Christmas market 2012

ArtyC

Cerulean Chicken wrote: »

What was wrong with it? Just curious as to why you threw it away instead of going back and complaining.

This is the main one I want to try!

RINO87

The pork wraps/baps are great when theyre busy and made fresh. When the stand is quiet they give them to you ready made out of a drawer. I saw them taking one out of the drawer for me so asked the guys if I could have a fresh one instead, they made it up there and then and it was excellent! The garlic/cheese wedges are nice too, and pretty good value at 3.50.

Harps

Anyone tried a zebra burger yet

Was down today for the 2nd time and there definitely seemed to be more stands this week, was tempted to try something from the exotic meat stand but opted for a corn dog, pretzel and a couple of macarons instead, all delicious

Cerulean Chicken

Just back from it now, it was great! Currently enjoying macaroons AND macarons I had a kangaroo burger, it was lovely, then shared the wedges with garlic and cheese with himself, they were divine, best I've tasted in year. Then we had a hot whiskey and mulled wine, very nice. Lovely atmosphere there, tempted to buy Bert & Ernie knitted hats but could only find Ernie!

Edit: Raspberry and lemon macarons taste of nothing.

Edit #2: Harps the OH had the zebra burger, said it was lovely.

the keen edge

Got in on the Macaroon/Macaron gig myself this evening.

To be honest I'd say that I found the macaroon a little dry, tasty all the same.
Got a selection of macarons. They are very good, for me the white chocolate and the pistachio ones were the tastiest of the five I bought.

There was a good auld atmosphere in there and a lot of people around.
Any recommendations on the exotic burger choice?

Unrealistic

If you take a lease in a shopping centre one of the main terms is an obligation to stay open during normal trading hours of the shopping centre. I don't know whether the Christmas Market didn't bother including a similar term in their leases or they did included it but are not enforcing it. But either way it is extremely frustrating to arrive there at 6:45 PM and find half the stalls closed already even though the advertising says it is open until 8PM. The worst was the carousel that had people just finishing up a ride as we were walking towards it but decided to shut down immediately and wouldn't let my kids have a go (this was before 7PM).

c_man

Cerulean Chicken wrote: »

What was wrong with it? Just curious as to why you threw it away instead of going back and complaining.

Yeah I probably should have but I'm Irish :pac:

bubbaloo

Didn't think much of the place to be honest. It was just food, food, food. The authentic German markets have so much more to offer.
Also, I saw a comment on their FB page about someone being short changed and then basically intimidated and threatened with legal action when she tried to get her money back! Nice! :eek:

Cerulean Chicken

Very disappointed with the macarons overall, out of 7 flavours we tried only one tasted of anything at all, the coffee one.

beardybrewer

Had a proper stroll through with the family at the weekend. It's funny that it's smaller yet feel just as crowded. All it takes is one woman with a buggy or two people stopping for a chat and the paths back up. They're clearly trying to respond to this every year and I think part of the problem is that the park's paths, which are also used in the market, just don't have the capacity. The paths should be twice or thrice as wide. Maybe they'd be better off setting up in South Park where they simply have a field and can lay it out properly.

As I mentioned before it's a pity they don't have a few more kid activities / rides. The big slide last year was a good addition. A simple bouncy castle of €3 for 15 minutes would be something.

Corn dogs were lovely and the little bar selling hot drings (next door) was nice. The beer keller was right full Sat afternoon and looked nice. There should have been more German, or otherwise authentic, contenential crafts. I saw some cheap imported tack from spain / india which hardly qualifies. The only real crafts I could see were by the nuns from Belarus.

foxirl

Any point going after 6 on a Friday or will a lot of the stalls have shut up?

Cerulean Chicken

foxirl wrote: »

Any point going after 6 on a Friday or will a lot of the stalls have shut up?

They're open til 8 or 10, if they closed at 6 they'd miss a lot of business!

C.K Dexter Haven

Not great this year would be my verdict. I'd say its better to have "something" than nothing as it does bring a festive spirit to the city and if you're out with a few friends, it's a nice way to while away some time. But no stalls there convinced me to part with my money which is what it's all about.

4/10

snubbleste

This thread is very quiet.
Does this mean the Continental/Christmas market is viewed as a failed commercial experiment?

K.C

I don't know about this year but last year I was living in Galway and thought it was very good. Very,very enjoyable. I was in the dublin one last week and there is no comparison. I miss Galway

biko

It was alright. I suppose we got spoiled the first year.

beardybrewer

I agree the novelty has worn off. These markets are increasingly common as if the Germans learned to export little wooden chalais as good as they do cars.

I think this year they responded to comments about the occasionally claustrophobic conditions in the market by having less stalls. This didn't make one jot of difference to the cramped feeling of cattle fenced in pushing forward to get out the other side. Walking through the market with small children on the weekend was not enjoyable. Nor was being stuck behind every mum with a buggy who was just trying to have a proper look around.

And lastly, the obvious comment is there was very little there other than food. It's probably down to typical mismanagement in fees for the stalls or something. No doubt those involved would take profit over growing a sustainable market and forging strong relationships with extraordinary vendors to deliver something really special for Galway. Much better to make a quick buck. Ho ho ho!

