Scandinavia in London
Nov 27, 2012 15:34:24 GMT
Post by patricklondon on Nov 27, 2012 15:34:24 GMT
Is it my imagination or have I just been able to avoid the over-early signs of Christmas this year? Until this weekend that is: a Scandinavian Christmas market in Rotherhithe, on the other side of the river from where I live. Not so out-of-place as it might sound to a Londoner, because from the days of the docks, there are Norwegian and Finnish seamen's missions established close together and almost within sight of the river. So this unremarkable street in a slightly out-of-the-way district found itself taken over by a combination of the two churches' Christmas markets with a series of commercial stalls along the street between them, to make an all-Scandinavian event.
Plenty of the traditional Christmas, of course:
but instead of Santa's sleigh a pair of huskies (not that many seemed to be paying for a ride in the sled - there was hardly the road-space for that, for one thing):
There was also plenty of what you might expect from Scandinavia at any time of year.
For example, bright design:
bakery (saffron buns or chocolate honey cakes, anyone?)
smoked foods:
warming drink (and more bakery):
warming knitwear:
Moomins:
and sweets with names that mean something else in English:
But those were Danish; Finnish being such a singular language, the chances of unfortunate similarities to English are rare. Along the shelves of the temporary supermarket in the Finnish church, even the most ordinary sorts of foods appear mysteriously exotic:
What about some makkara and hernekeitto with a Lapin Kulta for lunch? Don't worry, that's sausage, and pea soup with a bottle of beer.
Oh, and even in Finland, would you expect to see a sauna in a church? Well, there's one here. I suppose it's one way to celebrate a hyvää juolua.
www.flickr.com/photos/patricklondon/8213289009/in/set-72157632085459615
Plenty of the traditional Christmas, of course:
but instead of Santa's sleigh a pair of huskies (not that many seemed to be paying for a ride in the sled - there was hardly the road-space for that, for one thing):
There was also plenty of what you might expect from Scandinavia at any time of year.
For example, bright design:
bakery (saffron buns or chocolate honey cakes, anyone?)
smoked foods:
warming drink (and more bakery):
warming knitwear:
Moomins:
and sweets with names that mean something else in English:
But those were Danish; Finnish being such a singular language, the chances of unfortunate similarities to English are rare. Along the shelves of the temporary supermarket in the Finnish church, even the most ordinary sorts of foods appear mysteriously exotic:
What about some makkara and hernekeitto with a Lapin Kulta for lunch? Don't worry, that's sausage, and pea soup with a bottle of beer.
Oh, and even in Finland, would you expect to see a sauna in a church? Well, there's one here. I suppose it's one way to celebrate a hyvää juolua.
www.flickr.com/photos/patricklondon/8213289009/in/set-72157632085459615