Christmas Week

In less than 7 1/2 hours, it's Good-bye 2024, Hello 2025. As every year, I find it hard to believe that another 12 months have passed - but when I think about all I did, places I've been to and people I've met, it does indeed feel like a full year.

What was last week like for me? Of course, Christmas was the main event.

On Monday (23 December), I took a later train back from O.K.'s than usual, because he was already off work and I intended to put in only a couple of hours or so, checking my work emails and not much else.

It was a wet, grey day, and the afternoon at my Mum's was time well spent: My sister and I decorated the Christmas tree after the three of us enjoyed Mum's home-made soup with star-shaped pasta.

My Mum's Christmas tree, as decorated by my sister and me.

Back at my place, I wrapped my Christmas presents before settling down for a quiet evening on my own. Because I had not been home on the 4th Advent Sunday, I lit the four candles on my wreath now.

Tuesday (24 December) started cloudy, but the sun put in an appearance late morning, making me want to go for a walk. My usual route to Benningen was just right, and very welcome.

Who has decorated this tree? :-)

The sun didn't last long, but it remained dry throughout.

Christmas Eve has always been the main part of Christmas for us, when we have a traditional meal, sing songs, light the tree and exchange our gifts. Since my Dad died in October 2022, this was the third Christas Eve with just the three of us: Mum, sister and myself. 

We met at Mum's at 6:00 pm and started the evening off with a glass of sparkling wine. The traditional meal of Wiener sausages and spuds salad was as delicious as ever - we don't want it any other way. We lit the real candles at the tree, stood beside it and sang a few Christmas songs.

Gifts were exchanged, and as always, I got some fabulous surprises as well as some things I had explicitly wished for. 

My Mum read us a Christmas-themed story, and then we had much fun playing a Ludwigsburg-themed quiz. Mum won, while my sister and I ended up with the same number of points.

A beautiful cosy Christmas Eve, just how we love it.

I woke up on Wednesday (25 December) to a sunny day, but didn't have time for a walk. 

View from my kitchen on Christmas morning

A phone call to Mary, my mother-in-law in Yorkshire, was scheduled, and I had to pack my little red suitcase. Around lunch time, I walked to the train station, and O.K. picked me up in Offenburg with a 15 minute delay (not O.K.'s, but my train's).

The two of us exchanged our Christmas gifts and spent the rest of the afternoon having coffee & cake, resting, watching TV and enjoying an evening meal of cheese, bread and salad.

Thursday (26 December) is traditionally the day when the village band provide the music for the family mass in church, always well attended. This year was no exception.

Nativity scene in the village church

The band getting ready for mass

O.K. then changed out of his band uniform and we drove the short distance to where his sister and her husband live, to have the equally traditional festive family lunch - for the first time without O.K.'s Dad.

The food was delicious, and because it was another beautiful sunny day, we went for a brief walk afterwards.

Salad, toast and fish terrine for starters

Potato gratin before we made short shrift of it!

Wild boar, red cabbage and potato gratin - I wish you could smell it!

The mirror-like lake just outside the village where O.K.'s sister and her husband live.

Friday (27 December) was another day of sun and blue sky. O.K. took advantage of the weather and did a few jobs around his Mum's house and garden, while I selfishly went for a walk on my own (after I had completed a few jobs at the cottage - so it wasn't all just play and no work for me), of course in agreement with O.K.

I did a round tour of the three neighbouring villages, taking a bit over 1 1/2 hours for the 9.25 km or so, and enjoyed it very much.

Mist over the hills of the Black Forest

O.K. and I packed up and left around lunch time on Saturday (28 December), arriving at my place at 2:00 pm. My Mum had invited my sister and us along with several friends for coffee and cake, followed by a festive evening meal. There were ten of us in total, plus two dogs, so you can imagine that this was a very different gathering from the one four days ago on Christmas Eve!

It was good to see everybody, and of course we enjoyed the food and drinks as much as the company.

Sunday (29 December) started out sunny, but an icy fog descended about half way through the walk O.K. and I undertook mid-morning.

We were quite happy to spend the rest of the day indoors, eating, resting, listening to music, watching TV and generally just having a quiet, relaxing day.