Christmas in Italy... Your Taste Buds Will Thank You, Your Stomach Will Not

If you are notoriously known for having eyes that are bigger than your stomach, then Italy is the ideal place for you during the holidays.  You will eat some of the most delectable food known to man... but you will certainly eat far too much of it!  If you possess a willpower stronger than mine and think to yourself, "nonsense Greg, I always stop eating when I am full" then you are mistaken.

A table like this means it's impossible to pace yourself

First, it is impossible to "budget" your intake.  You will definitely want to sample all the delicious and unique treats on the table.  The courses come in waves bigger than Australia's Gold Coast and there is no telling when they will stop crashing on the table.  So even if you simply try a little of everything, you're still going to eat three times more than a normal meal.  But that's hardly the main reason.  If you are a visitor in someone's home, the hostess is absolutely going to give you the largest portions.  And before you're even done, you should expect seconds.  This will continue over and over until a cold sweat starts to break above your brow.  The trifecta of being force fed occurs if:

A) you are a man (and therefore expected to eat copious amounts of food)
B) you are a visitor from another country (Italians are very hospitable and eager to show off their regional specialties)
C) you are in a house where a nonna (grandma) is present (as if the hostess herself wasn't enough, a nonna is guaranteed to guilt you into taking another several portions of food)

This trifecta of food-over-indulgence just happened to me during our six hour dinner on Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve).  We are blessed to have wonderful neighbors below our condo.  Stefano and Aurelia have become great friends of ours.  They are among the kindest and most generous people we have had the pleasure of knowing.  They have two sons, Giuseppe and  Alessio that Julia loves playing with - and the boys are great with her.  But there is an added bonus to knowing them that I haven't yet mentioned.  They are from Napoli (Naples)!  "So, what's the big deal" you say? Well, for starters, it means that they know how... to... live!  They enjoy having big parties with lots of friends and family - and always with the most amazing food.  We have enjoyed many phenomenal dinners with them and have gotten to know their large extended family as well as some of Naples' most special food secrets.

A panini tower complete with festive cheese stars

A savory cheese torte with shrimp

Croquette di patate con polpa di granchio (potato croquette with crab meat)

We were thrilled when we got the invite to join them on Christmas Eve - we knew that we would be in for a treat.  I think that in our minds, we set the bar as high as possible, only to have our lofty expectations shattered by an event even more amazing than our most creative fantasies.  You'll notice that I just called this dinner an event, as opposed to a meal.  That's because there are a few things in Italy that are more than they appear on the surface.  Seeing La Traviata in Milan's famous opera house, Teatro alla Scala is an event.  Experiencing the sunrise over Rome's Colosseum is an event.  Finally, Christmas Eve dinner at Aurelia's house is an event!

We arrived just after the standard "dinner-time" of 7:30 (there was no need for them to tell us arrival time, everyone just knows when to show up).  After roughly 10 minutes of hugs and kisses and then another 20 minutes to decide where everyone was sitting, we sat down to start our meal at 8:00pm. The table was already full of antipasti (appetizers).  Normally, I would have the self restraint of a blue ribbon hog presiding over a spread like this.  However, this time I paced myself, knowing that this was just the tip of the iceberg (I've learned a lot over the past year).  It was hard to show restraint around the carpaccio di polpo (octopus carpaccio) and ate more than I originally intended - but, it was pretty light after all.

Even though we had place cards - it still took a little while for everyone to find their proper place

Carpaccio di polpo (octopus carpaccio)

Another round of antipasti appeared, this time calamari (squid) in a spicy tomato sauce.  Finally, we moved on to the primo (first course), an impressive pasta full of shellfish.  Roughly two hours into the meal and we were only on the first course - fantastic!  I was given a plate that was quickly removed because it had been determined (unbeknownst to me) that the portion was not sufficient.  A portion much larger and impossibly packed with additional seafood appeared an instant later.  The linguine pasta mixed perfectly with eye-popping amounts of clams, shrimp, mussels and calamari.

Aurelia's niece serves some of the calamari

I couldn't get a picture before everyone dug in... sorry! 

