Mulled wine and other treats at Birmingham Christmas Market

December is finally here, and once again I’ve found myself wondering how on earth it came round so quick. As always, I have a traditional advent calendar and a chocolate one. Pictured below is the traditional one, which is vastly prettier and more photogenic than my Mars Bar one!

At this time of year, we like to go to various Christmas events in the local area to get ourselves in the mood for the festive season. Last week it was Coughton Court, and this week it was the turn of the famous Birmingham Christmas Market (aka the Frankfurt German Christmas Market, as it’s modelled on this most famous of Christmas markets). I’m generally not a fan of big cities (and, I’m afraid to say, Birmingham in particular), so it takes a lot to drag me into one. The Birmingham Christmas Market is worth a visit, as the stalls are especially impressive and there’s lots of tasty food and drink to be had. I’d advise going on a weekday morning, like we did yesterday, as it’s unbearably busy at weekends.

I like to go around Christmas markets primarily for the atmosphere and ‘window shopping’, rather than to buy anything. If I do buy anything, it’s usually not Christmas presents but edible treats. I bought a doughnut from this ‘Berliner filled doughnuts’ stand, which was one of several.

There’s a lot of German stuff on offer here, including giant cookies declaring “Ich liebe dich” (I love you – English versions are available!).

Tools… made of chocolate!

City Hall forms an impressive backdrop to the festive stalls.

There was a carousel, the music of which was distinctly non-German: Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance!

Lee had a Frankfurter hot dog (which I sadly forgot to take a photo of), while I enjoyed a nice steaming mug of mulled wine.

This wasn’t the ‘bratwurst’ Lee had. I had to photograph it though, because look at the size of it!!

I took a couple of photos of other streets we passed by, as they’re some of the more scenic parts of Birmingham.

I was really pleased with this photo. I think that there’s just a hint of Lowry about this scene – perhaps the combination of the light and people.

We ended our trip to Birmingham with a look around Selfridges and lunch at Yo Sushi. Oh, and then a quick stop in the Jewellery Quarter to look at wedding rings!

The Christmas Market is on until the 22nd of December, and you can find out more about it here.