http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/21/530571.aspxBy Andy Eckardt, NBC News Producer MAINZ, Germany – It smelled of fresh-baked cookies when I dropped my children off at kindergarten on a recent morning. For a moment, I just stood there, inhaled the sweet scent and watched little kids in their apronsen-USCommunityServer 2.0 (Build: 60608.1)http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/21/530571.aspx#531261Sat, 22 Dec 2007 16:36:01 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:531261Clyde Roberts, Venice, FloridaMy wife and I just returned from a Rhine River cruise that included visits to the Christmas markets of Switzerland, Germany and France. It's an indescribable experience seeing all the merchandise and food vendors in their brighly lit cubicles, one after another,  lining the city squares.  We had a terrifically fun trip browsing and eating our way through each town's market.  We highly recommend the trip. The markets open in late November - early December each year.