Christmas in London

Our first Christmas away from home was an interesting experience...

Oh my goodness, so cold! You don't get two weeks off work to sit and sunbathe and swim. There are crazy additions to the traditional Christmas lunch. Shopping in Oxford Street takes on a whole new meaning. There is ice skating and festive Christmas pantos. There are Christmas markets to visit and mulled wine to be drunk. Going to the pub on Christmas day is a viable option and dreams of a white Christmas are always in the back of your mind.

A lack of space around the flat meant a £1.50 3ft Christmas tree from Woolworths took pride of place above the mini fridge. Unfortunately only a few gifts could fit under this.

Being treated to free lunches at work entitled me to check out the traditional english Christmas lunch in advance and incorporate some of it's weird ideas into our Christmas day festivities. Brussell Sprouts and 'pigs n blankets' or mini sausages wrapped in bacon are a staple and the mini stuffing balls are a great idea.

With only one of our four antipodean flatties elsewhere there were plenty of people around the flat to make our own Christmas fun away from home. We took a trip to a local bar for a couple of Christmas Eve drinks with hot chips for the walk back. Next day after early phone calls from home we did the whole Christmas lunch at the flat and cooked up a mega delicious turkey with all the trimmings. The afternoon was spent drinking bucks fizz and champers and playing board games in front of Christmas music vids. We didn't venture outside for the whole day for fear of freezing - must be hard for the kids with new bikes and roller skates! Quite a good nice way to spend a day although the family and the summer were greatly missed.

Post Christmas after the leftover trifle is polished off and the gingerbread men decorating is done only a million or so people head back to Oxford Street and Selfridges for the start of the boxing day sales. It sure was a crazy idea of ours to try and get into that shop for a look around the specials. Most people back to work on the Monday after however we have managed to score a couple of days off before New Years so are off to Prague for a spur of the moment winter treat.

Catch up with us again soon in the Czech Republic...