The beautiful pasta dish was presented

My own plate, complete with a fuller portion

You've likely noticed a consistent theme to the meal by now.  Our dinner was comprised almost entirely of seafood dishes.  Jen and I were under the impression that the meal we were enjoying is what is commonly known as, "The Feast of Seven Fishes" and so we asked one of the guests about it.  The answer was so perfectly Italian.  "No, there is no number of fish.  You just eat fish." That's it. Case closed.  No "Feast of Seven Fishes".  Just fish, because... you eat fish.  It turns out that the "Feast of Seven Fishes" is more of an Italian-American thing than an Italian thing. Obviously, there is truth to the tradition of eating fish.  However, there is no hard and fast rule about the number of fish - you just eat as much as the hostess has time to cook (this is coming from the Napolitani - the people that started the tradition).  If you're looking for "The Feast of Seven Fishes," you're better off booking a flight to the Jersey shore than you would be to Italy.

After the pasta, we were finally able to move to our secondo (main course).  Stefano presented a fish that any man would be proud to claim as his own - a fish large enough to feed a small village. In our case, it would feed a small apartment building.  They also served another traditional fish, baccala - which is a salted and dried cod.  For the preparation, they chose to lightly fry it.  Our contorni (side dishes) were fried carciofi (artichokes) and fried cavolfiore (cauliflower).

Stefano and Aurelia bring out the fish

Stefano skillfully divides the fish

The fried baccala

The fried artichokes

At this point in the meal, any normal human would beg for mercy.  He would pray that the food would cease to appear.  But there is always that tiny little voice (perhaps due to a food-induced hallucination) in the back of his mind saying, "I wonder what's next."  Well, in this case it was the most amazing platter of gamberoni (king prawns) that you've ever seen.  Magically, the platter got completely re-filled once the first supply had dwindled.  My plate quickly became an overgrown graveyard of prawn shells.

We stopped eating long enough for Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) to bring presents for all the kids

Franco shows us how to balance a coin on the edge of his glass
The nonna next to him had the line of the night - "I don't drink water at the table.  Only wine.  Always."

Success!

The gamberoni appear

Not everyone made it the full six hours without a power nap

As we crossed past midnight and into Natale (Christmas), the prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) flowed freely.  My guesstimate is roughly eight bottles of the bubbly were popped over the course of the evening.  After dinner wound down, the fruit appeared.  But not your typical fruit plate - more of your, "let's go harvest a field of fruit and put it in this basket" type of presentation.  Same thing for the nuts.  Then we had our first dessert - a carpaccio of pineapple, sweetened with sugar and adorned with currant and blueberries.  And then, the main dessert!  A homemade yule log made of chocolate and compete with the wood graining and extra trees for decoration.  It was delicious. Guess who got the biggest piece - larger than any normal dessert after a regular-sized meal!  As if that wasn't enough dessert, regional specialties from the best pastry shops in Naples appeared. Jen and I searched for any spare millimeter of space left in our stomachs - we simply had to sample each one.  Lastly, we needed our espresso and grappa.  I went with a barrel aged Brunello grappa - I was pleased with my choice.

Fresh fruit - oranges, mandarins and lychee

A mixture of nuts

A pineapple carpaccio

The chocolate yule log

I love when Stefano appears with any kind of bag of homemade goodies

In this case, it was a unique homemade cookie typical of Naples

The grappa was the last thing to appear

It was nearly 2:00am (six hours later) when we started our long walk home (truthfully, I couldn't have made it any further than a single flight of stairs).  Jen and I crawled into bed, completely satisfied after eating one of the most amazing meals we have ever had.  We both gave thanks that Julia was not old enough to wake us at the crack of dawn, eager over Santa's arrival.  Of course, Jen and I were sad to not be with our immediate family this Christmas, but we were grateful that we were adopted by such a warm and loving family here in Italy.  And of course, it didn't hurt that they provided the event of a lifetime.

10 Signs That Confirm You've Gone "Full Italian"

Robert Downey Jr. will be the first to tell you that you never go full Italian.  But if you’re planning on living in Italy for more than a few months… the chances of going “full Italian” are pretty strong.  Truly being an Italian is rooted deeper than the country in which you live or the ancestors to which you are tied.   Being Italian is a state of mind.  It will affect the way you think, the way you eat and the way you love.  Did I mention that it will affect the way you eat? 

If you’re unsure whether or not you’ve gone “full Italian” – here is a list of telltale signs.  The longer you live in Italy, the more susceptible you are to each and every point.  If you’re happy with the changes (perhaps the improved fashion sense and appreciation of wine) – stroll in to your favorite enoteca and plan to stay a little longer.  However, if the changes scare you (perhaps the increased volume at which you speak or your daily critique of the food you’re eating) – well then, hop on the first olive oil freighter and high-tail it home (there’s one leaving now… there’s another one… and another one…).

