[captioning made possible by friends of nci] >> welcome to "travelscope"... with joseph rosendo... where each week you join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit. >> woo hoo! today on "travelscope," i celebrate the season in the christmas markets of switzerland with music, local foods, and plenty of holiday cheer. >> "travelscope" is made possible by... volvo's overseas delivery program, where buyers can pick up a new volvo in sweden, use it in europe, and then have it join them at home. volvo's overseas delivery program. and park air express on century boulevard, offering indoor valet or self-parking. park air

express, a shuttle ride away from l.a.x. and no-jet-lag, jet lag prevention. >> when i travel, i love celebrating other people's holidays or gaining a new perspective on my own. christmas is a joyous time of year, and each country has its own ways of making merry: special customs, foods, drinks, and holiday markets are all part of christmas in switzerland. my switzerland christmas market adventure begins on lake geneva in montreux, where christmas markets are a new holiday tradition of which gluhwein, a hot mulled wine, is an essential ingredient. ah. norbert muller is the vice director of the montreux christmas market. and how long has it been going on here in montreux? >> 16 years. >> now, the tradition of christmas markets in europe, though, dates way back. >> for centuries, mostly in germany. we took it. we picked it up from germany, let's say. >> and improved upon it?

>> and we tried to improve it, that's right. we do it maybe a little bit differently. we brought some special flavor. as you can see, the quality of the chalets are beautiful. look at the decoration that everybody does. >> fabulous. i see you have things for children, too, so this is really a family place. you know, what i love about christmas markets is that it's not like...you go to the mall to buy some gifts for your christmas list. it's you go to the christmas markets to be with people, and i can't think of a more beautiful setting than here in montreux right here on the lake with the mountains and everything. spectacular. >> spectacular. >> well, joyeux noel. >> joyeux noel. >> i'm with francois, and francois is with a hunters association, and the hunters association has come to the christmas market to serve some of their goods. now, you're also a winemaker, i understand. what kind of wines do you do and what are we going to taste? >> so we're going to taste, first of all, a schuessler.

>> ooh, i like this wine. >> and with that, i'm going to cut a sausage from wild pig. ok. >> merci. mmm. it goes very well with the schuessler. it's very good. >> mm-hmm. >> you know, i love this wine, and it's so unusual. it's a little bit spritzy, a little sparkly, almost like a gervoerts-romina. how about the red? >> so with the pinot noir, we're going to taste a sausage from venison. >> and the wine is stronger, of course, gevaert moore canon. mmm. but very good. both very good. well, one of the things i love about going to the markets in europe is you get to sample all of the local indigenous regional foods. now i've discovered that if you come to the christmas markets, that's true, too. so merci beaucoup and a votre sante. >> sante. merci. >> i'm with david, and david has come all the way from france-- which is over there... >> on the other side. >> not too far--to show us how

to roast chestnuts on an open fire. do you add anything to the fire? >> yeah. i am adding some salt. >> ooh. let's add some salt. let's show. >> i show you. >> ok, show me. oh, look at this, look at this. look how white that is. >> chestnuts are white. >> these are really, really-- here we go. [accordion playing native music] flares right out, creates the steam. i've had some of the roasted chestnuts here in switzerland, but let's see how this one is. does the steaming make them taste different than the ones open-grilled? >> they are more tender. >> oh. ooh, they're nice and warm, so when it's cold outside, it's almost good to get chestnuts because they keep your hands warm. mmm, you're right. they're sweeter and they're more tender. >> yeah. >> well, merci. >> it's a pleasure. >> joyeux noel. >> joyeux noel. merci. merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> ciao. >> [singing in native language] >> now, this is a very typical

experience that you can have when you come to the montreux christmas market. peter, tell me about raclette. >> cheese. >> cheese! >> ha ha ha! cheese heated under a grill. >> hmm. >> um, it's-- >> is it a special kind of cheese? >> it is raclette cheese. >> when is it perfect? >> it's judgment. you see it, you feel it. >> well, you smell it, too. >> ha ha ha ha! >> and that's good. >> yeah, you do. >> wow! when you leave it to the swiss to come up with the perfect device to melt cheese. >> of course. >> of course. >> ha ha ha! >> ok, so we've got the potatoes. >> you then add the traditional accompaniments. >> yes? >> pepper, cornichon, and onions. >> pepper, cornichon, and onions. of course, i've had it several times, all the shows and the times we've come to switzerland, and it's always a treat. here, you're going to help me out here. >> all right. i'll give it a go. but you have to remember, i'm working with it 7 days a week. >> you can never get too much

