SWISS CHRISTMAS MARKETS RULE!
Christmas markets are a mostly Germanic and eastern
European tradition and even the traditional Christmas tree was not a Dickensian
invention but introduced into England by Prince Albert, consort of Queen
Victoria. The German prince hankered for his childhood Christmas tree decorated
by him and brother Prince Ernst and recreated one for his children in England.
In 1848 The London Illustrated News published
pictures of the Royal Family in Windsor Castle next to their gaily decorated
tree. The aristocracy and middle classes were enamoured and quickly emulated
this new fangled custom. This was followed by the novel notion of gift giving
to children and exchanging presents between adults.
Hence none is surprised when the world acclaimed
Zurich Christmas market is dominated by the world’s biggest Swarovski Christmas
tree towering over 16 metres.
Installed inside Zurich’s Main Railway Station, it
glitters, glows and gleams with some 5,000 to 6,000 Swarovski crystal ornaments,
depending on who you ask--- even the Zurich Tourist Board gives conflicting
numbers but who is counting?
I could hardly see the tree for the decorations
which are entirely in white and Swarovski wasted no time in flaunting their
expertise. Showcases encircle the tree, filled with expensive and unique
examples of works of art seemingly geared at the Chinese market---golden,
coiling dragon, pair of leaping auspicious carps, running tiger and rearing
horse in honour of 2014 Year of the Horse. Should the urge to buy them
overwhelm you, the Swarovski shop is conveniently located just across the
street!
Zurich’s Christmas market, now into its 20th
year inside the cavernous hall of Hofbahnhof aka Main Railway Station is the
world’s biggest indoor market with a carnival, festive atmosphere plus sensational
scents of mulled wine, gingerbread and steaming chocolate.
Over 150 stalls (they call them ‘chalets’, so cute)
fill the hall, brimming with the usual chocolate, candy, toys, glass ornaments,
dresses, shoes, bags, accessories, jewellery, household/kitchen utensils,
handmade candles, baked goodies and the obligatory mulled wine to fortify
against the cold and wind outside.
I saw some rustic Nativity scenes made of wood and
bits and pieces but no elaborate, lavishly embellished figurines of Virgin
Mary, Jesus, angels, cherubs or carved religious icons. Then I remembered
Zurich (as well as Geneva, Berne and Basel) is Protestant and even the interior
of the 13th century Grossmunster, Zurich’s biggest church is
sparsely, spartanly decorated unlike Catholic cathedrals. As I stared at the
bare surroundings, a priest rushed to tell me photography was forbidden,
prompting me to indignantly but politely (since he was a man of the cloth)
protest there was nothing much inside to photograph!
Remarkably, I saw several stalls selling, of all
unchristian stuff, statues of Buddha and Buddhism’s pantheon of deities in
Zurich’s Christmas market. A few booths sold artefacts from Bali and silk
blouses from China while one specialised in ‘blooming flower’ teas, displaying
transparent glasses of tea balls which had swelled and unfurled into miniature
floral bouquets.
Cafes and restaurants lined both sides so you could
sit and watch the world glide by without shivering.
Prices are reasonable and the most expensive items
I saw were sword replicas under a thousand ringgit. Most products were around
RM 50.
If rustic charms are not your cup of tea, directly
in front of the railway station is Bahnhof strasse. It is one of the world’s most
expensive shopping street, loaded with designer fashion boutiques, watch shops
and high-end jewellery stores like Gubelin, Bucherer and Turler, Switzerland’s tripartite
of the most prestigious multi-label havens of dreams.
Five minutes’ walk on Bahnhof strasse is Zurich’s
smallest Christmas market with just 10 stalls. Its claim to fame is the
‘Singing Christmas Tree’ ---a pyramidal platform resembling a huge Christmas
tree filled with up to 50 children singing carols and popular Yuletide songs.
Dressed as Santa Clauses, the kids belt out lustily to the great appreciation
of onlookers and admiration of parents and relatives!
A tiny market is at Niederdorf in Geneva’s Old
Town. I find it particularly charming as the openair stalls are festively
decorated while the shops sell local products and most boutiques sell
made-in-Zurich apparel with nary a Zara, H & M, MNG or big multi-national
in sight. The cobbled streets mean high heels are a threat to life and limb.
I COULD HARDLY SEE THE SHOP DUE TO THE DECORATIONS!
THIS IS A CHOCOLATE SHOP!
JUST ADMIRING THESE GOODIES PUT ME IN A GOOD MOOD
THE CHOCOLATES ARE LURKING HERE SOMEWHERE
PERFECTION
GOODIES GALORE
ROSY CANDLESTINSEL TOWN
CATTY LURES
THIS IS HOW TO DECORATE YOUR BORING FLOWER POTS
THERE IS A MAN SOMEWHERE HERE
INTERESTING IDEA FOR AN INSIPID POT!
CANDLES GALORE
A BUDDHA AT CHRSTMAS!
NICE BLING
SEASONAL DECORATIONS
SO CUTE AND ADORABLE
KEE HUA CHEE AND ESTHER GROB OF ZURICH TOURISM
INSIDE ZURICH MAIN RAILWAY STATION
SWAROVSKI XMAS TREE AND ARTY WINDMILL
5,000 SWAROVKSI CRYSTALS HERE
INSIDE ZURICH RAILWAY STATION
INDOOR MARKET
HUGE HALL
I HAD A CHOCOLATE DRINK HERE WITH ESTHER GROB
LOVE THE DECOR
CHINKY ATTIRE
HEAVENLY SCENTS
I LOVE THESE WOODEN UTENSILS
WOODEN YOU LOVE TO HAVE THEM IN YOUR KITCHEN?