YOUR HAND WORKS IN CONJUNCION WITH YOUR MOUTH

This is probably the first visible transformation as you begin to morph into a full Italian.  When you consistently discover your thumb meeting your other four fingers as if you’re tenderly cupping a tiny quail egg… and then shake it vigorously up and down like you intend to scramble it inside the shell – you’re starting to look a lot like a local.  Italians are very expressive and use their hands to illustrate their points.  Apart from hand gestures working in harmony with your words, speaking with just your hands is a language unto itself.  The same gesture can mean, “he’s always late”, “that’s expensive”, “that’s inexpensive”, “stop busting my chops”… and much, much more.

IT’S SEVENTY DEGREES AND SUNNY BUT YOU’RE WEARING A SCARF

OK, it’s seventy and sunny – but is it November?  Oh, well in that case – you’d better have your scarf on.  And a hat and a heavy coat and two layers beneath it and don’t forget the gloves, just in case.  You did say it was November, right?  Italians dress for the season – not the weather.  This means that no matter what the weather brings – you can always tell who is Italian and who is just visiting.  I turned every head in my grocery store when we first moved here by shopping for toilet paper wearing shorts and flip flops… in February.

Scarf... check.  Hat...check.  Gloves...check.  Big puffy coat...check.
"Mom, am I supposed to be sweating this much?"

YOU CAN SET YOUR WATCH TO YOUR STOMACH

The time lunch starts deviates slightly throughout the country – people eat earlier in the north than they do in the south, but one thing never changes.  You eat at the exact same time as everyone else in your region, every… single…day.  This means planning an entire day around lunch.  Shops are closed for lunch, parks are emptied for lunch – basically the country shuts down until lunch is over.  You can’t schedule a visit to another city unless the timing of that visit works with your lunch plans.  Once accustomed to the dietary habits of your region, don't deviate from the script or your stomach will start kicking harder than, Dominic the Christmas Donkey.

"I'm hungry... let's get some lunch!"

IT’S TIME FOR COFFEE… AGAIN

I don’t mean the Starbucks 20 oz coffee that gets you through the morning drive.  I mean an espresso – quickly and skillfully delivered by a barista that will make a thousand more in the same day.  You can drink your coffee at the bar or at the table, with a little milk or without – but you’re virtually required to have more than one.  You’ll need your coffee with biscotti (breakfast cookies) in the morning, a mid-morning coffee, another immediately after lunch, an afternoon cafe and possibly one after dinner.  And that’s if you’re conservative – we have friends and family that drink as many as a dozen espressos’ in a day.  The Italians didn’t invent coffee – but they elevated drinking it into a form of art.

"15 espresso's a day multiplied by 7 days a week divided by 24 hours in a day times 31 days in a month...
forget it!  Bring me another coffee!!"

YOU SERVE BREAD WITH EVERY MEAL

This was a great mystery to me.  There is always bread served with every meal, but no one ever seemed to eat it (you don’t eat it with your pasta and by the time your secondo has arrived, it’s too late).  Magically, the bread always disappears and yet everyone in the country remains skinny.  I thought there must be an overweight fatina dei pane (bread fairy) flying across tabletops with an insatiable appetite for baked goods.  What I learned is that Italians eat the bread in moderation and at specific points in the meal (as a conduit for sugo, for example).  When you can skillfully (and secretly) devour the appropriate portion of bread – you have mastered one of the finest and least-known Italian skills.

Keep an eye out for the Italian Bread Fairy to help you eat your bread

YOU CAN FIND THE COUNTERPOINT IN ANY DISCUSSION

You know that you’ve gone full Italian the moment you voluntarily enter into the arena of Italy’s most popular sport – discussing politics.  Once you start cutting and slicing across your political talking points like a young Barry Sanders dancing across the Silverdome, you’ve reached the Champion’s League of your Italian-ness.  A less challenging, but still very “Italian” way of thinking is to engage in a conversation at argument-level volume by simply disagreeing.  Or better yet – agreeing, but doing it so loudly that non-Italian passerby’s surely think you are involved in a spate with a mortal enemy… not a good friend. 

Bonus points if you can use an Italian soccer play in your analogy as opposed to American Football player.

"Heyyy, I told you I wanted a BIG salami"
"I told YOU, that WAS a big salami!"

