Begging Your Indulgence. . .

The yearly Christmas Market in Luebeck, Germany, adjacent to the Marienkirche and the old Rathaus. While I've never been to the city in December, I've spent lots of time goofing off in this very square during visits in 1986, 1990, and 2009.

Today is the first of December and time again for various and sundry seasonal images that catch my eye. While I promise there will be more photos of my own soldiers-in-progress and tabletop battles in the coming days and weeks as the academic calendar for the year mercifully winds down, I nevertheless wanted to kick off the Advent and Christmas season with a few photographs of the annual Luebecker Weinachtsmarkt . . . The Christmas Market as it exists in Luebeck, Germany. I've never been fortunate enough to spend Christmas in this delightfully sleepy old capital of the Hanseatic League, but I hope to one day. Keep your fingers crossed. In the meantime. . .

Another part of the Christmas market in the old part of the city center, this time along An der Obertrave. The Grand Duchess and I purchased some delicious marzipan in one of the shops here during our June 2009 visit to Luebeck.

Another Christmas market in another part of the old town, this time in front of the old Hospital of the Holy Ghost along Der Grosse Burgstrasse.

Here's a shot of the main Christmas Market near the Marienkirche. Doesn't it look pretty? The German word gemuetlichkeit comes readily to mind when I look at scenes like this.

Here's a dark, snowy street scene during one recent December in Luebeck. It looked just like this the first time I visited in Febrary 1986. Snow and coalsmoke everywhere. I even saw a tall blond guy with a mustache dressed in old-fashioned black chimney sweep clothes, complete with tophat and large wire brush attached to a long, coiled cable over his shoulder.

And finally, an advertisement for one recent Christmas Market in the city. Why is it that we always want to be somewhere else where we are not?

The 18th century? What's the Fascination?

Hessian musketeers by All the King's Men Toy Soldiers of Snellville, Georgia, U.S.A. Just a quick post post today, but I thought the above question might be interesting food for thought. Obviously, there is an array of possible periods, theaters, and conflicts that might catch our eyes. But what is it about the era 1700-1799 -- either real, or imagined? Is it the commanders and politics? The fairly straightforward tactics? The myriad of uniforms and flags? The variety and scope of the conflicts? The patchwork of various and sundry petty states, (at least in Central Europe)? I'm very interested to learn your thoughts. Don't be a lurker! Please leave a comment -- or even two or three. Have a nice day everyone!

An Early July Hussar Update. . .

Marginally neater in appearance with green bases, girths, and ivory horse markings added, but I need to neaten up some hooves now before moving onto the rest of the tack. W here in the world did June go? While I still ponder the answer to that question, how about a quick painting update on the first batch of 14 Minden Austrian hussars and Nadasdy? Good. I'm glad we are of a like mind. Still on the sloppy side, but I've managed to move things along, painting the green bases, white (ivory) horse markings, and beginning the miles and miles of tack adorning the various horses. I always like to begin with the girths spanning the horses' ribs which helped hold the saddles in place. Even with the figures mounted individually on temporary painting bases, these can be kind of tricky to access, but there we are. I've also used various Army Painter washes (Mid-Brown and Strong Tone) as well as their Speed Paint (Grim Black) to make the manes and tails of the horses a bit m...

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions. Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed. Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red. They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery. I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point. Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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