December’s here! And with it, comes the most wonderful time of the year! Those of you who’ve followed the blog for a little longer, know that every year I like to visit the Christmas Markets from the region. This year I moved to a different state, which means there are plenty of new Markets to visit. This time, I started the Market season with Bonn.

Bonn is a beautiful city located by the Rhine in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was the provisional capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and, after the German reunification, it served as the seat of government until 1999.

The Bonn Christmas Market is a lot bigger than the markets I usually visit. Instead of being limited to the central square, it is spread throughout the city center and the different squares are connected through well-lit streets with fewer stands.

For the lovers of music and of all things bright and beautiful, Bonn is the natal city of the great Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born in December 1770. A fun fact about him is that no one knows the exact date of his birth. He was baptized on the 17th of December, which is why some think that he was born on the 16th, but nobody has been able to prove it.

The city is particularly proud of Ludwig, which is why his image is virtually everywhere. In the form of a statue at the main square, on the souvenirs sold at the shops, on my glasses’ case, on some traffic lights, and, of course, on the market’s mugs.

I’ve been going to Christmas markets for four years now and, yeah, they all pretty much have the same things. I never get bored, though, and depending on the size of the market, you might find some variety in the products. The bigger markets have a wider range of beverages, they definitely step-up their decoration game, they offer more international products, and they have lots and lots of food.

There’s always Bratwurst, there’s Glühwein (one day I’ll share with you my recipe), there’re crêpes, caramelized walnuts, lots of chocolates, and lamps and stars and wooden accessories for the home.

What I like the most about the markets is that, it doesn’t matter that every year’s the same, there are always people willing to go see, eat, and drink… especially drink.

As always, I went there around five o’clock, when most people are still working and I can take my pictures without annoying anyone or without bumping into drunk Glühwein enthusiasts, who each year take it upon themselves to drink their weight in wine.

A friend from university offered to come with me and he was patient enough to wait with a smile while I took all my pictures.

We visited the whole market, walked all the streets, saw all the stands, and enjoyed all the colors, the smells, and the flavors. I always like to buy roasted chestnuts to eat while I walk.

The last market stand we went to was at the end of the market. It was inside a wooden Christmas pyramid and it offered many types of Glühwein, complimentary cookies, and, to my surprise, had a very particular kind of music. It wasn’t Christmas music, nor was it German music.

It was none other than Luis Miguel, the famous Mexican singer, beloved by the masses, known by the nation, protagonist of his own Netflix series, king of 90s romance, melter of Mexican hearts, and official ambassador to all things cheesy.

As expected, we ordered a Glühwein, ate some cookies, had a nice chat, and returned the mugs at the end.

What about you? Are you in the Christmas spirit already? What are your projects this season? Leave a comment!