Xmas approaching

A sense of Christmas in Skåne

A busy christmas market at Ovesholm's.

Anyone following the website VISIT SKÅNE have noticed that the christmas season is approaching fast. Activities for the season includes many markets, numerous concerts and other activities throughout Skåne in a big way. Mrs T wanted to visit the grounds of Ovesholm's Castle where a sizable market was organized last week-end. Before that, on Friday, our good friend Gerd-Inger invited me to her home where she had got together with her friends and grand-children to make tiny pucks for the forthcoming season. I felt like making some myself, but my role was to photograph the session.

At Gerd-Inger's

Ladies and children across the table work on small pucks.

By the time I arrived work had progressed and the table in front of me was loaded with tiny pucks in different colors. Adult pucks where mingling while the young one's where playing around. Rise pudding is a tradition in the Nordic countries and the pucks enjoy it, too. While others continued working on the pucks I chose the first targets for my camera. Some where "fresh from the oven" and could not be touched, but e.g. the one setting in the upper collage (down right) caught my eye. I watched the children work on the pucks and wanted to join in.

My favorite with greetings to my beloved  Mrs. T

A table loaded with playful pucks.

There was time for a quick coffee - then more photographing before the ladies had to leave and the production stopped. The technique behind the work looks rather simple if you know what you are doing, but it takes some finger technique to get the tiny things together and assembled so that they look the way they are supposed to. During the session Gerd-Inger prepared in her professional manner two pucks sitting together and kindly offered this for our home - the first tokens of christmas this season (picture below). The figures behind fulfills the scene and adds in their own way warmth in our home. A much loved gesture from Gerd-Inger towards us.

At Ovesholm's Castle

Mrs. T walking in the grounds of Ovesholm's Castle.

Despite being so close to Kristianstad this particular castle was unknown to us before this visit. The christmas market here is promoted as providing quality handicrafts and food stuff from different parts of Skåne. Once arriving we noticed that people leaving were loaded with goods - looked really promising! We forgot to pay a visit to the cash dispensing machine - how much cash did we have? Good - putting our notes together we had enough to cover the essentials. And indeed, we left with our own load of locally manufactured cheddar cheese for christmas, a lovely seabuckthorne concentrate from Åhus that was familiar to us and a special blend of gluhwine from Svenskt Slottsglögg made of apples, grapes, blackcurrant and spices that was really tasty. 

Scenes from Ovesholm christmas market

The main stalls are conveniently indoors but activities are also held outdoors; Father Christmas, pony riding and a mini train amused the children. Outdoor decorations contributed towards the forthcoming christmas / end of year festive feeling. Before leaving we said hello to our friend from Svarta Bergen, purchased a herring hamburger and a sausage to carry us back home. Fast food sausages were not to be found in Andalucia during our stay there so consumption in Sweden has been on the heavy side.

Outdoor scenes at the Ovesholm's market.

Earlier the same day we had purchased a larger lantern and candles to place outside our front door back home. With the pucks from Gerd-Inger, the delicacies from Ovesholm's and the new decorations we have brought light and a feeling of the forthcoming warm christmas festivity to our home.  

Home sweet home!

We are happy that you wanted to share our tour to the nearby christmas market and wish that you will have a good time preparing for the season. Stay tuned for more news and take care!

:-)