Christmas Fayre Fun

This weekend in pictures... leave some comments!

Getting ready to head out....with my new Gerard Darel bag. Seriously, I was terrified of banging the bag up all day.

The market, a normal stall. This is one of my favorite vegetable vendors near the end. Each stainless steel bowl costs only one Brit pound, and generally that gets me 4 or 5 really good leeks, or 3 lbs of plums, etc. Generally their produce is really good.

The Abbey Gate, and one of the many Christmas trees around Bury.

This was absolutely stunning, the photo doesn't do it justice. It was all metal, cut and formed.

The Very Brave Bag Piper. It was freezing, seriously, I think with the windchill it was below freezing (and boy was it windy). He was quite good with the Christmas carols though.

Here I am drinking some mulled wine that apparantly followed a more alcoholic recipe. I was used to a red wine with oranges and spices, what I got tasted like wine-flavored vodka. I wasn't able to drink more than half, and that was forcing it. I mean, I like vodka, but ice cold, and pure.

The yummiest bratwurst I have ever had. It was super long and covered in sauteed onions. Mmm!

The carousel. In the end we ate way too much to ride it around and around.

A rock band played Saturday night. I couldn't get close enough to get a name.

The view down one section of the market.

Yummy olives, marinated garlic, organic apples, and sundried tomatoes.

The stall that was selling wonderful sausages, including ostrich. The vendor laughed and said he didn't want to be a star, but that he guessed I was making him one.

This photo and the next were taken at a boulangerie/pattiserie stall. I was so excited because I was able to go through the whole transaction in French. One the vendor realized I spoke it well enough (especially with my accent) he got more animated and spoke only to me, and only in French! Garret thought it was quite funny.

We ordered and have now consumed a few pain aux raisin et pain au chocolat.....for shame.

All bundled up to watch the race.....eventually I had Garret's coat on over mine, so I looked quite bulked up!

Garret dressed as Santa. He really is too skinny to play the man, but oh well. In a photo I took at home he got all excited because light reflected giving him a twinkle in his eye!

The Santas got an interesting warm up, that involved them generally moving about, sometimes with a bit of dance moves thrown in!

A petite chien that was in the race!

The male reindeer that they had to pet.

My husband looking quite happy as he was in the middle of devouring his second crepe ever, full of aprociot jam. Neither of them lasted long, and now I am in search of a good crepe pan to be able to make them at home for him.

Wonderful smelling lavender. I forgot to purchase any before ending our weekend!

Vive La France!

The weekend turned out to be amazing. We had a great time exploring all the booths. I got an very good workout on Saturday going up and down Abbey Street (a very steep cobble stone street) about a dozen or so times. Garret and I got to spend some time with Nansi at Cafe Rouge chatting about pretty much everything and anything. And in the end we collapsed at home, exhausted, and unable to eat any of the scrumptious food we had bought.