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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Fraueninsel Kristkindlmarkt!

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Our ferry took us from Herrenchiemsee Palace over to Fraueninsel (Ladies Island) for the annual town Christmas Market --- our first market of the trip, and we were eager beavers to experience it to the fullest!

Herrenchiemsee Palace is located on Herreninsel meaning  Man’s Island while Fraueninsel means Women’s Island, getting their names from the first buildings on them: A monastery on Men’s Island and a nunnery on Women’s Island.

As we made our way toward Fraueninsel, I was captivated by the sight of the buildings on the island as we drew closer – the sky was blue and cloudless, the sun shone brightly and the reflection of the island in the water was breathtaking.

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Nearing our dock!

As we disembarked, everyone took off in their own direction like children in an amusement park.  There were stalls and booths for food and hand crafts ---so much to see, so much to taste, so much to try!

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I found my way to the church –I love visiting churches and learning about their origins and thinking of their place in the lives of the people over the past centuries.

The church is one of the oldest church buildings in southern Germany. It was constructed as asingle-aisle Romanesque basilica. The foundations and part of the walls date from Carolingian times (8th century). The rest of the building was added around 1000AD.

It’s been here a LONG LONG time!  Think of all the families it has seen.  It’s amazing to think about!

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I loved the cemetery!

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walking around, reading names, contemplating lives and experiences.

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This spire is almost silo-shaped, with the onion dome on top.

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Lovely cherub head stone.

I love how the graves are cared for  and planted with perennials and other greenery.  On many of the graves you will find candles burning in the memory of loved ones passed on.

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Aother cherub.

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Inside the church.

See the lady sitting in the pew?  These were the oddest pews I’ve ever seen, and let me tell you, NOT so comfy!!  I guess church was not supposed to be comfortable.  But can you imagine?

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Gorgeous altar!

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Market visitors were busy lighting candles.

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Christmas trees adorn the sanctuary

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Side altar

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The pew I sat in had this name plate visible.  Who’s pew was I sitting in?

Bonus of the day --- a choir was rehearsing for a concert that evening.  I caught a short video of the rehearsal:


It wasn’t long before they were kicking everyone out of the chapel --- the concert required tickets, and of course those of us freeloading didn’t have one – so out we went!

From here we checked out the food booths and the Christmas goodies!

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Crowds were plenty!

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The children’s park was full with young families and children playing!

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Hand made ornaments and goodies!

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Signs and home décor!

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Lots of doggies on parade!

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Angels and other Christmas décor

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Beautiful glass balls!

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Someone saw me taking a photo!
Home town oompa music plays in the backgroud:


We think this was a family – get a load of the tuba player, the instrument is bigger than he is!  what a hoot!

The best thing of all was just experiencing the island and people watching –and the scenery, oh – the scenery!

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See those snow-capped mountains?  I kept pinching myself that I was really here!

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I love this photo – fishing boat in the front, ferry behind – and in back the gorgeous mountains surrounding Lake Chiemsee!

This was such a wonderful day with so much to see and do ---

And the adventure continues ---


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25 comments:

  1. Oh Bonnie, thank you so much for the wonderful musical travelogue! we visited Germany 23 years ago and it brings back that wonderful journey vividly for me.
    What a super Christmas gift...hugs, Julierose

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  2. Boy, this brings back memories. I had forgotten how the churches are decorated with simple fir trees. And Romanesque churches are always my favorite, not the Gothic ones. They are older, too, so maybe that had something to do with it. Did you buy anything?

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  3. Hi Bonnie,
    you wanted to know , where you were sitting in sat ?!
    the name is KOCHFISCHER, (KOCH like cook; FISCHER like fisherman)
    the letters are in an old German tipeface :)

    Greetings from Germany, injoy your time !

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  4. wonderful photos...somehow i have lost audio on youtube clips and am clueless as to how to remedy this but the photos are fantastic!

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  5. I am enjoying all the pics you are posting of your trip. Thanks so much for sharing! I hope we get to visit a quilt shop in Germany

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  6. Thank you Bonnie for the pics and videos. The choir gave me chills, and the tuba player is too much fun! What a beautiful cemetery!! I see the plants and flowers are still blooming. You picked the perfect place to visit! :)

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  7. So beautiful? I have a dozen hand carved wooden ornaments my son brought me from the markets 10 yrs ago. They hang on a small tree in our bedroom. It's fun to see where they might have come from.

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  8. Oh you're making me so homesick. Our favorite part of the Christmas markets was that there were always choirs practicing in the local church. Angels singing! And of course the gluwein to warm up!

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  9. Wow the photos are amazing, the history is so special. I have a cemetery plot in Northern Germany - the caretakers take such good care of it for me. Every Sunday I would visit my relatives, Oma and Opa and say a pray, I would go by bike, the bike had 2 hooks on it so I could put my rake on it. Afterwards would be coffee and cake.

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  10. The pew was FishCooker? How quaint. Love the photos.

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  11. Loves those videos . Very awesome . Beautiful pics. Looks like a great trip . Wish I could be there too. April

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  12. I wish I were with you. I would love to go back to Germany. I was only in Austria and Germany for 9 days many years ago. I wish my husband and I had signed up for the wonderful trip. Enjoy.

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  13. You have done it again Bonnie, making us feel that we are experiencing the trip with you. I just can't believe the clear weather you seem to be having. It looks glorious. Linda

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  14. How interesting that the signs for sale, are in English, not German. Have fun on your trip, and eat some schnitzle for me.

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  15. Beautiful! Thanks for the pictures and the videos. The next best thing to being there...

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  16. How wonderful! It was delightful to read your post and see the photos... and the videos made me feel like I was along for the trip... thanks so much! Loved it!

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  17. How I would love to have that last photo printed on artist canvas and hung on my wall! The fishing boat and ferry in background. Excellent composition and lighting.
    Glad you are enjoying the scenery as I am enjoying your pictures.

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    1. Thank you, Candice! All I used was my iphone :)

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  18. Thanks for the lovely travel log. I so wanted to go on this trip, but we had already committed to Ireland in October (which was great!) and the budget just didn't stretch that far. So I'm enjoying it through your eyes!

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  19. Loving your travel posts. Sure hope the vendors have heaters in their booths or their feet are probably frozen. Not that much different from American craft fairs, really, except ours are usually in an auditorium or church hall. With heat!! :)

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  20. I sincerely appreciate your travel updates and I loved the choir music in the church and the oompa-pa music!!

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  21. Great pictures, love the tuba player and choir .

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  22. Gosh Bonnie, I feel like I was stuffed in your suitcase and I am there with you! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us. Especially since my father side was German/Holland descent. All your pictures and videos make me feel a little of my roots.

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  23. So glad you are having an awesome trip and you share so much with all us its like being a kitten in your backpack as we travel along.

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  24. Oh I loved going to that Island! I bought lovely little ceramics there.

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