It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Toulouse is decked out in Christmas spirit-- decorations in the stores, lights strung over the streets and hung from buildings, a big tree.  As in New York, there are carts selling roasted chestnuts (chataignes grillées ou marrons chaud) on the corners.  A guy on the sidewalk plays the accordion (granted he's always there, not just at Christmas, but he still adds to the ambiance).  And fire jugglers seem to come out full force: I watched one man twirl a fire baton around, walked a quarter of a mile, and found another fire-dancing group.  They perform nightly, probably to take advantage of the crowds milling around shopping, eating, and ready for a spectacle.  But the biggest deal at Christmas in Toulouse is le grand marché de Noel -- the Christmas market.

 Unlike the normal French markets that are set-up and taken down every day, the Christmas market is a permanent fixture in the Capitol square throughout December.  The stalls are little wood cabins strung with lights, open everyday and every night.  They sell gifts like scarves, games, jewelry, berets, bonsai trees... Here's one with Russian nesting dolls:

 

But like most things, the big draw of the market, the main attraction, the specialty of most of the cabins is: FOOD. 

 

Sausage-filled baguettes.

 Foie Gras-- the French Christmas delicacy-- duck or goose liver.  Expensive stuff.

 VIN CHAUD- hot wine with cinnamon.

 Dried sausage, also a specialty.

 Gourmet Cheese.

Tartines: fresh bread with cheese melted on top.  They smell amazing.

Candy.  Chocolate, of course.  Pastries. Hot chocolate. Churros. Special Christmas bread. There was only one stall that had tacky Santa things. 

Christmas markets happen all over France-- huge ones in Paris.  The oldest one, in Strasbourg, has been happening for 431 years.  It almost reminds me of a summer fair in America with all the crowds paroozing the aisles, indulging in fattening, seasonal food...  The lights:

    That's Christmas-time in the city!