Marstrand is a beautiful island just north of Gothenburg and any excuse to go there is good. It is of course much more pleasant to walk around the island in the summer, see another post here, especially because it gets windy and humid in the winter. But when I saw in the newspaper that Marstrand would have a Christmas market in the middle of November, when I was having exams and tests every week and really needed a break, we didn't hesitate and decided to go.
Marstrand é uma ilha linda a norte de Gotemburgo e qualquer desculpa serve para lá ir. Claro que é muito mais agradável passear pela ilha no verão, como escrevi aqui, especialmente porque no inverno é muito ventosa e húmida. No entanto quando vi no jornal que Marstrand teria um mercado de Natal em meados de novembro, andava eu a ter exames e testes todas as semanas e a precisar de uma pausa, não hesitávamos e decidimos ir.
The market itself was a big disappointment, but the island was beautiful as always. Having lived in Prague my concept of Christmas market is clearly different. Or maybe it was not the concept but the size. And the prices.
O mercado em si foi uma grande decepção, mas a ilha estava bonita como sempre. Tendo vivido em Praga, o meu conceito de mercado de Natal é claramente diferente do daqui. Ou talvez não fosse o conceito mas o tamanho. E os preços.
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| Outside the fortress / A fortaleza do lado de fora |
I had imagined the patio of the fortress full of tends selling mulled wine, hot dogs and pancakes. I had dreamed with Christmas lights decorating the walls and reindeers here and there. There was none of that. Outside the decorations were very limited and all the tents were inside. The food hall was in a dark room and although there were not that many stalls it was super crowded and it was very hard to move around or even get to the front to see what was being sold.
Imaginei o pátio da fortaleza cheio de tendas a vender vinho quente, cachorros quentes e panquecas. Sonhei com luzes de Natal a decorar as paredes e renas espalhadas aqui e ali. Não havia nada disso. As decorações eram muito limitadas e não havia tendas na rua. Havia uma sala escura com barracas que vendiam comida ou ingredientes. Apesar de não serem assim tantas tendinhas estava super cheio de gente e era muito difícil andar ou até chegar à frente para ver o que estava a ser vendido.
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| The main patio inside the fortress / O páteo principal da fortaleza |
Apart from that there was a cute handicraft market held inside the tower of fortress. We had to wait outside in the cold for 15 minutes but it was worth it because the space although small was nice and the crafts interesting.
Além disso havia um mercado de artesanato giro dentro da torre da fortaleza. Tivemos que esperar na rua ao frio durante 15 minutos, mas valeu a pena porque o espaço embora pequeno era melhor e as peças interessantes.
Swedish traditional Christmas mustard / Mostarda tradicional de Natal
Candles to burn during the advent / Velas para acender durante o advento
Despite the market it was still a well spent afternoon and one thing is true - Marstrand never disappoints.
Apesar de tudo foi uma tarde bem passada na mesma e uma coisa é certa - Marstrand nunca nos desilude.