cheese in switzerland. i'm sorry. that's not a good answer. >> ha ha! >> while raclette is a special treat, the undisputed queen of all swiss cheese dishes is fondue, a magical marriage of flour, white wine, and at least two cheeses, including gruyere. it's a communal meal, where, along with the fondue, you're sharing the christmas market spirit. out of the kitchen, onto the table. carlos, grab your weapon. first things first. we need bread, right? >> yep. >> ok. is there a perfect size? >> actually, the size is about... yeah, maybe a bit bigger. >> ok, maybe a little bit bigger. >> yep. >> ok. and how about technique? >> well, i actually use the technique of i dip into it and i do a little 8. >> oh, so all the parts of the bread are covered. very clever. ok. en guete. >> en guete. >> which is swiss for "bon appetit." mmm! >> to spice things a little up, you can use a little pepper. here's how i do it--1, 2, 3

directly on your plate. >> 1, 2, 3, and then? >> and then you take it and you just dip it. >> mmm! better. >> mm-hmm. >> what other variations do you have at home? >> well, my family always use a little kirsch. >> ah, kirsch. now, kirsch is a cherry liqueur... >> yes. you take one bread... >> yeah? >> then you take the kirsch and slightly, just slightly dip it once and in... and here you go. mmm. >> mmm, that's good. that's a good touch. >> but only for grownups. >> only for grownups. they grow up very early here in switzerland. yum. swiss fondue is fun, dude. >> ha ha ha ha! >> from montreux, you can go

from the ponds through the pines to the peak at rochers-de-naye, where santa claus lives. just an hour from montreux, but at close to 7,000 feet--a world apart--rochers-de-naye can only be reached by cogwheel train and offers stunning views of lake geneva and some of the giants of the swiss french alps, like the eiger and mont blanc. at christmastime, boys and girls from near and far come to deliver their wish list to pere noel, father christmas. >> i'm here in santa claus' village and here's his armoire. let's see what's in it. oh, it's all the letters. all the kids bring him letters and pictures and all sorts of things. i'm completely unprepared. i hope he'll see me anyway. oh, ho ho! so nice to see you. >> nice to see you, too. >> i've known about you for many, many years now. yes. >> yes, yes, i remember you. >> do you remember me? >> oh, yeah. you have not been every time very good. >> not always very good, but i'm better now than i used to be. >> ok, sure.

>> are there a lot of good little kids here in switzerland? >> yes, oh, wonderful. >> really? better than other countries? >> they come from everywhere to see me. >> oh, yes? >> yes, all the countries of the world. >> well, and you go see them, too. >> yeah, sure, absolutely. >> now, when are you coming to the united states? >> 24th, in the night. >> oh, 24th. so we can look for you on the 24th. >> sure. >> what should we remember at christmastime? >> oh, remember to be good with the childrens. >> ah. >> they must go to school, they must study well to have a good life after. >> and to become good adults. well, we all need a little christmas all throughout the year, just not now. >> yes. so, my boy. >> thank you so much. >> thank you very much. good-bye. >> bye. >> bye. bye, everybody. >> see you on the 24th. >> yes, absolutely, yeah. >> maybe i can bribe you and buy you a little hot wine. >> oh, with pleasure. >> while, during the day, montreux's christmas market is a friendly gathering place, it really shines at night, when all of montreux enjoys the warmth,

glow, and tastes of the season. >> oh, my gosh. it's a chocolate shop. when you come to switzerland, you have to have chocolate, and when you come to a swiss christmas market, you have to have christmas chocolate. oh, bonsoir, monsieur. >> bonsoir, monsieur. [speaking french] >> oh, oui, oui. merci. ah, dark chocolate, my favorite. mmm! that is wonderful. also... >> el le blanc. >> le blanc. >> le blanc, which is not really chocolate, but isn't too bad, either. mmm. mmm! [speaking french] >> this is the chocolate swiss. this is swiss chocolate, which is milk chocolate... which is also good. >> it's fine? >> i prefer the dark chocolate. mmm. >> you prefer the dark? >> the noir, yes. >> the noir.

[speaks french] >> ok. merci, merci, merci. [both speak french] >> a little bit of hot chocolate for this cold evening here in switzerland. >> voila. >> merci. >> and joyeux noel. >> joyeux noel. joyeux noel. merry christmas. how can you have a merry christmas without chocolate in switzerland? merci, monsieur. joyeux noel. >> merci. >> christmas is a festival of lights, a time to dispel all of the dark, so one of the best times to be at the christmas markets of switzerland is at night, when you can see all the lights of christmas.