YOU WILL LITERALLY GIVE THE SHIRT OFF YOUR BACK

Living in Italy is good for your soul – especially when it alters how you treat other people.  It is impossible not to let the infectious Italian generosity and hospitality seep into your persona.  Embrace the change and soon you’ll find yourself at the airport at 1:30am - picking up a cousin’s friend that his girlfriend met in college six years ago.  But you’ll be glad that you can be the one to help and you’ll surely get rewarded for your efforts somewhere down the line.  When you’re willing to give someone in need the shirt of your back – even if it’s Armani; you are on your way to full Italian.

"Here, take mine.  I'll get another one"

YOU ACCELERATE WHEN YOU SHOULD BRAKE

Everything you’ve seen, heard or read about Italian drivers is true.  Little old ladies whisk past at 140 km per hour.  Motorcycles weave dangerously into oncoming traffic.  When you can safely and comfortably join the challenging dance that is played out on the winding Italian roads each day – you’ve become a native.  Bonus points for any guy that can drive a Fiat 500 and still look like a typical Italian ladies man.

"Vai!  Vai!  Let's go!  Move it, buddy!"

YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF SKINNY JEANS MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A 90’s RAPPER

When you first moved to Italy, it’s highly likely that you bought some nice clothes so that you didn’t stick out too badly.  You probably bought an expensive pair of jeans and even purchased a cut that is skinnier that you’re used to.  Once you’ve lived in Italy long enough, you’ll think that “skinny” cut is so baggy you are not sure how you ever dared don those parachute pants in public (and that accounts for the extra 10 pasta pounds you’re sure to have gained).  Italians wear their clothes very fitted, very tailored and very well.  You’ll also discover that your fashion tastes in general have changed – a puffy winter coat?  How could you have ever lived without one?!

Julia wouldn't be caught dead without her puffy coat and skinny jeans

YOU THINK YOU’RE BERLUSCONI WHEN YOU PARK YOUR CAR

Italians drive fast and they drive aggressively.  Parking is no different – forget circling around the block, looking for a spot.  You can comfortably double or triple park your car and then casually stroll into your favorite coffee bar for an espresso.  Airport run?  Throw your parking brake on and walk in to wait for your arrival.  It’s always amazing that everyone is so comfortable leaving his or her car parked illegally.  If they do actually get a ticket – the issuing officer better not be nearby, lest they get an earful about having the audacity to ticket such a law-abiding citizen.  When you can leave your car in the middle of a busy intersection with less stress than boiling an egg - you've definitely gone... full Italian.

"What sign?!  I never saw a sign!"

So there you have it – ten telltale signs that you’ve “gone full Italian”.  Have you developed some or all of these habits (whether intentional or not)?  If the answer is “yes” – then pull out the grappa and make sure your meal is properly digested… you are an Italian.  If not, stay a little longer – it’s only a matter of time.

Warm Your Christmas Spirit With Some Vin Brulé

If you've read a couple of our recent Christmas posts, you may notice a consistent theme over and over.  We have been thoroughly enjoying the official drink of the season, vin brulé from the markets of Trentino Alto-Adige to the lakeside shores of Lugano, Switzerland.  I promise you, we are by no means a pair of winos - but I'm pretty sure it's against the law not to have a vin brulé in your hands as you stroll through the Christmas markets.

Homemade vin brulé

We have been having so much fun thawing the chill from our bones with this delicious winter drink that we thought we should make it at home for ourselves.  I have to say, for our first attempt - it was pretty darn good!  And since we enjoyed this easy and delicious recipe so much, we decided it was only fair to share it with you.  Of course, that meant that we had to go back to the test kitchen and whip up another batch!

What is vin brulé, you ask?  You may know it better as mulled wine or glühwein (it is a very common German drink).  No matter what you call it - it is basically a red wine heated over a flame, sweetened with sugar and seasoned with spices and fruit.  The result is nothing short of perfection.  You are sure to find the drink in just about any of the thousands of holiday markets set up all over Europe in December.

Here's how it is made (follow closely... nah, just kidding.  It's pretty easy).

Ingredients (serving for four)

>1.5 liters of red wine (a lot will cook down)
>1.5 cups of sugar
>4 to 8 cloves
>Nutmeg to taste
>2 cinnamon sticks
>2 mandarins (you can also use a small orange)

Your ingredients - feel free to add or subtract items

The great thing about the ingredients for this recipe is that they don't have to be exact.  You can use what you have lying around.  If you like more nutmeg flavor - go ahead and add it.  This is completely based on personal preference.

