>> "euromaxx" highlights. in today's show -- planning ahead at the frankfurt trade christmas world. fast and fine. culinary treats for those with little time. cool destinations. we visit the nor region winter sports resort trysil. "euromaxx" highlights and here's your host, robin merrill. >> welcome to another setting for our show here in the beautiful german countryside.

well, actually, if i do this, you can see this as an illusion just like the one the photographer thomas wrede creates with his pictures. he likes to play with perceptions, creeailting photos that look real but are in fact miniature models of reality. >> thomas wrede's landscape photographs keep us puzzled. is this really a playing field or is the photographer just playing with our senses? a dream hotel or a vision from a dream? a genuine quarry or just a toy model? reality and fiction are blurred in thomas wrede's carefully composed "real landscapes."

translator: it's one of my artistic concepts to seamible things by changing the perspective, where i create perspective myself and don't belong together and cause confusion. maybe they get people thinking, does that go together? how can that be? >> he usually spends several weeks working on a picture. one of the most important issues is deciding where he can best put his ideas into practice. places in northern germany are among his favorite locations. translator: usually i prefer bare landscapes where nothing else can get in the way or something like this heap of sand that i can shape. i can try out a lot there, whether this pine tree fits in the scene or if it's too much. maybe a couple of chairs would be good or a daytripping destination? i'll try it.

>> on a small section of north sea coast, thomas wrede makes it's driving. when the 47-year-old has found the right backdrop, he gets down to work. the picture has to be taken from a particular perspective so that a few patches of left-over snow look like a polar icescape. sometimes it takes hours until wrede is satisfied with light quality. translator: on the one hand it's an expression of my yearning for a lovely, romantic landscape, which i can cre with limited means. and at the same time i like creating visual traps. out of something small, like a

puddle or heap of snow. i can create a landscape that you can't really locate. >> thomas wrede uses a traditional large-format camera for his pictures. his large scale two meter by two meter 50 prints can only be produced with a special camera. this allows him to achieve the necessary quality. to create the depth of field, he needs to use a special lens. translator: normally with close-ups you can focus on a real small area. the human eye can only concentrate on a small area but with the lens, i can achieve a great depth of field and that creates the illusion. >> he creates the images in his mind's eye, recording his ideas in a sketchbook. then he looks for the right models for his pictures. he already has hundreds of models in his studio in munster,

in northwest germany. translator: the surprising thing is always that small structures look quite similar to big ones. leonardo da vinci once said, if you want to understand a mountain, you should examine a stone. a stone contains all of the many features of a mountain. >> on his large-scale prints, the houses often appear much bigger than they are in real life. that's why he likes people to see his photos in exhibitions. it's the ideal place for playing this game with illusions and reality. >> from one illusion to the next. well, almost. they say christmas keeps getting earlier but we're going for a place in the guinness book of records today. we've been to frankfurt, where

christmas is is already in full swing. at at a trade fair that took place there this week. >> christmas is only just over but here in frankfurt, it's already christmas time again, at least judging by these men in red suits and white beards. but is everyone at the trade fair crazy about christmas? translator: for me it's normal, not strange at all. translator: my personal christmas isn't until december 24th, but normally every day is christmas for me. >> all the flowers and everything make you feel like it's christmas already. >> we get the feeling again. >> american wayne bronner has been coming to christmasworld for 35 years. the c.e.o. of a giant christmas decorations store is mainly interested in germanyen christmas baubles made from handblown glass.

>> we buy the european items and especially the german items because this is where christmas traditions originated, many of them. our customers they associate german quality with perfection and they know that the items they will buy are going to be 100% in quality and they're very happy to have something from germany. >> on the first day of the fair, visitors mainly look around. wayne bronner knows many exhibitors personally and they know his tastes. most companies develop special collections for foreign clients. firms from outside germany account for 50% to 60% of their sales. translator: americans used to like very vibrant, contrasting colors while germans favor tone in tone. tastes have grown somewhat closer but naturally there are still clear differences. you can see it in these two items, which both have lots of colors but one with the more than contrasting colors is more to the americans' taste than the color gradients which demonstrate quality in europe. so there's clearly a difference in taste.