while montreux, home of the famous jazz festival, is hip and lively, lausanne, home of the international olympic committee, is noted for its ties to history and tradition. although people have lived alongside the lake in what we now call lausanne since the stone-age times, the old town has really been around since the 6th century. it's where the historic landmarks of lausanne are located, such as the cathedral and the town hall, the bishop's palace. it's also where the christmas market of lausanne is located, in the place st.-francoise, alongside the church. well, if you come to the christmas market in switzerland, one of the things you have to share with people is some hot mulled wine, so... >> cheers. >> sante, sante, sante. we're in the french-speaking part of switzerland, so we say "sante" here. a little later, we'll be saying, "prosit." and you are both--matthew and melanie are

from lausanne. >> exactly. >> and do you come to the christmas market every year? >> yeah, every year. >> really? >> it's a tradition. >> dominique, you're actually with the christmas market. >> yes. >> how many of these little chalets are there here? >> there are about 50 chalets. they have crafts and arts and clothing, jewelry, soaps-- really nice things to give as presents for christmas. >> do you actually buy gifts for people here, or do you just come here to hang out? >> just for the hot wine. >> just for the hot wine. that's what i call--well, sante. >> sante. >> in keeping with its traditional roots, in lausanne's christmas market, i meet samichlaus, who is based on saint nikolaus, and his holiday partner, schmutzli. while samichlaus embodies the holiday's giving tradition with gingerbread treats, it's the schmutzli with his whip of twigs, who keeps tabs on whether swiss children have been naughty or nice. >> so it's the tradition. if the kids have been naughty all year, the parents are going to phone the schmutzli. yeah, they're

going to phone the schmutzli nowadays, and he's going to whip them. >> ok. joyeux noel. joyeux noel. ah, we have some kids here. >> [speaking french] >> [chanting in french] >> perhaps even more important than saint nikolaus and schmutzli in lausanne is the night watchman. in typical swiss fashion, for more than 600 years, he has been keeping the town on time and letting people know that all is well. i visit him in his dwelling atop the lausanne cathedral. what a nice little room. it's nice and warm in here. i'm surprised. >> you're welcome. >> now, how long have you been doing this? >> i started in 1987, and this is 5 nights per week. and when i'm not here, i have substitutes. i have to be sure somebody's here in the tower because all over the year, somebody is here, with no exception.

>> of course. we're here covering the christmas markets of switzerland, which is a--and here in europe and in switzerland, it's a great tradition. but this, the watchman tradition, is a tradition that's been going on for more than 600 years. it's amazing. >> yes, exactly, yes. >> what made you want to do it? >> when i started, a friend of mine was a substitute. >> aha. >> and they needed somebody to come. in that time, i had no family, i was rather free, and i said, "oh, it's a great opportunity to be alone in this cathedral." i was very honored to be asked for this duty. >> well, you felt honored doing this. i feel honored being here with you. now, it's almost time for you to do it. 10:00, right? >> yes, i start at 10:00 until 2:00 in the morning, every hour. [bell tolling]

>> wow! >> [chanting in french] >> renato, do you mind if i do that once? >> you can, yeah, but in french. [speaks french] "it's the watchman." >> uh-huh. >> [speaking french] and i say it twice. >> [speaks french] >> [both chant in french] >> here we go. [chanting in french] ha ha! >> ok. you can come as a substitute. >> that's wonderful. heh heh!

merci beaucoup. >> yes. [speaks french] >> since christmas markets originated in german-speaking europe in the 16th century, it's natural that basel, located on the rhine river and with suburbs in germany, has one of switzerland's oldest and liveliest markets. while the christmas market tradition is rather recent in the french part of switzerland, here in basel, in the german part of switzerland, it's been going on for hundreds of years. so in these christmas markets, you'll find a lot of the traditional things connected to christmas, like the cookies and the gluhwein and even local breads. and even more traditional than the loaves of bread are the getoffin dinette, or the pizza-like-looking items over here. that one's made with potatoes, cheese, and speck, which is bacon. mmm. that's lovely. the best

thing about christmas--the foods. you know you're in the german part of switzerland when you can choose from 7 different sausages. [bell ringing] >> [speaking german] >> hey. >> hey, hi. hello. >> guten tag, guten tag. >> very fine chocolate. >> chocolate? >> yes. >> dark chocolate? noir? >> no. >> and you're peter? >> yes, peter. >> what is schoggi? >> schoggi-peter. >> oh, it's chocolate peter. >> chocolate, yes. >> wow, chocolate peter. >> it's a very fine drink, huh? >> oh, this is wonderful for the holiday. >> yes. heh heh! it's chocolate make, uh-- >> people happy. >> happy, yes. ha ha! >> you're right. is that why all the swiss are so happy all the time? >> yeah, ja. >> ja, of course. >> why not? yeah. >> why not? ok, well, danke. >> thank you, huh? >> danke. when you're in basel, one of the