Directions
>Slice some of the citrus peels and set them aside
>Grate the zests of one of the manderian and add to a pot with the sugar, cloves, cinnamon and citrus peels
>Add about one cup of the wine and cook on a high heat until everything blends together.  This will create a thick almost syrup like liquid that is infused with tones of Christmas flavor.  You don't want to use all of your wine because cooking it at this high heat will burn off the alcohol
>Add the remaining wine and reduce the heat to a low simmer
>Serve and enjoy!

Add the ingredients 

Add one cup of the wine 

Cook over a high heat

There you have it!  Easy and delicious!

We wanted to be sure to post this recipe on Christmas, with the hope that you make this delicious and easy drink on your own today or tonight.  You have our personal guarantee that it will increase your festive cheer by 19.6%.  That's 4.6% higher than the next best thing... not getting underwear in your stocking.

Five Diamond Christmas Tour of Italy

Most people visit Europe in the spring or summer.  Of course, these are great times of year to see such a magical and historical place.  But may I suggest to you a unique alternative?

Come in December, when the weather is at it's coldest and the people are their warmest.  When the cobblestone streets are strung with lights and the ancient buildings are trimmed with garland. Imagine your most magical place for the holidays - a winter wonderland, if you will.  You will be sure to find something that fits your image here in Europe.  There are amazing markets and festivals across the continent.  Some countries boast cities that are particularly renowned for their holiday cheer.  Finland, Germany and Austria are at the top of the list.  Denmark and Switzerland are there as well.  And of course, our personal favorite place to be for Christmas is right here in Italy.  Before you plan your next Christmas vacation, add Europe into the running.

"Boy, Clark - I think we should go to Europe next year"

We had been toying with the idea of visiting another country to experience some of the large and festive Christmas markets (two of the top cities in the running were Cologne, Germany and Lapland, Finland). As we did more and more research, we kept noticing many towns in Italy topping the lists. We decided to stay close to home and shop in a language we know (well, sort of).  Jen came across this article describing some of the best Christmas towns in the Trentino Alto-Adige region of Italy. One look at the photos of each town and I was sold.  Beyond that, I was eager to explore this region of Italy for it's unique wines and always breathtaking Dolomiti mountains.  So I went to work on google maps and figured out that we could comfortably see five cities (with a bonus sixth on the return) over a period of three days.  We would visit Vipiteno, Bressanone, Brunico, Bolzano and Merano with another full day reserved for the region's capital city, Trento.

When I plotted our course, I literally sketched a rough map on a piece of scratch paper and realized that four of the five towns made a diamond shape.  The fifth was sort of floating off to the right side, but for creative purposes - we'll just stick to the "Five Diamond Christmas Tour".  It has a better ring than "Four Points & That Other One Tour".

"Sounds great, dad - lets GO!"

We carefully chose our hotel, located just outside of Bolzano.  What I didn't pay much attention to was the name of the actual town, Soprabolzano (literally meaning, above Bolzano).  ABOVE Bolzano it was.  Our hotel sat roughly 4,100 ft above the town, which gave us two options.  Drive up the winding and perilous mountain road or take the 15,000 ft cable car (gondola) ride.  I opted to drive, even when the snow fell and the tailgaters lined up behind me.

The view from the road leading to our hotel

We were surprised to learn from Franco and Claudia (Jen's aunt and uncle) that the area of Italy we were visiting was more Austrian than Italian.  They couldn't have been more correct.  We definitely felt as though we were in Austria (which feels just like you're in Germany).  The houses are constructed with charming German architecture (picture gingerbread houses).  The food served in the restaurants is German (picture sausages and sauerkraut).  The people even spoke German instead of Italian!  It was strange to experience, because we were in Italy - but it was also nice because it felt like a more unique "vacation" away from our normal lives. Funny, we were nervous to order pasta for the first time in Italy because we felt like it would be ordering pasta in Germany (something you would never do).

VIPITENO (Sterzing - German)

On the first day of our "Christmas Tour" we drove from our home directly to the northernmost town, Vipiteno.  We arrived after lunch and took our time strolling through the market and the charming streets.  We were eager to see the setting sun because we knew that meant the Christmas lights would soon be ablaze.  We stopped for a vin brulé to warm up and sit for a bit.  As opposed to going inside the restaurant, we instead opted to sit outside under the blankets they provided for their guests.  It was cozy, fun and comforting.  Eventually, we had to tear ourselves away from Vipiteno because we had one more stop on the schedule.

