FLAMBOYANT FOOD AND A DROP OF GLUHWEIN

The Chistmas Market is in full flow with thousands of people decending on Strasbourg which advertises itself as 'Strasbourg - Capitale de Noël'. They certainly don't penny pinch or should I say cent pinch. As well as the usual tat as in every Christmas Market there are some more flamboyant products, particularly in the food area.There are saussison by the van load, food stalls selling Alsatian favourites, fabulous biscuits and tempting nibbles of every description. We could not help noticing some of the more exotic or flamboyant offerings. A vendor selling madeleines, a firm favourite, decorated to the level of Fabergé eggs.

Madeleines with fine and golden decorations.

In an adjacent chocolate shop they have obviously got carried away with the idea of an edible Advent Calendar. Looks great but how much chocolate can you eat every day for a month? Lots apparently and how do you break, bite off a piece each day?

Chocolate Advent 'wheel'.

In addition to the flamboyant foods there are numerous stalls selling gluhwein or vin chaud. You really have to get into the spirit. Just to make sure you don't run out of vin chaud, after all it's only available on virtually every street corner, there are a couple of itinerant vendors. Well you may have just run out and the next stall isn't for a few yards.

Vin chaud anyone?