Cold Sunday afternoon. You come out of London’s Green Park tube station and you see a massive crowd of people, old and young, all going in the same direction. If you follow the crowd, you will soon reach Hyde Park, a big part of which has been completely transformed and it is now Winter Wonderland. You will see a huge queue and it doesn’t matter whether you came early in the morning or late at night- the queue will always be there, especially during weekends.
You make your way through the crowd and you are completely enchanted, but not by the Christmas spirit, but by the delicious smell of baked sausages mixed with fried doughnuts and chocolate covered waffles. There is a whole alley devoted to versatile food choices and mulled wine.
If you are not too full after walking around this part of the park, you can head towards the amusement park. I personally feel dizzy only by staring at the giant rides, but lots of visitors seem to love being thrown up and down on a giant boat in the freezing air.
I am still trying to find something truly Christmassy and I head towards the game zone. There is no Santa there; however, there is a chance to win 2 kg of Toblerone if you guess a couple of numbers. How hard could this be? I am choosing my numbers as
I am calculating the number of calories that I would consume before I go to bed if I win one of those magnificent huge chocolates. Surely I won’t have to be taken to a hospital if I eat the whole thing?
OK, maybe I will leave a bit for tomorrow.
Unfortunately my dilemma is resolved as I don’t win anything at all.
I comfort myself with amazing Nutella pancakes and I am still trying to find a corner of handmade Christmas gifts, maybe some Christmas jumpers… I finally see a couple of stalls selling Christmas decoration, but the huge “Made in China” labels kill any doubt that Santa brought them here from the North Pole.
Check this out: A very British Christmas
Pushing through the crowd, I finally make my way out and I head home.
I think that
Winter Wonderland and the other Christmas markets in London are very nice, but you can only feel truly warm, cozy and Christmassy snuggled in your soft pyjamas on your comfy couch with a nice book and a cup of aromatic tea in hand.
Christmas is the best time of the year because you can spend it with your loved ones and it doesn’t matter whether you are on a roller coaster or on your couch – the true Winter Wonderland is in your heart.
