It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

The Christmas market opened in Klagenfurt this past weekend!  The sounds, smells, and sights are all so festive.  Jordan and I tried Gluhwein for the first time.  It is a hot red wine mixed with cinnamon sticks, vanilla, cloves, citrus, and sugar.  It is very popular in German speaking countries and apparently can get you pretty tipsy while you are trying to keep warm on a cold winter’s night.  I did not mind the taste of it, and I think it is something I could learn to enjoy, but Jordan HATED it.  So much that I ended up drinking both of ours.  Thanks Jordan haha

Gluhwein at the market

We walked around the market after practice yesterday and checked everything out.  We definitely need to go back and pick up some sweets and a souvenir Christmas ornament (thank you Karolyn for the idea).

The beautiful lights downtown

Christmas tree at the market

It is getting so cold here.  I was not prepared for a cold winter when we moved here from California and I am coming to the realization that I NEED to add a big warm jacket to my wardrobe.  As of right now, I am doing A LOT of layering and I am getting by, but today I went on a bike ride for 3 hours and was frozen by the time I got home.  I have biked into the city a couple times since we moved here and it is great exercise.  It is a 45 min bike ride each way and there is a great path that runs along the river.  The path is very busy with walkers and bikers so I must be a wimp being so cold.  Today a woman who looked 85 rode past me and did not look cold at all.  Hopefully a new jacket will make everything better.  I found this one at Zara, and although I would love a Canada Goose, this will do the trick.  Black is my go to colour but I already have a black warm coat at home so I need to switch it up and justify this purchase as much as I can... I dont own a warm beige jaket.

Need this

Tonight a couple of the girls were at my place to watch the guy’s away game.  I was so nice to have some people over as this will be rare.  As I mentioned above, I live about a 15 min drive outside of downtown, and all but myself and one other girl lives in the city.  The area I live in is a hot spot in the summer, but no place to visit once it’s cold.  It makes more sense for the two of us to drive into the city then it does for the rest of the girls to drive to the lake, so I’m glad I got to be host for a night.  It is great that they televise some of the away games here but unfortunately the team lost.

On a happier note they did win their game Friday night and the crowd was wild!  Got to love the fans… the entertainment factor goes up 100% when everyone is on their feet clapping and shouting.  Every hockey fan should experience this kind of crowd!

The crazy fans

The winners circle

It is another busy week of hockey and I am getting anxious to put up a Christmas tree.  Hopefully I can convince Jordan by the weekend.  I am seeing more and more pictures from home of trees so it’s about time.  I need a bit of "home" in my life.  Missing another Sunday dinner at Grams.