The Countdown Begins. Gluhwine Anyone?

 The day before the day before Christmas Eve.  Now that's taking the countdown to extremes but I can't help it.  I always have so much fun this time of year.  Hubby, daughter and daughter's friend have taken off for some last minute Christmas shopping and I'm sitting here with the lights glowing.  My Christmas candle lit in the window, the Chanukah candles ready to be lit when they come home.  And NO TV on.  Bliss.  Perusing through the recipe for mulled wine, to make sure I had all the ingredients, brought back more holiday memories.
The first time I tasted Gluhwein was Christmas 1999 on my first holiday to Switzerland.  And I've been trying to replicate that experience since.  I guess I'll never get it right, because it was the atmosphere as well as the wine, but I've come pretty close.  I've been making mulled wine every Christmas since.  I never took a photo of that first cup - never thought I'd have a blog, internet was still new in Oz - but I've posted some photos I took on a date I had with hubby 6 years later on our 3rd trip to Zurich, when we consumed more gluhwine.

We walked to the lake in Zurich clutching cups of gluhwine we just bought and spent ages watching the swans.  Swans are everywhere in Switzerland (well everywhere we seemed to go anyway) and are just delightful to watch.  So graceful and majestic - if sometimes a little clumsy on landing.  

These 3 I caught trying to take a nap amidst all the honking.  And then I spied these two lovebirds on the right and had to take their photo too. 

 Finally, as darkness fell we caught a tram to the movie theatre.  I spied a wonderful tram and remembered what my sister in law had told me about the fairytale trams.

 They are in use during the Christmas season only and they are only for children (and parents of course).  Brightly decorated in Christmas colours they trundle about the city.  The children sit inside and listen to stories read by a brightly coloured fairy.  On Christmas Eve, Santa is also aboard giving out little gifts.  We never went on one of these trams as our daughter didn't speak Swiss and wouldn't have appreciated it as much as other kids.  The photo I was too dark so I found this on the internet.  Unfortunately I can no longer remember where I got it from - but needless to say it's not mine.  I wish it was.

We drank more gluhwine and caught the train home. 

A perfect date.

If I don't get a chance to post again before Christmas, have a wonderful, safe and happy Christmas and Chanukah, and a Happy New Year.