European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 08, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse In a oct�5 preparing for Noel he ,. Along the route Duvin the Strasbourg Cathedral makes an impressive backdrop for the Alsace s oldest Christmas Market. 8 stripes Magazine december 8,1994 by Michael Abrams staff photographer the signs pointing to the Marche de Noel May not always be easy to spot but you can t miss the Best and tallest Marker for the Christmas Market in Strasbourg. France. Just look for the 466-foot spire of the City s gothic Cathedral and in its Shadow is the Alsace s oldest Christmas Market. The smell of Vin Chad hot spiced red wine greets visitors to the 424-year-old march4, and its vendors offer up a variety of goods that should please the Christmas shopper. Candles spices jewelery toys and Christmas decorations Are the most popular items for Sale but local crafts can also be found. One stand offers Clay hand painted models of alsatian houses and churches for Between $8 and $35 _ it should be said though that As a Rule you won t find any great bargains so you should shop for originality instead. One exception might be Christmas tree decorations. Small cloth santas or snowmen and stars made of Straw usually Are not too pricey. If Fried sausage is the culinary Delight of a German Christmas Market in France it is crepes. Most of the food vendors had them on the menu in a wide Range of tastes with sugar butter Cream or a liquor. Arid for those without a Sweet tooth there Are crepes filled with Ham cheese or both. Other popular items Are be ignets a donuts like pastry and Gaufrey a Waffle usually served with powdered sugar or whipped Cream. T while in the Alsace you might want to skip Market fare altogether and try a regional specially such As Chou route sauerkraut served with sausages at one of the Many restaurants near the Cathedral Square. -. Strasbourg is not the Only town in the Alsace with a Christmas Market. Farther South Colmar conducts a Small Market daily on a Square by the dominican Church. And several of the medieval villages Between Strasbourg and Colmar along the route due nor wine _ Road also have Christmas markets Selestar s is saturday and sunday and dec. 16-24. Rique Wihr and Kayser Berg hold theirs this weekend and next Kayser Berg s will also be on dec. 22 and 23 for some last minute shopping. One advantage of the wine Road markets is that you can turn Christmas shopping in to a wine tasting excursion As most of the wine cellars Are also open and will usually allow you to taste the wines before buying them. So it is one Way to do your yuletide shopping and Stock up your own _ ._.-,