things you must try is the leckerli. here's a little sample. this is as big as they come, and they are gingerbread and nuts and--mmm! quite good. let's go see how they're made. the key ingredients of the 600- year-old leckerli pastry are flour, honey, nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a sugar icing on top. at sutter begg baker, the leckerli has evolved into the leckerli torte, a culinary embarrassment of riches. one of the joys of doing "travelscope" is not only do i get to taste all these wonderful foods and seasonal foods from around the world, but i also get to help make it. and christoph is going to take me through the process. this is what we were seeing over there. >> yep. now we'll put the chocolate, the milk chocolate on it. >> milk chocolate. it makes sense that we'd use for a swiss pastry the swiss chocolate. >> yep. >> next step? >> then you put curacao cream on it. curacao is an orange liqueur. >> ok, now, and--whoop. that

looks like a lot, huh? >> yeah. you take this one. >> ok, you do it. >> ok. >> next step is-- >> the sponge cake. >> yeah. >> just lay it right on top? >> yeah. >> now what? >> more cream. >> second layer of curacao cream. whoever gets my cake is going to be very happy because i overdo everything. there we go. how long has the leckerli torte been a part of christmas in basel? >> the leckerli torte, since 15 years. >> uh-huh. >> but the specialty is the top on it, the leckerli, since the 15th century. >> 15th century. so this just pops right down on here? >> that's right. >> wow. look at that. and that's it. do we cook it any more or anything? >> no, we don't touch it. >> that's it. it's done. >> yeah. >> now, here is a little version of it, it looks like, here. this looks like a little baby version. >> yes, for one person. >> perfect for eating. >> yeah.

>> mmm! mmm. this is great. >> ok. >> merry christmas. >> thank you. you, too. >> close by the rhine is the johann wanner christmas house, where the art of glass-blown and hand-painted christmas decorations reach celestial heights, and i meet mr. wanner, an architect of christmas dreams. the passion for christmas for most of us began when we were small. is it the same with you, when you were children? >> ja. we all hardly could wait till it was evening, and then, when the bell was ringing, so-- >> what date would that be? what day? >> 24th. >> the 24th, on christmas eve. >> the evening of the christmas eve, the bell was ringing, so we--the door opened and we went into this parlor. >> hmm. everything was decorated? >> and it was fantastic. >> was kind of like this. >> ja, ja. >> like, oh, my gosh. you come in here and it's, like, the same thing. you walk in through the door here in your shop, and it's like walking into a memory of christmas, even memories that

we maybe didn't have. >> i'm living on this children's island still. >> ha ha! exactly. >> ja. >> and what's nice is that what you've done now allows all of us to have the same experience. >> yeah, yes. >> thank you so much. >> thank you for coming. [trumpets playing] it's easy to see why christmas is a season of light. you can spot the sparkle in the eyes of those making merry at the basel christmas market. and why not celebrate, when there are so many ways for friends to rejoice together? well, i think i've found the busiest gluhwein stand in the market. it's really a great place to come together at the end of the day, and this is really unique because it's a merry-go-round that they've converted, so it's now a moving gluhwein stand. frohliche weihnachten. [horns playing]

thank you for joining me on my swiss christmas markets adventure. christmas is a festival of lights, and from the shores of lake geneva to the banks of the rhine, we celebrated the season in the multicolored glow and reflected radiance of holiday lights and decorations. christmas is the season of joy, and in the languages of switzerland, we've wished each other a joyeux noel, a bon natale, and a frohliche weihnachten. christmas is a time of hope, and although our life and times may be filled with trials and tribulations, we remain of good cheer because we know that christmas brings the promise that the winter darkness will fade into a glorious spring of rebirth and growth. the spirit of christmas is not in the baubles and bangles, trifles and trinkets. it is in the warm-hearted blessings that

we gift each other at this time of year. until next time, this is joseph rosendo, reminding you of the words of mark twain: "travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." happy traveling, merry christmas, happy holidays, and a peaceful new year. >> "travelscope" is made possible by...volvo's overseas delivery program, where buyers can pick up a new volvo in sweden, use it in europe, and then have it join them at home. volvo's overseas delivery program. and park air express on century boulevard, offering indoor valet or self-parking. park air express, a shuttle ride away from l.a.x. and no-jet-lag, jet lag prevention. for a dvd of today's show, or any of joseph's "travelscope"

adventures, call 888-876-3399, or order online at travelscope.net. you can also e-mail us at tv@travelscope.net or write us at the address on your screen. >> now that you've celebrated christmas in switzerland, learn more at travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my e-magazine, blog, and podcast. stay in touch. 888-876-3399 or tv@travelscope.net. [captioning made possible by friends of nci] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--]

>> you look beautiful in this bowl. >> yes. >> like a young girl. >> ha ha ha!