photos we have yet to share from our travels.

I thought we were saying goodbye to Christmas markets and hot wine in Vienna, but I was pleasantly surprised to see them when we arrived in Budapest! The temperature outside was so incredibly cold, but the place was still packed with people. Little wooden booths were lined up in rows, selling gifts, ornaments, and all sorts of hand crafted things. More booths had freshly cooked Hungarian food, smoked meats/sausages, and baked desserts like chimney cakes. Gluhwein (hot, spiced wine) was served all over the place to warm up cold fingers. The building next door was a giant advent calendar--a window is opened every day leading up to Christmas. Trees and buildings were decked with lights and decorations.

This Christmas Market may have been even better that Vienna's, just because of all the delicious food for sale! Wooden picnic tables were stuffed with visitors taking a snack break. Yuriy and I soon joined them with giant sausages and mustard, shish-kabobs, and yummy homey potatoes. There is something about Hungarian food that just hits the spot. Every meal we had was so hearty. Some tastes reminded us of something our Ukrainian moms would cook. Later we learned during a tour that the typical Hungarian meal has 2000 calories-- it's no wonder everything tasted so good! Hungarians deep fry everything, even fruit. The "fast food" of the Communist Era in Budapest was a sausage with mustard and bread--filling, yummy, and cheap. I found myself craving sausage with mustard all the days we were in Budapest and we came back to the market just for that.

You only have 10 months to wait until next Christmas season. If you can, venture over to Budapest's Christmas markets and you will thank me, even if you gain a few pounds. 

- Julia

P.S. This is the last post for Budapest. Next is Ukraine!