EERIE THESE BODYLESS HEADS!
WARM AND COSY
SITTING ON SHEEPSKIN KEEPS YOUR ASS WARM!
COMFY
CAN YOU SEE THE SELLER
AN ORIENTAL TOUCH HERE
CLARION CALL
AUSSIE RATTLES
FROM BALI
SEALS WITH A KISS
HUGE KALEIDISCOPE!
FUNKY KALEIDOSCOPES
YUMMY
CUTE OR WHAT THESE TAPE HOLDERS
PRICEY TREATS
SWEET ANGELS
INDIAN DELIGHTS
THESE ARE QUITE CHEAP!
STARS GALORE
INDOOR MERRY GO ROUND
OOOOH
DIZZY
SPINNING BUT IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE SLOW
FUN FOR KIDS
LIGHTS AND FUN
NICE
SWAROSVKI XMAS TREE IS BIGGEST IN WORLD
5000 CRYSTALS MAKE UP THIS TREE
COUNT THEM!
SWAROVSKI TIGER
MICKEY AND MINNIE SWAROVSKI
GOLDEN SWAROVSKI DRAGON FOR THE CHINESE!
STUNNING
I LOVE THIS DRAGON
MOTHER OF ALL CRYSTAL XMAS TREES
FROM SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS
READY FOR YEAR OF HORSE 2014
YEAR OF HORSE 2014 IS COMING!
FOR THE CHINESE MARKET NOW SO IMPORTANT
2 AUSPICIOUS CARPS FOR THE CHINESE MARKET
THE CHINESE ARE NOW THE BIGGEST BUYERS OF LUXURY GOODS
DRAMATIC
WOW
IMPRESSIVE
PICTURESQUE
STUNNING DECORATIVE ITEMS
I COULDN'T RECOVER FROM THIS CHRISTMAS, CRYSTAL TREE!
LOOKS LIKE FROZEN ICICLES BUT THEY ARE SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS
NICE HORSE
ZURICH INDOOR MARKET
DRAGON AMID THE SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL TREE
DRAGON RULES!
THIS REPLICA WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM ON SALE, AROUND RM 1,300
WESTERN DRAGON
ORIGINAL SOUVENIR FROM SWITZERLAND!
AMAZINGLY THERE ARE MANY STALLS SELLING BUDDHAS SINCE THE SWISS LOVE SUCH SERENE FIGURINES!
BUDDHAS FOR CHRISTMAS? SO SUPER SUITABLE AND COOL!
COLOURFUL COASTERS
NATIVITY
NATIVITY
HORSES FOR 2014 YEAR OF THE HORSE!
I LOVE THESE GAILY HUED STUFF
EVER CHANGING SCENERY FRAMES! TURN EACH UPSIDE DOWN AND THEY FORM INCREDIBLE, ALWAYS CHANGING SCENERY!
RUDOLF THE WHITE NOSED REINDEER
LOVE AND KISSES
CHINESE FLOWER TEAS
SO PRETTY
I LOVE THEM
MORE BUDDHAS
FLYIN COCKS?
LOVELY DECOR
CHOOSE ONE OR ALL
HE QUITE DISHY
NATIVITY
NICE
LARGE ANGEL
HANDIWORK
TOY SOLDIERS
SO SWEET
NICE AND WISE
I LOVE THIS
AND I LOVE THESE TOO
THESE BIRDS ARE BRILLIANT
EACH CRYSTAL BALL CONTAINS A FIGURINE INSIDE!
GLASS ANGELS
LOOK AT WHAT IS INSIDE EACH CRYSTAL BALL!
THERE IS A SMALL FIGURINE INSIDE EACH CRYSTAL BALL! SO STUNNING
I NEVER SEEN SUCH BALLS BEFORE
GLASS ANGELS
PRETTY BIRDIES
MAGICIAN'S WALLET ON FIRE
PUPPETS
BLOOMING GARDEN
THE SELLER IS HERE SOMEWHERE
ZURICH MAIN RAILWAY STATION IS OPPOSITE BAHNHOFSTRASSE THE WORLD'S MOST GLAM SHOPPING STREET!
BAHNHOFSTRASSE IS WHERE LUXURY LIVES
ZURICH RAILWAY STATION IS IN THE HEART OF TOWN
SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL PILLAR IN THEIR SHOP OPPOSITE ZURICH RAILWAY STATION
THAT'S A CLEVER REFLECTION!
BAHNHOFSTRASSE IS WHERE THE BIG NAMES ARE
I AM NEVER OVER ZURICH!
BUT NOT ALL SHOPS ARE PRICEY AS THESE ARE CHEAP! NOT ALL SWISS ARE MILLIONAIRES!
ILLUMINATIONS HERE SO STUNNING
WELL LIT AND WELL DONE!
THE TRAM PASSES THROUGH
THIS IS A BOUTIQUE!
BURGER JEANS NOT TO BE EATEN
ANGEL CLIMBING TREE
I LOVE BAHNHOFSTRASSE
LAVISH LIGHTS
STUNNING
THE SINGING CHRISTMAS TREE
BUT I CAME TOO LATE AS THE KIDS HAD LEFT
NOW THIS IS A GOWN TO CROW ABOUT!
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