>> wayne bronner orders around faith of his products at the christmasworld each january. right after the fair ends, manufacturers begin production so that they can deliver the goods during the summer. at wayne bronner's store in the u.s., every day is christmas. in frankfurt, he orders 0 many items not normally found on german christmas trees. >> we like to look for different things, things that are unique. for example, these cheese ornaments are very nice. people like different kinds of cheese. and this is for all of the people that love different kinds of whiskeys. here, for example, we have a lot of people, a lot of customers who like scotch. this is unique. ketchup bottle. americans eat a lot of ketchup with everything, french fries and hamburgs. >> a look at the latest trends shows what europeans might favor in 2011, cool purism. or the earthy ethnic look. l.e.d. light installations are

proving popular again this year. this 3d santa whose eyes follow us as we pass by, is a new attraction as is this christmas tree especially for fans of london. several german manufacturers are offering custom made oorning amounts and collectible -- ornaments and collects. a christmas bauble can cost up to 25 euros or more. the krebs glas company is presenting a christmas ball but it would be wise not to hang on the tree. covered in gold and diamondses, it costs $5,000 euros. wayne bronner's customers want something a little different. >> people buy them as gifts, not so much for themselves but a gift to somebody and it might be for example somebody who likes to barbecue. they maybe get a barbecue or maybe for the teacher buy a teacher pencil that says best teacher. those are the kind of items we sell many in our store.

>> wayne bronner's first day of this year's trade fair is coming to an end. by the time he returns home, he will have ordered some 10,000 items. for him the festive season is already well under way. >> but for us, it's over, i promise, until next december, of course. the bouroullec broth frers france are a successful design duo who have been working together for ten years but already their work is featured in some of the world's most renowned museums of modern art and design. a new exhibition in bordeaux looks at the way they work from first idea to final product. >> the arc en reve architecture museum in bordeaux has dedicated an entire exhibition to the work of french designers ronan and erwan. the show called "album" features around 800 drawings, sketches and photos. but know three-dimensional pieces. translator: we tried to present

all of the documents equally without any hierarchy and we consciously decided not to show any objects because when you put objects in the room, they immediately draw the attention away from whatever else is on display. >> if the designers wanted to give the public an insight into their creative prosses. >> we decided to open our studio doors, clean out all of the cabinets and put everything on the table. often people can't begin to imagine how much work goes into each piece. >> this was one of their most time-consuming projects. they worked on their chaise vegetale or vegetal chair for four years. translator: we knew how we wanted the chairs to look right away. then we did a few sketches to put down the structure and figure out the main and supporting elements. it was a technical nightmare. it was impossible to create branches of different widths because the plastic cooled too

fast. after three years we realized all of the elements had to be the same size. >> the chic chair made out of plastic has a price tag of 300 euros, and it's become a bestseller for swiss furniture maker vitra. so is the linkable algue screen. 5 million have been sold so far. the alcove sofa is also a big hit. translator: when you face the two sofas towards each other, you create a little conference room sofment that goes over really well in big, industrial office complexes. it's a flexible solution and it costs a company less than building new walls. >> the dynamic duo comes up with their designs here in their paris atelier with a team of six other people. together they work on about 20

projects at any one time. of on it takes years to take a concept from the drawing board to a finished product. but the brothers believe teamwork is the key. 39-year-old ronan and 34-year-old erwan have been working together for a decade. translator: we didn't make a conscious decision to work together. erwan started helping me and took over an important role. now we make all of our decisions as a team. >> they're both perfectionists but with different personalities and they on clash. translator: we never completely agree. we're always questioning our projects. but that's what makes working with someone else interesting. >> the brothers, who hail from the brittney region of northwest france, have become an international success designinging for major companies like axor, cappelini and alesi.

even creating architecture projects like this swimming house. and they found the time to create art objects in limited editions for the creo gallery in paris. translator: a designer works a lot like an actor does. he has to find an intell jept answer for every -- intelligent answer for every combination. just like an actor has to fit in, work with different directors and play different roles but still stay true to him or herself. translator: their work sauls well thought out and it pushes design forward. the bouroullec brothers set an example for young designers. >> they're particularly innovative when it comes to materials, like this textile wall made out of wool and foam. or this knitted slow chair. translator: this mesh net really wraps around your body nicely. i think the comfort aspect is always an after thought when it comes to design nowadays but

it's vital for having a good quality conversation. when you are uncomfortable, you can't have a good conversation either. >> very few of the brothers' designs actually make it into their own living rooms. translator: i have a chair of ours and a table. and a lamp as well. >> after the day's work is done, the brotheres go their separate ways but they'll come back together the next day to create new and inspired designs. >> more and more people here in germany are paying better attention to what they eat. they want organic and freshly cooked food, but they haven't got much time to wait. so there's a trend for what is called fast casual restaurants where you order by touch screen and soon you're served your -- wait for it -- global lifestyle food.