Julia is excited as we enter the market

Jen and Julia hugging

One of the stands, selling a variety of Christmas ornaments

Some beautiful ornaments

Julia sizes up a Befana (Italy's Christmas Witch)

The charming town square

Another stand selling local specialties

More Christmas stands

My favorite little girl

The lights got a little brighter as it got a little darker

The main street was stunning with a beautiful mountainous backdrop

The main piazza

We stopped to warm up and enjoy some vin brulé

Julia warms her hands on mom's cup

The sun officially sets

Vipiteno at night

The main square at night

Vipiteno was simply beautiful

BRESSANONE (Brixen)

I almost scratched Bressanone from the list - originally, I didn't think I could fit all five towns and this was the one that I felt could be sacrificed.  We were VERY glad that we kept it in the itinerary.  This was arguably one of our favorite towns.  We didn't realize that it is the third largest and and oldest town in the province.  Bressanone is absolutely full of charm.  Beyond all the Christmas festivities, we enjoyed just walking around the city itself, although most everything had closed by the time we finished dinner.

One street leading to the main piazza

The market in the main piazza

The booths were different than the previous town

Julia rode the carousel in front of the main church 

The most crowded and popular stands were always the ones selling vin brulè - they had an outdoor "bar" vibe 

Holiday decorations

SAN CANDIDO (Innichen)

Did you catch it?  San Candido was not listed as one of the five towns above.  Franco and Claudia suggested that we add it to the voyage - they described the town as "piccolo ma bello" (small but beautiful).  It was only a half an hour away and snuggled tightly in the Dolomites, so it was a no-brainer for me.  They didn't have nearly the amount of Christmas decorations as the originally planned towns, but it truly was "small but beautiful".  Plus, there are only a handful of towns in the world that are nestled in the Dolomite mountains, so it was certainly worth the extra drive.

Julia and I enter the charming town of San Candido 

Our first snow of the season

Julia remembered how much she loved to eat it

Main street in the town 

Jen and Julia in the main piazza

"Hey guys, wait for me!" 

A small river runs through town

The Dolomites surround the town 

Another town we passed on the way out

BRUNICO (Bruneck) 

Our second stop of the second day was Brunico.  We strolled through the markets and then through the city streets.  It was a beautiful town, but the markets were small in comparison to the other towns - so we didn't spend a tremendous amount of time here.

The market surrounded the outer wall of the main city street 

They had some great stands with local food and crafts

As usual, the busiest stands were the ones serving the drinks 

I just loved this outdoor sports store's display

Jen and Julia in the center of Brunico

BOLZANO (Bozen)

We didn't think that anything could top Bressanone, which we had seen the night before.  We were wrong.  We arrived in Bolzano after nightfall and our eyes opened wide as we walked into the center square.  Of all the towns, this one had the biggest Christmas market by far.  They had the most decorations.  They had the best rides for kids (a toy train that Julia loved riding).  In conclusion, one could say they had the most charm.  Beyond the markets, we loved losing ourselves in the city streets, taking in the restaurants and the shops.  We had a wonderful dinner and walked some more.  It was the perfect end to a fun-filled day.

The markets and main church of Bolzano

Julia goes for a train ride on Santa's sleigh

For a kid that's always happy, I've never seen her this tickled  

We stopped for a little vin brulé 

Looks like the Russian hockey team also wanted a little vin brulé to warm up 

They had a secret Christmas garden off the main piazza 

Family photo in the garden  

Vendors and crowds flanked the garden made out of Christmas trees, lights and ornaments 

Julia floats through the trees

We just loved the garden 

Big ornaments on this street were a nice surprise from the lights that are usually strung across

Angels glide across the rooftops

Sadly, our final day was marred by a heavy rain.  Our final two stops, Merano and then Trento (two of the places we were most excited about) were unfortunately, scratched from our trip.  We didn't think it would be nearly as much fun to walk around in the rain.  If you do decide to take my "Five Diamond Christmas Tour" - do as I say, not as I do.  Stick to my original itinerary (Vipiteno, Bressanone, Brunico, Bolzano, Merano and then Trento) and be sure to check the weather forecast!

Hope you enjoyed - Merry Christmas!