The Christmas market is sort of like a gi-normous, very festive version of Toulouse’s weekend market. It is also in the Capitole plaza, and is row after row of vendor stall. In this case, though, only a few are for produce, meats and breads. And many of the stalls seem to be for handmade items.
Vendor booths fill the whole Capitole square.
These little meringue sandwich cookies are VERY popular here. Some vendors even have savory flavors just for the holidays!
Fresh spices to the fore, and fresh tea mixes to the back. My youngest son loves fresh, looseleaf tea mixes!
I wish I had taken some photos of the scarves and wood carvings.
People-watching in Toulouse is always entertaining as well. Apparently a team of some sort (soccer? If not certainly rugby) from Marseille was having lunch outside one of the hotels on the plaza, and repeatedly sang their team song. They were a very spirited crowd.
I wondered if the stork was the team mascot, or just this one fellow’s.
I don’t know why the bear is here. If I could read the stickers plastered over him, I’m sure I’d have a better clue.
I think you pay to play.
There was plenty of more formal entertainment as well. Ethnic musicians and dancers went up and down the aisles…
and an entertainer circle featured a fire twirler and this Jesus who just made a tableau with his lamb and cross…
waiting for his turn in the performance circle
and some musicians who can always be found at the Capitole…
And lastly, the weather was fine enough that the whole plaza was graced by the bees from the honey vendor.
See the little bees still on the comb?
Pamela UnPlugged: the Art of Life 