It’s that most wonderful time again, when the tree is erected, the lights go on, the stalls are laid out, the Svařák is heated up and the local musicians and entertainers fine tune their performances for the Christmas market in Pardubice.
It’s one of the highlights of the year and is mirrored throughout all the large towns in the Czech Republic and has been for many years. It is of course a commercial venture where local tradespeople and artisans set up stalls to sell their wares, but it doesn’t feel commercial in that tacky plastic Western sense. There’s little advertising except on the stage and all the stalls look pretty much the same with minimal branding and it just feels really genuine. Sinead and I love going down every year for a gentle stroll and a nice hot glass of svařák or medovina followed by meeting up with friends in Cafe Bajer and getting warm again with some coffee or a cheeky glass of wine.
Elsewhere to get in the festive spirit we hung up our home-made wreath, not bad for some bits and pieces from Nanu Nana and a little imagination.
Speaking of imagination: I’ve always associated Christmas Markets with picture postcard Christmas scenes, covered in snow with that feeling of warmth emanating from the stalls so I decided to replicate that feeling with one of my photos and put the below together for a bit of fun 🙂
Czeching Out Tasmania 
Very beautiful pictures! I wish we did have some snow like that 🙂