No Longer A Tourist

Over 2 million people are flocking to Strasbourg this December for the Christmas Markets, and my little city is fit to burst with the sudden onslaught of visitors. Every hotel room is booked, and the city streets show it. I rarely even try to brave the Christmas markets on Saturdays, because you literally can't move in the crowds. At first, I was worried that I would  feel like just another tourist, but I don't, at all. Instead, I feel like I'm pretty much a member of the Strasbourgoise, wondering why all these extra people are in my city. (Where are you all from, seriously?! And must you really clog all the streets and restaurants and trams?) I think it is similar to how people from New York City must feel all the time. 

I'm not really complaining, though. Of course, the crowds get a little annoying, but I've met people from all over the world in the last few weeks. Some of the best moments have been overhearing tourists exclaiming "this is my favorite place in the world" or "This is absolutely incredible!" or "I wish the Christmas markets could last all year" or my personal favorite: "I wish I lived here!" (The last one makes me a little smug, seeing as I do live here, at least for the next few months). 

However, riding the train back home last night--after a day spent braving the Saturday Christmas markets with Julianne, Bridget, and Christian, who were visiting from Dijon--I was caught up in listing all the reasons why I no longer feel like a tourist here in Strasbourg. So here are a few:

You know you are no longer a tourist when:

- strangers ask you for directions and you can successfully get them to where they need to go
- you never need to consult a map
- when you have friends visiting, you have an arsenal of restaurants to recommend to them
- you no longer fall over spectacularly when the tram starts or stops moving
- casually walking along a street or when sitting at a café, you meet someone you know without having priorly arranged meeting them
- you know tram stops and tram schedules by heart
- the people who work at your favorite café know exactly what you are going to order (un chocolat viennoise, bien sur!) and sometimes they give you ginger cookies for free

Oh Café Michel, I will love you forever

Of course, sometimes I still have to glance at a map. And I still get caught up with restaurant recommendations, since I mostly eat with my host family. And of course, once in a while the tram jerks to a stop and catches me off-guard, resulting in some truly spectacular falls. I still don't completely belong to the true Strasborgeoise. But I'd like to say I'm fairly close? 

At any rate, I must dive back into the busy Christmas markets now, and run some last-minute errands. Perhaps I'll pick myself up a steaming cup of vin chaud blanc while I'm there... I tried some of Bridget's last night, and I now realize that I have been missing out on how delicious the hot spiced white wine is by just sticking with the traditional hot red wine! 

I only have two days left to enjoy the world's best Christmas markets, so I better make every moment count!