Santa's pal, yumm!

The Vol-in-Law and I met up yesterday to go to the Finnish Christmas Fair. After a rather disastrous tube journey, I finally got on to the Docklands Light Railway (this is a form of transport for East Londoners). I met the ViL on the platform of Prince Regent station and we tried to make our way to the Sunborn Yacht Hotel where the fair was being held.

Well, normally the only people who go out this way are there to buy arms or weapons of medium scale destruction at the ExCel Convention Centre. This is where they hold the big annual weapons show. And these aren't the everyday gun shows that you can get down at the Rotary gym. No, you can buy tanks and stuff (if you got the cash! Human Rights Violator? - no problem, meet me 'round the back.)

We did have to wander round the back to get to the Sunborn Yacht and the place was absolutely deserted and not really set up for pedestrians. (I guess most weapons buyers don't come by public transport).

I don't want to dis' the fair, but I have to say that it's a lot better when it's held at the Finnish Church - for one because they have a liquor license (they only just managed to get it for the yacht on the day). Nothing quite means Christmas like walking into the church and seeing the giant pyramid of Finnish beer available for purchase. There was, sadly, no beer this year. Some Londoner had taken a day off work just to go buy Finnish beer. Boy was he disappointed. We did get our liqueur, though, but at boat prices, not at the low, low prices you normally expect when you buy liquor at church.

They had less room on the boat than they do at the church, so they didn't put on a full meal (which is fantastic). Instead they just had a "grill" where you could buy reindeer meet on mashed potatos or sausages and mash. We got the reindeer - yumm!