Fotos

This is one booth of Vienna's Christmas market, called the "Christkindlmarkt" (Christ Child Market). Although this particular booth is selling sweets, the booths vary, some selling ornaments, some selling handmade wooden objects or candles, some selling items for children, etc. There is a lot of variety. I am told that they had to lower their prices a bit this year because last year the prices at the Christkindlmarkt were so high that sales dropped very low. It is not the cheapest place to shop, but it's a fun experience, you might find items that are normally hard to find, and it's open even when regular stores are closed for the evening or for the holidays.

Behind the booth is the Rathaus (City Hall), which had been converted into a huge advent calendar for Christmas. Each day a new window on the Rathaus was opened to reveal a new shining work of art. Because this photo was taken on Dec. 22, most of the windows are open, but you can see in this picture the last window in the top center, bearing the number "24" because it was to be opened on Dec. 24.

In this photo I wanted to capture both the booth and the Rathaus to show the contrast between the high, lofty beauty of the Rathaus and the down-to-earth fun of the Christkindlmarkt. I chose a moment when only one shopper was at the booth because I wanted the various items for sale to show up, and I also liked the light that emanated from the booth when there were not too many people blocking the light. Normally there was a lot more bustle of people browsing the stalls, but I managed to capture a slight lull in the activity.