Life: Idiotropic

Today was sunny and beautiful, a big change from last year’s winter of snow and ice. Last year we decided, one morning, that it would be a good day to take the train and we did it, just like that with no planning or forethought. This year I’d checked online and noticed the increasing days where the train rides were completely sold out. I think word has spread well on how special the St. Nikolausbahn is and people are coming from quite far to make it part of their Christmas tradition. It will be part of ours while we are here.

Last week I stopped at the little ticket office by the train station and bought tickets for all 6 of us. It was a good thing. This train today was sold out too.

The little steam train is only a five minute walk from home. It was returning from the Schierwaldenrath station as we walked down, so we stopped to see it go by. The kids get exited every time they see it and since we can hear it and see it from our house, they have plenty of opportunities to jump up and down and yell “The train is coming, I hear the train!”

The train had just arrived, but people had already begun to pile on it. A little building sold gluwein and hot cocoa. Another had sold wooden cutouts the week before, but wasn’t there today. An older man stood on a really tall ladder changing the lightbulb in the street lamp above while three men stood below watching and down by the train a tall slender woman in tall black boots and a long red dress coat was boarding the train with her tall slender dog.

We walked towards the front of the train and boarded car 6 which is a dining car. It still had the little fireplace in the middle on one side that a couple kids sat on while the train was stopped. We sat down at two tables. On one side of the train was the huge grain mill at the Gruenwarenhaus and on the other, a vast green field dotted with yellow rape (horrible name, I know, that that is the name of the flower that they grow here for oil).

Each train window had little paper ornaments hanging in it that the school children had made.

A nice lady came around taking orders. Kirk and I had gluwein, the traditional hot spiced wine served here at Christmas, and the girls had fanta and cocoa.

The train started up and the kids were excited and happy. We saw our house and crossed the main road. A man with a little flag waving stopped traffic even though there is a railroad crossing there.

About 10 minutes into the ride, I spotted the old black carriage that we’d seen last year. The train slowed and stopped and I hopped out just to the little platform at the back of the car to take photos. The driver wore a black top hat with his grey sweater and a white scarf. St. Nikolaus and Black Peter sat in the back and men dressed like the conductor walked behind the carriage with sacks of goodies. Everyone in the car was buzzing. Parents stood ready with cameras all pointed at the door waiting for the anticipated knock. Kids squirmed in their seats. I also had my camera ready, so I didn’t notice Elise disappear.

Soon the train started again and then we heard the knock. St. Nikolaus came in with Black Peter carrying a large burlap bag. He went from child to child, shaking their hands and handing them little plastic bags with the traditional weckmanbrot (bread), a clementine, a printen cookie, and a chocolate santa. I ended up getting stuck behind St. Nicolaus so I couldn’t get pictures of my girls, but Kirk had a good enough view to notice that Elise wasn’t there to get her goodie and before St. Nikolaus left the train, Kirk told him (in German) that there was another one under the table. Elise “hat angst,” so Tiara took her goodie bag for her.

On the rest of the train ride the girls nibbled on their goodies and Elise and Luci played house with their chocolate santas.

This year we knew what to expect, so we were ready to jump off the train at the end and find our places in the big building around the corner. We sat at a long table near the front. A man on stage played the piano and sung traditional Christmas carols in both German and English. Kirk got in line to get waffles covered in hot cherries and whipped cream, cocoa, and bratwurst in brotchen. I got out a couple euro for coffee. The tent filled up with people and soon St. Nikolaus and Black Peter walked in and took their places onstage. Then the line formed and children went up one at a time to tell him their name, age, and to perform their talent. Some young ones said their ABC’s and counted. One girl played the recorder. But, most kids sung songs including what I thought was “glowstick,” a song that both Arianna and Luci learned in school and sung a lot at home. Kirk told me later that it wasn’t “glowstick,” but “lustig” meaning happy. Either way, it's a cute song and we've all been singing the tune most of the month.

When it was time to go St. Nikolaus and Black Peter made their way from the stage stopping to shake hands with the children as they left. Arianna and Elise were both happy to shake “Santa’s” hand and Arianna also shook hands with Black Peter, but when Black Peter turned to shake Elise’ hand, she turned away and hid. He is a pretty scary guy and rightly so, as the bad children are supposed to be beaten with the sticks that Black Peter usually carries.

The ride back to Gillrath was nice and uneventful. The kids and Kirk sat inside sipping cocoa and Tiara and I stood freezing in the back taking pictures of the billowing loops of steam spilling into the air as the train went by.

Nikolauslied is the name of the wonderful song that Luci has been singing. The lyrics are below. For more wonderful German children's songs, here's a great site to find them: http://www.kinderreimeseite.de.

Nikolauslied

Lasst uns froh und munter sein
Und uns recht von Herzen freu'n!

Lustig, lustig, trallalallala,
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!

Bald ist uns're Schule aus,
Dann zieh'n wir vergnügt nach Haus.

Lustig, lustig, trallalallala,
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!

Dann stell ich den Teller auf,
Niklaus legt gewis was drauf,

Lustig, lustig, trallalallala,
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!

Steht der Teller auf dem Tisch,
Sing ich nochmals froh und frisch.

Lustig, lustig, trallalallala,
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!

Wenn ich schlaf, dann träume ich.
Jetzt bringt Niklaus was für mich.

Lustig, lustig, trallalallala,
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!

Wenn ich aufgestanden bin,
Lauf ich schnell zum Teller hin.

Lustig, lustig, trallalallala,
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!

Niklaus ist ein guter Mann,
Dem man nicht g'nug danken kann.

Lustig, lustig, trallalallala,
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!
Bald ist Nikolausabend da!