Skating in the market square

Now that the Christmas markets are a memory in Lübeck, the market square next to Marienkirche in the center of town has a new attraction: an ice rink. We happened to be walking by on opening night this past Friday night, and they really did it up right, with fireworks and a skating exhibition, to kick things off. 

They have pretty white tents set up around the perimeter of the rink, renting skates and selling wursts and candies and muzen (puffy pillows with powdered sugar, like mini donuts) … und gluhwein und glogg! My kind of stadt!

I think of Lübeck as a sister city of Duluth (similar in size, both interesting cities), even though Duluth is about 700 years younger. Duluth should do something like this skating rink, with the tents selling goodies and places for onlookers to sit and have glogg. Unlike Lübeck, they wouldn’t even have to use refrigeration to freeze the ice. I wonder if it’s legal to sell hot glogg in a public area in Duluth? 

For little kids who are learning to skate, they can take a penguin to hang onto. I would like to take a penguin too, if I try to skate. Which I will not do, sadly.