It's time again for the Medieval Market in Turku. I love this market... It encompasses the historic atmosphere of the city all in one long weekend. From Thursday to Sunday, at the beginning of July each Summer, the are around the Old Town Square, the Cathedral School and Aboa Vetus/Ars Nova is transformed into a Medieval Market. All the stalls are carefully selected to reflect the era and all the stallholders, and many others, are in traditional costume. There is also a wonderful area in the park devoted to the Artisans of years gone by and as well as selling their wares, they demonstrate their traditional crafts. There are a potter's wheel; people boiling huges pots to make soap and dyes; blacksmiths; weavers; horn carvers; felters.... and lots more, too. I even met a Druid from Yorkshire, who lives in Rovaniemi (where Father Christmas lives) and sells incense and infusions!
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| Glass Jewellery designed and made by my friend, Sirkku. |
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| Brass work - Mouse was fascinated by the bells. It was the cross/anchor/heart door knocker that originally caught my eye |
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| One side of the Old Town Square - so glad we weren't pushing a buggy over the cobbles this year... |
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| an ex-piggy! |
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| Would you believe the lady in the middle is tanning fish leather? |
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| Felting |
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| Estonian Felt |
...and today the sun was shining; it was lovely and warm; not too hot!
We sat for a while and listening to some musicians - one lady who sang & played a "jouhikko" or stringed bowed lyre and a Swedish trio of ladies called KRABAT who played and sang. One of their instruments was a keyed fiddle! Wonderful sounds to accompany the tempting scents... not the soap I must admit... but the food cooking all around the market; salmon, pork, sausages, pancakes, candy apples, sugared/spiced almonds.. all yummy! And the smoke from various fires... the blacksmith, the dyers, soap-makers. The horses from the jousting arena added their own aromas, too!
