By Heidi Trautmann

This year I went to two Christmas markets, the one in Girne organised by Kyrenia Animal Rescue at the Pia Bella Hotel and the other in Nicosia at the Goethe Institute in the buffer zone. I really don’t want to compare them but there are some things I would like to remark on. Rumtata music is really not the thing on a Christmas market where parents with their kids come to see Santa Claus; I heard many voices say that they would like to stay longer but the music put them off. Also, what I personally think should be shown on a Christmas market is art and craft, hand -made things and not to try to empty the house from flea market ware.

I bought my usual advent wreath made by a friend of mine, she is with the event for many years, and I bought German gingerbread and cinnamon stars which are delightful. And I bought a silk-wool shawl for my oldest granddaughter dyed with natural plants by Gabi, another friend. Schoolchildren sold their hand-made paper stars, I bought eight of them last year, they are beautiful. But see for yourself the photos I made.

People queued for curry sausages, potato salad and sauerkraut, for pork legs and later waffles, and from another corner came the smell of chestnuts fresh from the fire.

The first advent, the last one will be on 24 December. My wreath is on our table with a big red candle, looks really festive and inviting to sit down and enjoy the stollen with marzipan.