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Well, it's the weekend... but I'm afraid here in Saltaire it's grey, damp, dull, lifeless - the sort of weather that England does so well. I was hoping for a few photos (my cache is rapidly shrinking!) but honestly it isn't good for much. So yesterday I headed to Leeds, our nearest big city, to make a start on my Christmas shopping. Leeds Millennium Square holds an annual German Christkindelmarkt Christmas Market. It started on 12 November this year and runs through to 19 December. The stalls are housed in pretty wooden chalets, decorated with lights and greenery. There is a traditional Bier-Keller at its heart (with live traditional German music sometimes, no doubt involving men in lederhosen) and you can buy food (German sausages, stollen, gingerbread, chocolates and amazing marshmallow concoctions - oh yes, and poffertjes, which I thought were Dutch?) as well as festive decorations, toys, clothes and all manner of trinkets. I was rather tempted by a reindeer fur hat (proceeds to support Sami herders) but a faint reindeer fragrance seemed to linger around it, so I decided not! I came away with some marzipan stollen, which I adore, and a nice Christmassy sense of good cheer. Now then... off to write my Christmas cards.
Hi Jenny - I have a delightful german friend who is now in her 80's and whenever she visits Germany (at Christmas)she always brings me back something from the markets over there... It is interesting to see how others observe this Christmas season....Judyx
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Christmas markets! I'm like a kid in Disneyland when I go there! :)
ReplyDeletethis collage is so fun and colorful and well, festive! Makes me excited for Christmas. P.S. Thank you for helping me figure this out my add a thumbnail link post! I want to showcase my "Phabulous Photographer Phriends" on my "Phun Phriday" posts often and I think I've found this is the best way to do this!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed you've begun your christmas shopping! Before I had any kids my goal was always to have it done by thanksgiving day. Now I don't start it that early but it's always nice to have that done and not feel rushed.
ReplyDeletecold, damp and gray...sounds so wonderful and british to me! :)
We had a German market in Derby last Christmas, but I think they're reverting to the outdoor ice rink this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm also running very low on my stocks of photos and wishing there were some decent weather to replenish the cache.
Delightful, what fun! Marzipan's my favourite!
ReplyDeleteBright and cheerful! A good antidote to grey weather!
ReplyDeleteNice story today, Jenny. I'm surprised to discover so much German influence on Christmas in your part of England. One of these days I want to go to Germany or Austria for the Christmas markets. And you are doing your Christmas cards on November 21??? You are making the rest of us look bad.
ReplyDeleteOh how festive it all looks! I would just love to have that display case filled with chocolates at my disposal! Just looking at your mosiac of images put me in a cheery frame of mind too! ~Lili
ReplyDeleteThere's one in Nottingham that I might take a stroll down to (when it finally gets here!) but the best one within easy reach of me is Birmingham. It takes over the town. I love sampling the food and I usually buy some wooden decorations (like the ones in your photo) for my tree. I have quite a collection now.
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