Bigger than a breadbox…

This blog’s name, as some might know, started out as a joking riff on a song by John Cale (“At Half Past France” John Cale, “Paris, 1919” for those following along at home) and was intended to share a journey of two people, as seen from the perspective of one of them.

Landing in France, situated in a village in the Pas de Calais so tiny it no longer had a bus stop on the regional system, the title seemed to suggest something, but now I’m not sure exactly what. A joke? A veiled prophecy?

Today, I am as far from Paris as France is wide, in a town that was compared to Paris, by German writer, for its arts and natural surroundings. And it’s an old town, just as Paris is, with its medieval nooks and crannies, mysteries, and stories.

Less than a hundred meters away, stands a building built in 1165 (Nikolaikirche), serving as a focal point and a landmark.

And in December, there was plenty happening in the neighborhood, most especially the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt, the annual Christmas market here.

It’s among the oldest in Germany, and one of the best known, so there’s plenty of tourists and day-trippers who come to take it all in. Lots of history, even the recipes… I mean, even the Flammküchen are historical!

Of course, there are plenty of photo-ops if you are paying attention, no matter which way you look.

This group was greatly amused when I showed them the series of images I’d made of them. I was using the 12mm lens, so I had to get in close to do these… it was not a subtle street photo but very much in their faces.

All shapes, sizes, and modes of transportation — being so close to the Hauptbahnhof, it was an easy walk or scooter ride to the Market. And, of course, you could dress any way you wanted.

“FROMAGE!”

 

Her word for 2019 is “Challenge.” And so we will…