Dec 09, 2015 Children in the Bavarian capital of Munich were recently treated to a special train ride as they were greeted by St Nicholas.
Pulled by a vintage steam locomotive built in 1943, the Christmas train puffed its way around Munich for an hour-long tour, during which St Nicholas made his way through the carriages distributing gifts to the children.
Unlike Father Christmas that delivers his gifts on the 24th of December, St Nicholas brings his gift in the first week of December.
Speaking about the experience, Jens Bauer, who played the role of St Nicholas said:
“I make my way through the train in my St Nicholas costume. In the older carriages of course noise is an issue – you have to shout to be understood. I greet the passengers, paying most attention to the children of course, and then there are small presents from Krampus… Most of the children are amazed, they react very positively but some of the smaller ones can be a bit scared sometimes,”
All passengers onboard the trained appeared to be delighted by St Nicholas’ benevolence.
Manuel Aslanidis said:
“We are here for the first time. My wife found out about it on the Internet – it’s really great. Really it’s a journey into the past,”
Johannes Klose said:
“We were here last year too and it’s lovely in this nice weather. It’s just a shame that we can’t open all the windows to get a sense of the engine outside. But it’s cosy and warm here, and there is a good atmosphere with Santa,”