Culture heres whats coming up. Lifes a circus training for a career under the big top and from. Back to baroque Historical Performance of a personal opera. And out of the woods galleries to gave up a lucrative job. Lets start off with this weeks your mack series home for christmas where we explore the roots of christmas traditions and off final episode were tracking down a mysterious figure whos known by many names santa claus father christmas saint nick where does the jolie man in the red suit really come from. Were traveling way up north to the finnish province of lapland where range is rome the regions capital has its very own santa claus village and a man who claims to be the real deal. Well the locals call him. We set off for the Arctic Circle to find out is that you santa claus. Deep in the magical snowy landscapes of finnish lapland near the glistening city of rovaniemi is the place this santa calls. Visitors from all over the world make the pilgrimage to santa claus village up in the Arctic Circle every year since one thousand nine hundred five santa has welcomed thousands of guests young and old right here in his own living room he listens to all their wishes hello im santa claus. Quite real we are right now here at the Arctic Circle. K. Twelve to the north but is also to the world of. Tree and wonderful place to make a ways this is one place where no one doubts the existence of santa claus i dont think you are ever to all. Fifty major nerd i lord it is. Only you. Who are in the field know whether you should be a lot but. I came here and it was actually good speak but yes yes. I think he is actually thinking like this. And every year about five hundred thousand letters and cards with wish list arrive at his official post office of course father christmas cant answer that many letters himself but he has a host of busy elves who lend a helping hand and. We help. All year round every day and this is like a normal post office here in feline. Possibles you can buy its nice stamps and of course this is the place where all the letters to the klaus comes to what people and children are right. These are just like to send postcards stamped with an Arctic Circle postmark to their friends and family as santa claus gives every letter his full attention but some a moment then others sometimes i cut letters it waits little girls tell them. Everything they need to know somebody who is in need and they ask me to remember them. This kind of letters are very true to my hearts. Whole theme park based on christmas in santa claus village visitors can experience the entire spectrum of the Christmas Season every day. For lovers of christmas the village near rovaniemi has been the place to get into the spirit for thirteen years now but legend has it that science is real home is much fun and knows. We were always told that santa is fun or about on tory that is the mountain called air mountain because santa good here all the way up the gates around the world. In a very remote there riyadh barry closed the peano russian border and its hard to get in there thats why basically sanchez relates whats been it for the travelers to meet in a more ease their way santa claus village is open all year round farted fills most genuine in the winter months when the temperature drops to minus twenty degrees celsius perfect for a little jaunt with the docks a. Great beer full sleighs and a more steak effects so how do you sound to manage to deliver so many gifts. To so many children. Time. Is relative. And that city you just have to go how to be in the millions of different places around the same time and after practicing it through well a couple of centuries i think its quite well. The atmosphere gets really cosy in the evening with glowing campfires and entertaining music shops even the most stubborn scrooge succumbs to the holidays enchantment. And for those who want fortunate enough to visit him santa has this message. I wish you all a very very happy christmas. And you can watch back all five parts of the series on our website now all this week weve been asking you to tell us where youd most like to spend the Festive Season and most of you have said that for you christmas is a Family Affair the winner of our competition hails from in latvia in s. A cow galva tells us that she loves nothing more than spending time with her extended family on Christmas Day and as a thank you for taking part here is an early Christmas Gift your exclusive your max watch. Now lets catch up with some stories making culture headlines in europe here is our express. On thursday Prince Charles hosted a Charity Dinner at Buckingham Palace traditionally the Princes Trust foundation collects money for projects helping disadvantaged young people in britain on hand was after interest elder himself a former beneficiary of the trust. Every acting role i get i always remember there was the Princes Trust that helped make my fortune korea. The Princes Trust has supported over eight hundred thousand young people since its founding in one nine hundred seventy nine. Also on thursday was the launch of a new book about berlin in the roaring twentys among those attending the event with the books illustrator over to new post and its writer boyce puff on posting elaborate illustrations the book immerses readers in the head mystic heyday of one thousand nine hundred twenty s. Berlin it includes detailed Historical Information on the people and places featured. But typically gardens in copenhagen have been transformed into a Winter Wonderland courtesy of one million laps bathing both the trees and the buildings in a sea of light but typically lights concept has also caught on outside denmark the Rockefeller Center in new york is also the top every christmas time in similar style the Tiffany Gardens are an Amusement Park created in one thousand nine hundred eighty three one of the oldest of its kind in the world. Now were off to a school in france where being the class clown could make you the stop pupil at least in one of the fifteen lessons taught. At the Circus School and. The curriculum is built around the disciplines of daunts fits and acrobatics every year less than twenty students are accepted for the program at the sunken astronaut they do so so lets see what it takes to be a circus star. In the end youre going to feel like flying i have to go in there and its its amazing when when you do this thing. To keep doing it right the floor is young men practice at least six hours a day they come from denmark sweden and switzerland they met in two thousand and fifteen at a private academy in copenhagen they specialize in the korean teeter board practicing the figures on a trampoline. Leg every