It's beginning to sound a lot like...
Everyone's getting into the Christmas spirit over here. Even milk at the market is putting on appropriate attire. By the way, that festive looking bottle up there is actually a silent killer - RAW MILK. Shock, horror! They sell it at all the markets here - and little Latvian children drink it down. I hear ladies in New York have been rioting because it's against the law to buy raw milk for their offspring.
All the bottles at our local artsy crafty organic foodsy market yesterday were getting cosy in the winter chill.
We wandered down through the winter wonderland in the morning and tried all of the Latvian treats. Tīss, my little feinschmacker, ooohed and aaahed over the fruit jellies and berry syrups and farm cheeses and bizarre jam combinations, and tasted every single item that was put out for testing. Meanwhile Jem and I tried the apple calvados in little paper cups and quizzed the seller why Latvia doesn't produce natural apple cider - we've got enough apples in this country! He promised us that next year was the year for Latvian apple cider. Hip hooray...
Yesterday the snow was accompanied by a super blue sky and fabulous hoar frost. Walking to the market was almost more exciting than eating all the free bits and pieces when we got there!
This advent wreath of moss and baby pine cones that I picked up last week has already had a work out - this time of year candles seem to burn all day on account of the all-pervading overcast-ness. Not so bad since the snow has fallen though - this morning the sky is covered in clouds but totally white, almost as white as the snow settled on the branches of the maple outside our bedroom window.
Peaceful scene, huh? Not really, if you turn around, this is what you see - Jem got bumped out by two boys iPad shopping for Christmas presents. Those cold little feet under the covers.... brrrrrr
Oh yes, the raw milk. It's illegal to sell it in the States. So, what people do, is they buy a share of the cow. And then they just go pick up "their" milk from "their" cow. It is quite a movement.
Such gorgeous winter images. Someone commented to me recently that it was strange that here in Australia we celebrate Christmas with wintery decorations. I hadn't thought about it for a while but it is totally weird to have imitation snow sprayed on your windows when it's stinking hot outside. At least you get the real stuff in Latvia and you get to have such a beautiful European Christmas. Wishing you a happy season!