Visiting Bath Christmas Market - The Paper Mountains

Europe Visiting Bath Christmas Market

January 4, 2017 georgiasmith 0Comment

I’m on the 25 minute train from Swindon to Bath and its cold. The type of November cold that tightens your chest, making it an inconvenience to breath. The type of unexpected cold that always makes you wish you had put just one more layer on your body. Despite this I’m still enthusiastic about our trip to Bath’s Christmas market, in fact, it’s become a tradition, both the location and the means of transport. There’s nothing like sitting on the train as we pass through the Wiltshire countryside and unexpectedly the icy landscape turns into hills of roman architecture. The town rises above the horizon like a giant bird swooping too close to your face. But today, Bath has much more to offer than the view alone.

stalls

As we left the train, we followed a trails of baubles, Christmas signs and a festive red double-decker, which serves your favourite holiday treats. Eventually, through the hum of the crowd, you reach the market. The best time to go is around 4 o clock in the afternoon as the deep blue sky of a setting sun is contrasted to the bright fairy lights of the market. We walked around the Scandinavian styled huts that served as the stalls that sold everything from knitted scarves to bomber cheese packages (which we actually bought from). One of my favourite stalls, which I see every year, is filled with dried pepper and orange garlands. The smell is so enticing and you have to wait about 5 minutes for the crowd to shift to even get a look in. But out of all the stalls, one in particular caught my eye. It was an Aladdin’s cave pilled with Moroccan lanterns of every size and colour. I wanted to buy all of them but ended up buying none after getting fed up with my own indecisiveness.

lanterns

We wondered down the winding streets, lined with stalls, passing carol singers and live bands which made the atmosphere buzz but often this market gets so busy that it’s difficult to see the stalls let alone the products. I would suggest definitely not to go on the weekend, unless you absolutely have to. The most striking thing about the market is the backdrop of Bath itself, the dominant Bath cathedral is beautifully lit and impressive, yet there is always a secret charm about this city. When we began to get fatigued from the people and the lights, we found a little pathway of fairy lights which led to a hideaway café. We sat drinking hot chocolate on mix matched furniture, looking up at a sea of light bulbs. It’s these little surprises that adds to my fondness of this place and that is why I will always return.

cathedral