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Alrighty now…
the contest is live and I really need your help.

Just three itty bitty things for you to do…
 1) click on the badge below
2) take a gander at my entry, Top Five Ways to Light Up Your Life…
in the Expats Blog Awards 2013, listed in country ABC order... 
(Scotland will be so excited because they are listed separately from England!!!)
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Meanwhile…

I leave you with a few twinkling visions of Edinburgh's Christmas…

Happy Tuesday!

"Witness heart-stopping illusions, mind-bending manoeuvres, breathtaking dance moves and thrilling live music from a coterie of highly skilled international performers." ~ Limbo, Edinburgh Christmas

Ren Man and I spent this past weekend in Edinburgh 

where Christmas Cheer has covered the city inside and out.

More on the twinkling lights later.

Meanwhile,

the Christmas market awaits, 

or if shopping is not your thing,

the amazing show, Limbo,

 set up in St. Andrews square.

No photos were allowed inside,

so you will just have to trust me on this. 

Inside the small circus inspired tent,

because of its size, 

everything was up close and personal.

Seriously,

there were guys dangling over our heads, 

snatching eye glasses out of shirts pockets 

and programs out of the hands of the awe-struck audience.

Definitely worth a trip down 

to experience Edinburgh's Christmas

 if you are in the area.

Texas here I come!

Happy Monday.

"Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved." - Medieval German Saying

Speaking of Christmas Markets...

our visit to Heidelberg was a splendid way to begin the Christmas season...

like a B12 boost of Cheer in the arm.

One benefit of the shorter days is the longer nights...

duh!

Especially when the darkness is sprinkled with thousands of twinkling lights...

and you are serenaded by street performers...

as smells of chestnuts roasting on an open fire are wafting through the brisk air.

Ren Man and I agree...

 they look quite fancy in their fur coat and smell much better than they taste.

Festive hearts in the crowds became even more so with every glass of...

the famous gluhwien.

You pay a deposit for the mug with your first mulled wine and then when you need a refill you just stop by the nearest stall, hand over your mug and pay the cost for a re-fill.

At the end of the night you can return your mug and receive your deposit back or take it home as a souvenir.

Brilliant...

and environmentally friendly.

This being the first weekend of the market...

the crowds were filled with locals bringing their children out for a perfect night.

The first two families we spoke with are stationed at Ramstein Air Base which is the largest base outside the U.S. and has been in the area for sixty years.

Needless to say,

English was heard in the crowd almost as often as German, but regardless of language, the enraptured faces of the children was an added boost of cheer.

The carousel was tempting and Ren Man hovered near the...

but had some excuse about the rink being too short for any real skating.

Hmmmmm.....

I would have needed one of the penguins on skis to make it around the continuous curves.

There did not appear to be any beginners out on the ice as deduced by the line of sad penguins just waiting to be helpful.

Oh well, I was much too preoccupied with my food choices;

thinly sliced apple crisps,

the German version of donuts,

and the many varieties of meat all being prepared by serious looking grill masters.

And, then there's the gingerbread, chocolate covered fruit and marshmallows, and crepes not photographed.

The chocolate tools were too creative to pass up and Ren Man left with a wrench in hand.

Heidelberg is indeed picturesque. 

Well-known for the oldest University in Germany, which keeps the city filled with youthful energy, 

and the grand castle sitting 260 feet above... 

 guarding the city below. 

Stop by tomorrow to see Heidelberg by day.

Happy Tuesday.