I love Christmas in a cold climate, this will be my 4th. The xmas markets are up and running in Lille, the clustered wooden huts sell freshly cooked crepes, vin chaud and pain d’epice. I love mulled wine, gluwien, vin chaud, whatever you want to call it! I remember at the Germany xmas markets it came in mugs or glasses with the regions name on it and the year….it is ridiculous how many of those mugs we have. Instead of bar hopping we would xmas market hop with our friends! It was always steaming and somehow retained its full alcoholic content, if you weren’t careful before you even took a sip you could pass out on the fumes. We loved that wine so much that along with our friends we were holidaying with over xmas and the new year, we bought out the whole supply at the local store. For us it represented a European xmas, something so different and so very magical. But the magic is not in the bottle its in the atmosphere, we realized this when we all starting drinking it in our very well heated Austrian chalet, so up we all got and headed out side to stand around drinking it in the snow and the cold. The markets may not be as good here as in Germany, the vin chaud may come in plastic cups, but everywhere there is still that wonderful European Christmas magic. And if you know which chocolatier to go to, the vin chaud is superb and oh so elegantly served with complimentary tarte poire.