A slow month after my return, today I visited the “Marché de Noël” that has recently set up for Advent. Whilst it is a temporary market, it reminds me somewhat of Camden Town in North London. The stalls are in wooden cabins, but with such variety of goods as I would never expect to find in England. Candles, dolls, puzzle toys, hampers and clothes were all available, with regular booths serving food and hot drinks.
Yet it is now that I notice again the differences in climate: whilst many places in the UK have recently had snowfall, here it is still mild. Whilst I would usually expect a bite in the air by this time of year, its absence here is noticeably pleasant, as the sun continues to shine brightly. The difference in latitude is also evident in the day light – whilst it is an hour ahead of England, the light continues just as long into the evening. Altogether, the change of location is quite pleasant. I will have to consider emigrating to a warmer country in future.
Signing off,
Erasmus Who?
Erasmus Who's Blog 
If the market is so different, you can probably buy unusual Xmas presents for English people there.