Das Kitty

I spent more money in it this year than any of the previous years.

I am really going to miss those Breton macaroons. Om nom nom.

My youngfella was very impressed with the carousel.

biko

Are the nuns there this year? I didn't see them and wanted to get some nicknack holy items for my believing friends.

thesandeman

Think they might be in the part that only opens at weekends. I met a couple of habit wearing women strolling around there on Saturday.

biko

I'll call in Saturday and have a look thanks.

Btw, everyone
The Galway Continental Christmas Market closes at 9pm on Saturday December 22nd.

Mrs OBumble

newkie wrote: »

And lastly, the obvious comment is there was very little there other than food. It's probably down to typical mismanagement in fees for the stalls or something. No doubt those involved would take profit over growing a sustainable market and forging strong relationships with extraordinary vendors to deliver something really special for Galway. Much better to make a quick buck. Ho ho ho!

Interestingly, Mr O'Bumble stopped trading in the St Nicholas market well over 5 years ago, because he recognsied that the only people making any real money were the food vendors. So I don't think it's unique to the Christmas Market.

Personally, I too have spent more money in the Christmas Market than in previous years, including some on non-food non-alcohol items.

And Biko, yes, the nuns definitely are there.

ben.schlomo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Interestingly, Mr O'Bumble stopped trading in the St Nicholas market well over 5 years ago, because he recognsied that the only people making any real money were the food vendors. So I don't think it's unique to the Christmas Market.

Personally, I too have spent more money in the Christmas Market than in previous years, including some on non-food non-alcohol items.

And Biko, yes, the nuns definitely are there.

Fully agree, the prices for stuff in the Xmas and Saturday markets are always far and above what one could pay in any other local retailer for similar things, its blindly obvious that food and drink is where the money is, if only they had the kind of food you get at the real German markets in the Fatherland.

thesandeman

Just noticed that the Crib which used to be in the Browne Doorway is not there. It seems to be part of the funfair this year.
Has it been missing since the markets started? I'm not religious but this is the first time I've noticed it gone :O
I know some eejit tried to vandalise it a few years ago but I'm fairly sure it was back since then?

deliege

I like the fact that there is a Christmas Market, but I can't help to find the thing quite disappointing - was already a little bit disappointed the first year, but thought that it would develop into something better with time...

However, I'm well aware that I might be expecting too much of this - I come from a place (not in Germany, though not very far) where the Christmas market is really quite great.

Of course it has been held for much longer - but as far as I remember even the first few years it was still better than here. More choice of little gifts and knicknacks, a lot of crafts (& craftmen), mostly local though each year another country is a guest (Russia this year, Quebec a couple of years ago,...), a lot of things that you just couldn't find easily elsewhere or at another time of the year, better decoration (wooden stalls are nice, but the atmosphere here is spoilt, imho, by all the plastic white tents)...

As for the food subject, it's interesting that in my city too, some people complain that there is too much food vendors in the place. But I now tell them to come here and compare what's available: going to eat a bite with friends in the Christmas market over there you can get (on top of my head) oysters, foie gras and other pates, smoked salmon, all sorts of christmas puddings (we're talking here about meat pudding that you usually eat cold), crepes, gauffres of different kinds, duck sandwich, paella, churros, hot camembert with bacon and apples, roasted ham, fondue savoyarde, poutine, all kinds of saucissons and smoked ham from France (I remember there was one guy trying to sell this kind of thing on the first year here), all sorts of quiche, different types of cheese from France, Netherlands and elsewhere, chocolate (obviously...), marzipan, croustillons (same, first year here there was a Dutch trader selling similar "oliebollens), and all kinds of sweets, cakes and bread,... Add to that many wine bars, cocktail bars (hot punch and more), many kinds of gluhwein too, not to forget divine hot chocolates. And that's only for things I have been interested in.

So ok, it's bigger in this city, so there definitely is more choice than in Galway. But what I see here is mostly "fast foody" stuff - burgers (don't care if its kangaroo, it's not bad, but it's still a burger), sausage in a bun, sweets that I can mostly get easily elsewhere. I tried the pork sandwich, quite liked it, but that was too greasy (and not so cheap) for me to try again; as for the famous corn dog, I tried it given the fuss some have been making about it - and found the thing utterly blend or worse. Only good point was that it was quite "good value": after having eaten that thing at lunch, I was not in the mood to eat for several hours, so was not tempted by other food stall on the market.

Ok, the macarons look fab (and having baked some in recent past I know that's not an easy thing, as the shells can be so fragile...) - and according to people who like this sort of sweet they are good. Gluhwein I had was ok, but nothing out of the ordinary either.

So for us, going twice to the Xmas market this year, we've spent there definitely less than expected. (And last week, we choose to give it a try to the little Athenry Xmas market rather than to face traffic going in the city. The little market was tiny, but we enjoyed our time there, bought a couple of items (craft & food), then had a GREAT time at the Heritage Center / Winter Wonderland with the little one. Congrats to people there!)

deliege

(sorry if the above looks a bit like a rant... 'suppose i'm be a tiny bit homesick at this time of year, even if I still love Ireland )