Before heading out on our tour of central Europe, they had a few days to enjoy Jena, and all it has to offer. The main attraction in Jena is, of course, our cat. Here's Baba and the cat getting well acquainted.
And of course they got a chance to check out the Jena Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market), with its booths selling mulled wine (Glühwein)...
...various artisinal goods...
...a selection of grilled meat products (well-decorated, I might add)...
...the statue of Hannfried (Johann Friedrich, who founded the University in Jena in 1558)...
...and fresh mistletoe, which is a rare find in Canada.
They even got to check out the clock in the Rathaus (city hall), which has a fool in the centre (ein Narr) snatching a brass ball swung at his head by a pilgrim every hour. At the right side stands an angel, who rings a bell at each quarter hour. Nothing like the complexity of the astronomical clocks in Prague, Bern, or Vienna, but enough for Jena.
Here are some of the common decorations found at the Weihnachtsmärkte, often known as Swedish stars. They make lovely seasonal decorations.
And if you decide that the Christmas market is too cold, you can always sample similar booths inside the Goethe Gallerie, the main mall in Jena.
And of course I insisted that the whole family come up and visit me at work. Here we are in the foyer in front of the main seminar room, which is tiled with various rocks found in Thüringen, and with panels from various trees found in Thüringen lining the walls.
And a lovely sunny view from up at the institute.
And of course, no visit to Jena (or Thüringen as a whole) would be complete without a sampling of the famous Thüringer Bratwurst, the best processed pork product around.
And that's all for their time in Jena - the next posting will outline our time in Salzburg, Austria.
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