One thing that Mr. T and I like to do at Christmas time is to take a little shopping trip to a nearby town where there's a quaint marketplace housed in an old mill. One of our favorite bookstores is located here also. This marketplace is a fun place to shop because it's got so much atmosphere, especially at Christmas if the snow happens to be falling. We don't always get to shop here during the Christmas season, but we like to if we can. This year we did manage to go, but it was the Friday night before Christmas when we were able to carve out the time.
We love to eat supper at a favorite diner first if that works out, and this year it did! The diner was already crowded when we got there a little after 5 pm, but in just a very few minutes we were enjoying fried haddock, baked potatoes, and squash. A comfort food meal for a cool winter evening! We had a corner table and were just able to relax and enjoy our meal. Even though this is a busy restaurant and it's relatively small, the noise level is managed well, and we just had a quiet relaxing supper. No room for dessert! This was an "all you can eat" haddock meal, and Mr. T had seconds!
Then it was on to the marketplace and several of our favorite shops. Little white lights glow all around the courtyard and buildings, and the waterfall is illuminated. Brick walkways lead here and there. Oh, the ambiance is wonderful! We always have to walk over to the waterfall. The top two pictures below are from a previous year. The bottom picture of the falls, where the lights look blue and our camera was doing something funny, is from this year.
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| A slightly different angle. |
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| This year they are using LED lights to illuminate the waterfall, which is a bit more frozen than in the above pics from a previous year. I really don't care for the bluish look. |
Just a wonderful time at the "most wonderful time of the year"! So thankful for the opportunity.
Outings like this are a fun part of the festivities.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are, Lorrie. We always enjoy a visit to these quaint and interesting shops as part of our Christmas when we can work it out.
DeleteIt sounds like a very special evening. I am so glad that you and Mr. T were able to fit it in to a tight schedule.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Vee! We could have done it Thursday night, but the shops were not open late that evening, so it had to be Friday. So happy it worked out. As you said, very special. Quiet and relaxing.
DeleteIt looks so inviting, I would love to visit that quaint little marketplace. Sounds like a nice evening. Thanks for stopping over. The best place to get the dishtowels is from Crate and Barrel, they have the best!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, if you ever get out to the East Coast, this little lakeside town might be a place you'd want to visit! It's so pretty, with several nice hotels and a number of nice restaurants. Plus that tax-free shopping!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip on the dishtowels. I will check that out!