Christmas spirit is in it's highest in France. At least for the locals or so it seems... They even changed the schoolbell to a "Jingle Bells" theme (no, actually it's not too horrible. I find it amusing :).
The city streets are covered with lights, there are concerts in every church and all the small and large squares have turned into lively Marché de Noël. Little downtown houses are overwhelmed by the campy-kitsch decorations. And in the middle of the city there is a huge Christmas tree, covered with millions of little lights. It all looks quite impressive, compared to what nordically modest Tallinn looked like!
Walking around town is extra nice at this time and I guess now is the best time for visiting Strasbourg. The markets are a sight on its own already because they sell all kinds of craftworks imaginable. There you can find jewelry, decorations, souvenirs, candies, teas, candles, clothing, books etc. And if it's too cold and you start feeling hungry then you can recharge your energy at a crepe-booth. Pancakes with any filling you could think of and a little vin chaud (hot wine) to make the blood flow again.
I try to profit out of it as much as possible and get some Christmas spirit into me. I even went to a concert yesterday. They were singing all the classical X-mas songs in a church. It reminded me of going to church on Christmas evening with my relatives when I was small. Aww, isn't that sweet! After that I got the compulsory cup of wine and made a little circle on the market. But still no sign of the real "spirit" that usually strikes me every year while doing gift-shopping... I guess it's because of the lack of snow and sentimentally romantic movies and crusty cold and - what I miss the most - verivorst (black pudding they call it)... I looked for it, but I guess I might as well go around looking for black bread or kohuke. French people, what can you do!
But before leaving to Lisbon (and that means switching to bread and canfood, not that I mind) I still plan to have a little festive Christmas dinner with me myself and I because one must retain the good-old traditions. And mind you my dear readers - a Christmas dinner ALONE is my tradition of several years now. I'm content!
And the song is very inappropriate for my current situation: "Let It Snow"
The city streets are covered with lights, there are concerts in every church and all the small and large squares have turned into lively Marché de Noël. Little downtown houses are overwhelmed by the campy-kitsch decorations. And in the middle of the city there is a huge Christmas tree, covered with millions of little lights. It all looks quite impressive, compared to what nordically modest Tallinn looked like!
Walking around town is extra nice at this time and I guess now is the best time for visiting Strasbourg. The markets are a sight on its own already because they sell all kinds of craftworks imaginable. There you can find jewelry, decorations, souvenirs, candies, teas, candles, clothing, books etc. And if it's too cold and you start feeling hungry then you can recharge your energy at a crepe-booth. Pancakes with any filling you could think of and a little vin chaud (hot wine) to make the blood flow again.
I try to profit out of it as much as possible and get some Christmas spirit into me. I even went to a concert yesterday. They were singing all the classical X-mas songs in a church. It reminded me of going to church on Christmas evening with my relatives when I was small. Aww, isn't that sweet! After that I got the compulsory cup of wine and made a little circle on the market. But still no sign of the real "spirit" that usually strikes me every year while doing gift-shopping... I guess it's because of the lack of snow and sentimentally romantic movies and crusty cold and - what I miss the most - verivorst (black pudding they call it)... I looked for it, but I guess I might as well go around looking for black bread or kohuke. French people, what can you do!
But before leaving to Lisbon (and that means switching to bread and canfood, not that I mind) I still plan to have a little festive Christmas dinner with me myself and I because one must retain the good-old traditions. And mind you my dear readers - a Christmas dinner ALONE is my tradition of several years now. I'm content!
And the song is very inappropriate for my current situation: "Let It Snow"
2 comments:
oi! Christmastime...when jesus washed, ho-ho-ho, he did that on easter I suppose, but still a few things.
Tallinn is miserable indeed, with all those Finnish fat-ass tourists shouting 'voi vittu hei-hei' to each other, but Tartu kicks ass - we have a merry-go-round with all the horses'n'stuff. plus there is music coming from the chiristmastree. still no spirit?
And by the way, as lovely as the new german volunteers are, and they are absolutely good examples of not so typical ones, they do no like KOHUKE (cottage cheese bars coverd with chocolate, sometimes with jam in them, for all you foreigners)! in fact they said ave forced them to buy it! one of them only ate half and the other ate the whole thing out of quilt and modesty... ehhe, some just don't get the lovely baltic cuisines :-)
as for the snow, we have some in tartu but tallinn is like a dog-shit state...
oh, i wish i was eating that can-food, but instead i'll get verivorst... musi!
miu
Tallinn pole mitte koerasitalinn, antud hetkel on vähemalt kõik härmas. Pealegi olen alati eelistanud lumeta sooja talveilma külmale, tuulisele, aga lumisele. (Tean, et ma pole ainuke.)Tuleb tõdeda, et Tallinna vanalinn näeb eheteta kõvasti parem välja kui ehituna, sest pasunatega paberinglid, kuuserootsuvanikud ja sinilillad vilkuvad tulukesed poeakendel on okseleajavalt maitselagedad. Seega, mida vähem neid on seda parem. Fotod, mida Strasbourg'i tänavaist vaatasin panid kadestama küll. Lõppkokkuvõttes viib ehk tõesti Tallinna linnas jõulumeeleollu ainult suurem kogus hõõgveini, aga jõulurõõm peaks ikkagi tulema meie endi seest ja meie sõprade südametest, mitte kaunistustest ja plastjõuluvanadest. Minu jõululaual põleb üks rõõmsailmeline päkapikuküünal ka Annule. Müügile on tulnud verikäkk juustuga. :)
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