time you jump and you do a new trade its its a big challenge because were scared also like its the challenges to like to to push over the fear like with. Like every day do something new and do this stuff that is scary. They practice in a converted warehouse on a former Agricultural Cooperative and show all shop on the northern france the state school offers instruction in fifteen disciplines every student specializes but is expected to learn other skills as well. Eight hundred students are accepted every year many come from abroad and have to spend their evenings learning french theyve finished a three year course of studies with the show which they then take on tore through france. To do great School Program also involves learning many types of dance some not easy even for acrobats take a class or do hip hop dancing we do modern contemporary dance were also do like some classical gongs have a lot of like artistry. Were learned to analyze analyze show us were also have yes its a theater and all of this comes together when we when we dont do the big shows or our numbers when we need to get it i wouldnt the big world and what. The School Cafeteria is right next. Building a few of these Nineteenth Century circus building survive in france thats the main reason the National Center of circus arts moved in one thousand nine hundred. Three hundred fifty trained performers more than thirty five years since. Following the careers of students for over thirty years he deal with want to keep in touch we know that ninety percent of them still in the profession. But mostly in the circus. The student acrobats have to struggle to maintain consistency in their practice as you could. Have the physical condition fluctuates from day to day some days are time and others are full of energy every one of us experiences these fluctuations because its almost on the one hand its funny because were never the same on the other its hard to achieve consistency so the longer we know each other the lower the risk of getting injured. Is this. Trust in their partners is also vital to the four young men on the korean teeter board its known to be one of the most hazardous of circus disciplines the risk of a serious injury is high lesser bumps and scrapes are the norm. Norrin has a swollen knee and after skip practice for a few days. Of them i think. You will really have to feel a ts with your partner as there are always times when your judgement is off to me if you lose your bearings for only a second it can end badly so. Youre always full of adrenaline. There are hardly any limits youre always going for a higher and harder level it never stops. If you sleep well thats what makes it brilliant well see you. Next week cross over to the world of opera at the German National theatre in via a production of dido and this sounds as authentic as can be thats because the musicians are playing on historical instruments that have the same tone as those used some three hundred years ago it means the performers can closely replicate the way this opera sounded to audiences back in the baroque period a trip down musics memory lane. The. This is what the music of british composer Henry Purcell sounded like when he composed it more than three hundred years ago more reserved a little darker and with less vibrancy than it sounds in contemporary performances the do it just not so youre not hantavirus mark is performing the baroque opera dido and the nias with historical instruments at the time for example the cello had different strings giving it a different sound. And this is the mountain instrument has a much brighter sound the bow it was adapted because concerts moved to big event news with large audiences. Because trees have more members so the cello now has to be a lot louder. And far from. Finished pyramid on the when i play with the historical cello the sound is well not darker as such but it doesnt have the same brightness and as the modern version of them its all meant. Dido an n e a s tells the tragic love story of dido queen of carthage and the trojan prince and the s. And evil sorceress induces a nias to ignore his feelings and fulfill his supposedly duty instead for purcell the emotional element was a vast importance to dido and an e s. Hand. Is passed on foster sal is unbelievably precise and characterizing his figures by an infant a little musical ornaments and a rhythm of the pitch as the treatment of characters its a real dramatic powder keg is part of us. Abandons dido who then laments in one of the most moving arias in the history of music remember me but forget my fate. To die just not to now tejada has fashioned a car full staging of a classic opera at once heartbreakingly familiar and surprising with its historical tumble. Well switching back to the modern day were off to see the helium cowboy space in hamburg the gallery showcases street art and has been run by york heike house for the past fifteen years more recently he discovered his own artistic talent but instead of using a paint brush or a spray can he prefers using a saw under the name alex diamond he chips away in his workshop making intricate wood carvings. As young men york stock artists were like beings from another world hed always painted in show an interest in art but never thought of making it his profession until he discovered wood when he stands in his studio today cuts pieces of wood with a jigsaw to make pictures he regards it as a form of meditation. And he was there sometimes i saw for a whole day and i have lots of pieces lying around my studio that i then put together like some kind of toy to see finished you still had in recent years ive learned how to assemble these pictures to tell the story i want to convey with heads. Like house is not only an artist for the last fifteen years hes run a gallery in hamburg its called helium cowboy artspace he and his son are placing works of art for an upcoming exhibition. House gave up his job as a dot com executive to pursue art as a profession. Knocks such high powered jobs have tremendous disadvantages any time for your family i already had a child my wife and i have been together for more than twenty six years and family life suffered terribly from my job and so did my own dreams so the disadvantages ultimately outweighed the security of a nice fat salary that. White house has since made a name as a gallery owner and artist his layered wood carvings have received international recognition. He works under the alias alex diamond an artist who never went to Art School Everything he does he taught himself. So we had a first time i hang a piece on the war like now always the first moment i could step back into dont to view it stands. Just