I can�t believe that just last week we were in London! Time certainly has flown by!
Since this was only my second trip to London and it�s Christmastime, I wanted to make sure I saw some of the Christmas markets. Sadly, I only had time for one market as our flight from Warsaw first was delayed by 2 hours, then canceled and finally rescheduled for 5 hours later in the day. We finally arrived in London around 6 p.m. with just enough time to enjoy a fantastic dinner at NOPI Restaurant (from the creators behind the Jerusalemand Plentycookbooks.)
One day while my husband was working, I strolled over to Hyde Park to explore the Christmas Market as part of the Winter Wonderland. I was envisioning rustic Christmas stalls filled with handmade goodies not a park full of glitzy carnival rides for children.  |
| Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park in London. |
I finally found the Angel�s Market which is home to about 100 wooden stalls selling everything from Christmas decorations to homemade candies to leather wallets and Turkish lamps. (I seem to find a Turkish store wherever I go!) The market is open daily, except Christmas Day, through January 5.
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| The Winter Wonderland entrance near the Hyde Park Corner tube station. |
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| And you can't leave a Christmas market without buying a Turkish lamp! |
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| Lots of food and drink options at least! |
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| Of course, you'll find several stalls selling mulled wine and hot chocolate too! |
You can avoid the carnival ride section by taking the London tube to the Hyde Park Corner exit and following the signs to Winter Wonderland. I discovered that little tidbit after I walked through everything. Oh well!
The market is a little over the top, and I didn�t find as many authentic-looking, handmade Christmas decorations as I had hoped. I did buy two wooden decorations made from Black Forest wood in Germany. Guess next year, we need to visit one of the real Christmas markets in Germany! I concluded my market visit in London by eating a grilled German bratwurst and drinking a pint of Weiss beer. A Christmas market doesn�t get any more authentic that, right?  |
| Mmm...grilled German brats! |
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| Some tasty looking candies! |
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| There's even an ice skating rink at Hyde Park. |
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| And if you wander off to the side of the market, you'll find a pond with these white geese in Hyde Park. |
