Spring Bazaar!

There is a Spring Bazaar on Patch Barracks every year.  I'm all about bazaars!  Vendors from all over come to post and sell their finest wares. I just love being amongst the chaos.  I really don't know what it is.  But it's fun to look around, buy stuff, eat and watch other people doing the same thing.

The bazaar had everything you could imagine from all over (Germany, Italy, etc.)--wine, beer, textiles, woodworks, furniture, rugs, Italian leather...you name it--it was there.  I took a few pictures.  I've found that vendors and shop owners here can be really sensitive about people taking pictures of their merchandise.  So I tried to be as respectful as possible.

Table Runners and Wall Decorations

Not sure if it's beer or wine.  Whatever, it's alcohol.  They had lots of it.  I bought a few bottles of Italian wine myself :)

Matryoshka Dolls from Russia.  My parents had a few sets of this in the house when we were growing up. 

Cheese!  Yum!

Polish Pottery galore.  My friend told me that this vendor, Andy, is one of the best.  They're all individually painted and gorgeous.  They even had a line of lady bug printed items.  Cute!  I wanted to buy some, but the line was sooooooooooooo long.  I'll probably just go to Andy's on a trip to Poland (USO does tours).  It'll be cheaper there anyway.

Other knick knacks.  The prettiest hooks and doorknobs I've seen.

I really liked these hand-painted drawer boxes.  I used to see these in World Market and Pier 1 all the time.

I was pretty proud of myself.  I didn't spend as much as I thought I was going to, what, with all the temptation I endured.  I walked away with some wine, some Cinnabon cinnamon rolls that were being sold at a food tent, and a this really cool carrier basket by Reisenthel.

They're really popular around here.  You can carry it like a bag (it has a strap) and hook it to your shopping cart. They even sell covers for it.

Amid the chaos, I lost my wallet and didn't even realize it until after I'd stood in a food line for about 25 minutes and was about to pay the bill.  I'd left it at the wine vendor where I'd made my last purchase and luckily, they hung onto it for me.  There are still some good, honest people out there.  And...how horribly typical of me.

Anyway, I've been relaxing at home for a few hours and it's just great.  The weather has taken a turn for the worse over the last few days and it was a cold day for shopping (there were several tents and buildings, but you had to walk to each one; and they weren't heated).

I hope the weather is not like this in France tomorrow, although I reckon it will be.  Hope everyone who has a training holiday like we do here today is enjoying it.  Happy Friday!