A Visit to the Vancouver Christmas Market

Checking out the Vancouver Christmas Market is what mainly took us to Vancouver this time. Besides the small town in Montana where I grew up, and Seattle, I've never been anywhere else during the Christmas season. I've always wanted to see another city all lit up for the holidays and the Vancouver Christmas Market looked really fun and festive. There are European Christmas Markets all over Europe during December. The one in Vancouver is modeled like those with over 80 venders, a carousel, a Christmas tree you could walk inside of, mulled wine and beer, authentic foods you'd find in Europe, lots of Christmas souvenirs, and even a Christmas Pyramid with carolers singing inside.

The weather ended up being pretty chilly and rainy, so we didn't stay for too long. Our boys started to get too cold, so I had to rush to get the food I wanted. But the atmosphere was really Christmassy and there was a ton to check out. There was an indoor area for eating and also for buying Christmas gifts. To warm up a little, my husband and I tried two free samples of some spirits from Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery. The whiskey and vodka we tried were super smooth and went down easily.

Then the four of us shared a Chimney Cake from Transylvanian Chimney Cakes. These Hungarian treats are large and hollow and covered in cinnamon and sugar. We all really enjoyed the warm pastry and it was just enough for all of us. It was also fun watching them make it.

Then I tried some Raclette from Cheese Me Raclette. This cheese from Switzerland looked too delicious to pass up. This is the only place to get it currently in Vancouver. And the fun part is watching them make it. It took about fifteen minutes to get my order. She warmed the cheese up until the top of the cheese wheel was hot and bubbly, then she scraped it onto the plate of bread, pickles, meat, and potatoes. Finally, she added some pepper, and bam, it was ready. It was cold out, but eating hot cheese made it bearable. The Raclette was warm and nutty, and tasted good with the rest of the food. The pickles had a nice crunch, the potatoes were warm, and the small piece of bread was tasty with the cheese.

My then my family was starting to melt and freeze, so I had to grab my cheese, and walk briskly back to the car, inhaling my food as I walked the wet streets of Vancouver.