>> holyfields in downtown frankfurt. the new restaurant features a new concept which they've dubbed "time to eat." the mainstay of the concept are these touch screens where customers order their own food. translator: if you look around, you will see i have 15 of these order screens in my frankfurt restaurants. that means i have 15 wait staff who ask the customers, what food can i bring you? and the guests no longer notice they're actually serving themselves. you won't find 15 waitstaff in an ordinary restaurant. >> holyfields aims to be a cross between a cafeteria and an ordinary restaurant. founder gerhard schops used to be head of marketing at a major hamburger chain. now he's promoting lighter and healthier fare. >> it's not a break with the

past but it is what i've seen as a new market development, the greatest growth in germany and europe right now is in the fast, casual sector. >> fast, casual food. for holyfields that means customers like robert syndikus won't have to spend their short lunch break waiting and standing in line. after placing an order on the screen, a pager sends it directly to the computer in the kitchen. the cooks can get right to work. but speed isn't everything in the preparation. translator: we don't use a deep fryer at all. and we use only fresh products to flavor or food. sea salt, herbs and olive oil. we don't use any ready-made spice mixes or anything like that. and the entire concept is based on that principle. >> in recent years, diners have

come to expect higher quality for their midday meal. instead of ordinary fish and chips,er that more likely to look for a gourmet version. the pager signals the meal is ready. and fetching the finished dish is also self-service. translator: it's amazingly practical. i have to hurry on my lunch break. the price and quality are good. i definitely recommend it. >> the menu includes pasta, wok dishes and light fish and meat dishes as well. it's all tenurios or less. 450 diners eat at holyfields every day. translator: the core of this fast, casual segment is it's all about lifestyle, about a way of life. and the lifestyle means branding. it means i give the customer something that's more than just the product, the food.

>> the concept arrived in germany with the vapiano franchise, which features fast italian cuisine. meanwhile the idea has become a new hot trend. moschmosch is modeled on the japanese noodle bar. it also emphasizes fast and healthy eating. but it also aims to convey a new lifestyle flair. the dishes on the menu have names like spring awakens and tranquility. for gerhard schops, the frankfurt restaurant is just the start. he plans to open 24 more across germany in the coming years. the next one will open in april in berlin with the same logo, time to eat. >> finally today we're off to the trucele region 2000 kilometers north of oslo in

norway. a great place for winter sports. here you can actually ski for almost half the year. hardly surprising then that this is where the very first ski club was founded. >> the trysilfjellet dominates the skyline, standing, 1,132 meters high. the solitary mountain is at the center of norway's biggest skiing area. the pistes have a combined length of 71 kilometers. skiing instructor petterson has worked here for six years and knows the place well. >> we have 66 alpine slopes and cross country tracks going all the way around the mountain and we also have 31 lifts of different kinds. >> the skiing season here begins in late october and runs through may 1.

most of the visitors here come from scandinavia. but despite its popularity, the waits are short, even in peak season. visitors should be braced for extreme temperatures. >> so it's a little bit special the climate in in trysil. it's very often that it's inverted climate. it's warm on the top and very cold down into the village. so sometimes i can have because i live down in the village minus 25 when i wake up in the morning and i go uhhh. and then when you come up to the mountain it's only minus 15 or minus 10 and then it's really nice. >> the summit offers spectacular views all around. you can see as far as sweden. the border is about 20

kilometers away. ulrika petterson is herself from swede eafpblet she trysil together with her norwegian boyfriend. interer scandinavian harmony is par for the course here. >> it works very good. the norwegians are very used to the swedish language. it's very similar, though we have some words that are different. and we also think a lot alike, so it feels like home. >> the entire region around trysil is a winter sports paradise. downhill, slalom or cross country, skiing is an integral part of life here. and if you believe the legends, the story of skiing began with trysil-knut.

he is said to have lived here in the 17th century, wearing skis three meters long. you can find out all about him at the local skiing museum. >> the main story about trysil-knut is he competed with a horse from. elvrum to oslo in norway, 120 kilometers. and he beat the horse in the race in this 120 kilometers. so he was mostly a cross country skier. >> the world's first official ski race was held in trysil in 1855. and the trophy from 1857 is the world's oldest skiing cup. but trysil really took off as a resort in the 1950's when it got its first ski lifts. back then they were powered by a tractor engine.

but don't worry, the setup has been modernized since then. the museum itself features a jump simulator for tourists. hotel visitors can look forward to modern spa facilities and you can even try out some indoor surfing. trysil also has night-time skiing but unlike other resorts, it's not limited to one piste. obviously the pace drops in the evening and you can also travel in style with a horn-drawn

sleigh ride. moose watching expeditions are only available in the summer though. that's for practical reasons, it's the most promising time of the year. trysil has a relaxing reputation but people here also know how to party. you can do an all-nighter and catch of trysilfjellet in all its glory at sunrise. >> and more reports on ski resorts and other stories around europe on our website dw-world-de-english-euromaxx. that's all for now. until next time, bye-bye. ===u=uu