Walking in a Winter Wonderland
With only a few weeks left until Christmas, what better way to get in the festive mood than visiting a Christmas market? Giving us a well-earned break from the last-minute rush to finalise assignments, the International Society’s visit to Edinburgh Christmas Market couldn’t have come at a better time.
On a chilly Saturday afternoon on the 3rd of December, a group of our members met up at Stirling train station to set out on an adventure to the Edinburgh European Christmas Market. Struggling to contain our excitement and anticipation, we jumped off the train at Edinburgh Waverly Station and just about ran up the stairs to East Princes Street where the market is held. Then, finally, we set eyes upon the winter wonderland of Edinburgh Christmas Market.
The stalls were covered in thousands of lights, the streets were bustling with people and festive tunes were playing in the background. The smell of delicious food and drink was almost overwhelming. We really enjoyed spending time at the market and I would highly recommend paying it a visit. If you’re interested, you can find out more about the market and other Christmas events going on in Edinburgh here.
We decided to split up into smaller groups and started wandering through the rows of little wooden huts, simply taking in the magical atmosphere and marvelling at the vast selection of food and drink on offer. Stomachs rumbling, we decided it was time to search for something to eat and drink. After hunting down some Bavarian Bratwurst and mugs of piping hot mulled wine, we huddled together around one of the tables and toasted to a wonderfully festive evening. We also met Santa! Well … kind of.
Then it was time for the star of the show, the giant wheel. Despite the ridiculous price of a ride on the wheel, we decided we would give it a go. And oh boy, we didn’t regret it! When the wheel reached its highest point, we were treated to the most beautiful view of the entire market. Seeing the glistening sea of lights from above was truly breath-taking! With our feet back on solid ground, we decided it was time for dessert. Now, this turned out to be a very though choice because there were just so many delicious-looking sweet treats from every corner of Europe on offer.
Once we had finished devouring our dessert, it was almost time to catch the last train back to Stirling, so we heavy-heartedly made our way to Waverly Station. On the train ride back, we all discussed our impressions of the market. For some of our members, it had been their first ever Christmas market experience. Farah told us: “I’m from Indonesia and we don’t have Christmas markets at home. I really loved the lights and all the delicious food. Everyone seemed so happy and peaceful!”
And I must say that I agree. For me, this trip was perfect final event of the semester and really got us all excited for the holidays. If you would like to become a member and experience some of the fun events that the International Society organises each semester, check out our Facebook page for information on the society and how to join.
We are already looking forward to the spring semester and have lots of cool activities and events planned for the new year. But for now, Merry Christmas everyone, and see you in January!