as. Today his life centers around art music and his family life far more fulfilling he says than the fast paced business world. Lets round off the show with a nice meal and a series fifty kitchens one city we explore the incredible variety of cuisines in berlin people from one hundred eighty Nine Countries call the german capital the home and you can find food options from all over the world here today were visiting the greek restaurant. In the district of shin a back where the owner shows us how to cook a delicious dish from his home country. Consigned the slender boy on a phone in germany but failed greek. My parents not to live by it on this ng that we spoke a lot of greek it to her and they sent me to a greek school in the afternoon of School District gotten that ever here of course we took our vacation angry its nothing to think that in the world of. Course was born in what was then west berlin in one nine hundred seventy five the youngest son of greek immigrants. When he was seventeen he and his older brother nick took over a greek restaurant to the point spec district and ran it for four years to find fitting top of these and i had a vacation job there in the kitchen. Well its also food and so i ended up staying there. So beneath my brother already had experience in the Restaurant Business cycle so we had a few of these and so we decided to build something together the truth of. After cutting his teeth as it were up and moved to the greek capital athens for two years where he worked in various restaurants he wanted to gain a better appreciation of authentic greek cuisine. After returning to berlin he opened the fair not only with his brother in one thousand nine hundred nine he was the maitre d. While nicolay all supplied his wizardry in the kitchen serving up dishes based on old family recipes hence the name which translates as true essence. My course is. Helped by as if my grandparents had a shop in the village or. So we grew up with great cuisine with all those ingredients and spices in. Between the im smitten and is this important because were determined to stay often to will open just land with the kind of food our grandparents used to make. Or that you find interventionism grace in thats what we want to serve here in berlin by giving him belly. Lamb is a central ingredient of many popular dishes in greece. To make sure the meat is extra tender its cooked slowly in red wine over a low heat for at least two hours. A week cuisine is typical mediterranean fare in addition to sheeps and goats cheese particular herbs spices and vegetables also play a major role and theres a strong emphasis on wild herbs. Greeks are famed for their hospitality they like a big spread and eating in big groups. Dining abundantly has a long history in the country. Greek cuisine rotates with the season summer dishes tend to feature a lot of fresh vegetables and salad in winter dining leans on baked dishes and stews. Love is but on this line is what you could call a National Dish and thats not something that every occasion for weddings at easter for us in feed all folks i have been invited out so insult everyone who puts the especially banks or ends to sell to what i guess more its on National Dish and. Thats when i could list. The taverna is in berlin china bear district its an interesting and diverse neighborhood of an arsenal says. In twenty fourteen the two brothers found the ideal location for a branch of their to vanna. They converted an old pharmacy into a restaurant with Indoor Seating for one hundred twenty diners they furnished the new top berna in traditional style with various accessories from greece but without straying into the realm of kitsch. The floor tiles were likewise imported. The menu here centers on. Smaller sized dishes that are similar in concept to spanish top us. Diners can choose from more than one hundred options eighty percent of the clientele are regulars although it doesnt take first timers alone to be converted. Stepien on us because most of it is if ive never eaten anything here that i didnt like the staff are really friendly and always do what they can to ensure you get your food exactly how you wanted i have no complaints so ill keep coming back to it aside i want a hundred percent hospitality great food and a unique atmosphere was till the end it very nice and the foods delicious. Often asio scored so says greece is his homeland but hes at home in berlin he likes the citys diversity while berliners love the diversity of greek cuisine. Cement i might get up on this pylon might get a menu mathematic. You know. Thats all for today make sure to catch the euro max highlights tomorrow for a look at the best of last week and like us on facebook for daily updates from all of us here in berlin thanks for watching about. Next time on your im max the highlights edition including exploring the origins of the christmas nativity play. Why a polish house comes with two roofs. And a rang treat from france its finding international fame. Days and more next time on the euro max hot nights. A flurry ends pick up. Lets say these latest x. Kills boasts enough good news comes that. The truth is a clean old tennis and. The w. s new models are using transitional technology. Driving thirty minutes to double to. Meet the germans new and surprising the specs of lines and culture in germany. U. S. American kate moos takes a look at germany existing chrissys at their traditions every day lives and language can just come out of my lungs on assad so im. Good for him. To speak i approach d w dot com the germans. They live to serve but. Danger lurks in the water we were there own your own surfing waste and polluted water not only being the witness but at the time being victims i mean with you troubles all gastric troubles. Basically this a sort of always moment in back up a little i was on a shelf. Job human sewage completely untreated and stone walls are coming out of these grates considering that now since i want to call most must try me yet so. Please when we decide to go somewhere every day and sees more and more probably sheets tiniest missing gives me everything i suppose waves the wind i have to give something back. I feel obliged and you can look it was missing too many of the first. Waves surfers fighting against unseen pollution in the city starting in january seventh on the w. The from. So. Funny cliff gave the dolphin. Toes and i make him feel im telling the famous potato. This is the w. News live from berlin the return of the far right in austria the conservatives strike a deal to bring the anti Immigration Freedom Party into government europes youngest leader promises theyll crack down on the illegal immigration and straw