The bell founder...

...on the first Christmas Market 2015 in our region.

Der Glockengießer auf dem ersten regionalen Weihnachtsmarkt 2015
im Park von Schloss Crailsheim in Rödelsee, Unterfranken, Bayern.

 Hi folks!

Last time but one weekend we still had a kind of great last summer temperatures and a lot of sunshine, this weekend we've got the first winter day here in our region with the first snow at higher altitudes!

So it was time to visit the very first Christmas market (worth visiting):

The Christmas market at Crailsheim Castle in the small village of Roedelsee (a population of about 1700 people).

One of the attractions of this small, but lovingly organized Christmas market was (in my view) the booth of a bell founder / belleter; a craft you don't find very often nowadays in public.

So I took my time to observe and photograph the handicraft activities of this craftsperson.

At first her had to prepare the sand moulds and melted the bell bronze at a temperature of about 1100°C. Thereafter he cast the liquid metal into the sand forms.

 After a cooling time of about 30 minutes (for big bells it can last up to three days!)...

...he separated the mould housings from each other and put the hardened bells with the cast-on section out of the sand mould.

The last work steps were cutting the cast-on section, cleaning and brushing to get the finished bell - not to forget to mount the bell clapper in the bell.

A happy and peaceful Advent season to all of you!

Ring the bells of peace!

 Linked to: THROUGH MY LENS

Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Weikersheim

Friday evening, on the Christmas market "Weihnachtszauber" / "Christmas Glamour" at Weikersheim,

13 kilometers away from my home town.

This year's Christmas market was is situated around Weikersheim Palace,

on of the bigger palaces in the state of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany

Multiple food stands and booths with Christmas gifts and decorations are placed in the inner courtyard and around the palace, including the part of the Weikersheim market place facing the palace.

This is what we call 'Gluehwein / Glühwein' in Germany, literally translated into "glow wine",
as far as I know it's called 'mulled wine' in English.

A radio and TV crew was on site as well on the Friday evening...

...to report about this enchanting local Christmas market.

Due to the fact I visited the Christmas market together with my sweatheart and her friend I did not take my tripod with me (--> the ladies are not willing to wait excessively for their companion!). But my monopod is 'a must' when taking photographs at available light or even during night to minimize camera shake as good as possible.

A great 3rd Advent Sunday for all of you!

I wish you a Merry Christmas!

With today's photos from Bad Mergentheim's Christmas market

I wish you, dear friends from all over the world,

a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous and peaceful New Year!

Unfortunately all the snow we got recent weekend melted away,

but therefore we got "springlike" temperatures of about 7°C... ;-)

This year's Christmas market of my hometown has taken place between Bad Mergentheim market place and our Deutschordensschloss, the castle of the Teutonic Order.

Thanks a lot for stopping by on my blog every now and then, especially those of you who take their time to pass a comment. And those of you who intend to do this in near future... ;-)

Hug those around you!