At first I was rather apprehensive, as the plan was to leave by bus at 10 p.m. and drive all night. It reminded me of college, actually, but I soon realized that no college student travels as well as the American Spouses. :-) We did leave that late, and we did drive through the night. It was brutal and cold (somehow I missed the part of the email that said bring blankets and pillows)! What was an awesome sight, though, was stopping at the Polish border at sunrise. About an hour later, we arrived in Boleslawiec, a town filled with Polish pottery factories.
The Polish Border at sunrise.... 
This is the very first shop we stopped at. I liked it very much and felt they had a great selection, but was apprehensive to buy anything since I was not familiar with the shopping there. Lucky for me, we went to this one again before we left the country the next day.
Alas! This won't fit in my bag.....
The interesting things the factories do with pottery that
doesn't pass inspection.....
So Many Choices...
Our Gang...
We spent the first day literally shopping til we dropped. Even I grew weary of shopping. It was nice to get back to our hotel and settle in. I had never stayed in a European hotel, so was not sure what to expect. All was fine...the bed was very comfortable and warm, which was great because it was cold and there was snow on the ground. The hotel restaurant was very cozy with a roaring fire in the fireplace. Most of us could barely stay awake to eat. I am glad we did because it was fantastic.
A tired group waiting for dinner.
The next day...all bundled up ready to walk to more factory shops. Today, I scored on some great dishes. I bought very pretty casserole dishes for my and Chris' mom, and our sisters-in-law.
Martha and Jean Marie with a great find!
While I felt like I had just begun my shopping, there was plenty to see in this town. We had been told to expect to see evidence of poverty, etc., and some women knew to bring small change and candies for young boys and girls that would flock to tour buses looking for handouts. While there were not flocks of children, there were some hanging around, always asking if they could help load our packages on the bus, etc.
When we drove around Boleslawiec, the cemeteries were very brightly decorated with fresh flowers. It was All Souls' Day and flower vendors were at every corner selling flowers and candles for people to buy to place on loved ones' graves.
More sights around Boleslawiec.....
Today, we also hit some crystal and antique shops in addition to the pottery factory shops. We were on the road again about 3 p.m. to make our way to Seiffen, Germany for more shopping. We arrived about dinner time. Again, the hotel seemed like a haven after shopping and another long bus ride. The restaurant was all set up and ready for our crowd and the food was absolutely delicious. While I had traditional wiener schnitzel (plus a YUMMY raddler to drink), my friend Jean ordered the wild boar stew. If I ever go back, that is definitely what I'll order next time!
Our hotel had a nice gift shop with a work/craft shop in the back. It was open, so we could see someone working on the intricate Christmas pyramids and candle arches.
An upscale European hotel room....
Wild boar stew!
Seiffen seems to be a village undiscovered by foreigners (except us, I guess). While the village was hopping with many, many shoppers, they all seemed to be German! It was a pleasant surprise to shop for our Christmas treasures where the Germans buy theirs! Men were dressed in their lederhosen and feathered caps, and walked with decorated walking sticks in one hand and their wives' purchases in their other!
Scenes around Seiffen... 
We must have a photo of where most of our family's
Christmas gifts were purchased (Seiffener Pyramidenhaus)!
Shopping, girlfriends, snow....Latte Macchiato!
My roomate, Joyce, and I were so caught up in the Christmas spirit...especially when we walked out after breakfast to a beautiful snowfall. The shops are breathtakingly beautiful, with carved toys, nutcrackers, window arches, music boxes, etc. The village is decorated in a whimsical fashion, with stained glass streetlamps and giant statues of nutcrackers and other Christmas toys at every corner. When the day was over, and we loaded onto the bus for our journey home, I was completely done with my Christmas shopping for the year...plus some!!
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