...........it's almost become an annual tradition to pay a visit to the German Christmas Market, located in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. This year was no exception.......
.....there were lots of fancy things on offer, like these pretty candle holders which illuminated the greyness of the day with their warm and welcoming glow.....
.....and I have no idea who these people are - they just happened to be in the way when I was taking the pic of those scrumptious-looking chocolate hearts!.....
....and this stall was choc-a-blockful of Russian Dolls in every size and colour.........
.......this is not sheepskin, it's reindeer, apparently!.....
......the sign advertises a speciality, though I didn't partake!....
....and this was such a pretty carousel, if only my camera had been working properly - though I think maybe Santa has one in his bottomless sack for me!
......then we decided to get away from the hustle and bustle and grab us some 'kulchur' so we headed for the Scottish National Gallery on The Mound where the RSA were hosting an open exhibition of Scottish artists and what a feast for the eyes some of the exhibits were....
....I particularly loved this vintage typewriter suspended on the wall with its huge length of paper dangling underneath......
......it must have taken the artist many,many hours to type this lot!....
....and if you think these pieces are spooky, they're meant to be. They're 'headstones' cleverly imprinted on linen sacks....
....and these 'tin cans' aren't tin at all but are made of latex - the colours were much nicer in real life......
....then I got into trouble for using my camera but just had time to take a pic of this pretty foil Xmas Tree....and if you are visiting any interesting shops or galleries, it pays to take a grown-up child with you, they might even buy you a tiny piece of art that you particularly admired for Xmas.....if you're very,very lucky!
no, it's not a spaceship, just the tips of the rocket ride in the first pic....seemingly so-called because it went very,very high up in the sky and promptly fell back to earth.......I didn't partake of that either, needless to say.....coffee and cake were beckoning!
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I hope all your festive plans are coming together and that you're able to get a little 'me' time too, somewhere amongst the fray!
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Thanks for visiting, I really appreciate it.....You Know It!
xxxOOOxxxOOOxxx
.....so does 'Erik'! 
...a pretty village scene....
....a Hackney Carriage described as a Gondola!
....the lights on in the cottages and the smoke funnelling from the chimneys look inviting on a cold, snowy night.....
....and some of the adverts made me smile, from an age when 'politically correct' was yet unheard of, it was perfectly ok to advertise booze.......
