Thursday 24 December 2020

Happy Christmas!

It is a growing mystery to me why I have less and less time when I should have more and more.  (Quite a few people have said that.    Have you found that too?) 

Anyway I wanted to wish you Merry Christmas particularly as it is a bit of a strange one this year for many of us, And I have a heap of gifts waiting to be wrapped and some cooking to do and some emails to write (seem to have sent all the cards anyway. Phew).  We will be spending Christmas alone as requested by the government, but will be connected to our family by Zoom.  I've an idea that many people will have that plan too, so I hope that the Zoom system doesn't break down in dismay.   

I've looked through some of my files of Christmas past and picked out some images I liked, so here they are with a note of where they were taken, and I hope that you will enjoy them! 

The first picture is appropriate- it shows brussels sprouts, the traditional Christmas vegetable.  I love them and in winter when they are in season I keep a stalk of fresh ones outside. They love the rain!


Breugel -inspired street decorations in Amsterdam, Holland. 


This food market in Munich was full of traditional Christmas delicacies and a fantastic place to wander around as the night started to fall. 


Interior of the Wilden Mann hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland, a very ancient inn which I heartily recommend decorated for Christmas in colours which just so happen to match the wonderful old painted ceiling. 


Still in Switzerland, the Zurich chocolate shops were a sight to behold, very elegant & expensive. 




The annual York Panto - it was held at a shed at the National Railway Museum so the stage was long and thin, as you would expect - about the size of two railway lines side by side, in face. And they ran through the middle of the audience.  It is a brilliant panto, justly famed throughout the North of England. 



Cinderella driving away at the end of the Hackney Panto in London, one I usually take S and A to. I've  REALLY missed going this year. 

Santa having a cuppa in a cafe in Stoke Newington, London. 

A snoozing polar bear in Tokyo with her baby snoozing on her back. . I like the reflections.  There were buttons outside the window and if you pressed them the polar bear woke up. 

Fortnum and Mason, the famous gourmet food store in London, usually has elaborate window displays. This one was Alice in Wonderland, you can just see a bottle of wine in the left foreground because she was, of course, surrounded by nice things to eat. 

Santa parading up Hungerford High Street, Berkshire, at their wonderful annual Victorian Christmas - another casualty of Covid this year but I hope it will be back. I considered adding the startling picture of Reading Pipe Band marching along in full Scottish costume, but decided instead to leave you with.... 

A moonlit scene as the Christmas Market in Coburg, Bavaria, packs up for the night.  You could spend all evening standing around chatting and drinking Gluhwein at this market, as indeed we did. 

Happy Christmas!

37 comments:

  1. As always, the MOST beautiful pictures which evoke so many emotions. Thank you.
    Have a merry little Christmas, lady. Perhaps this year we can all settle back and enjoy the tiniest things a bit more. Good wishes to you and to yours.

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  2. Next Christmas you may have the chance to take more such shots.
    I wish you a Happy Christmas, and I'm sure it will be just as good via zoom!

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  3. These were wonderful photos from times past. I do not think I will ever venture into a public arena or a crowd easily ever again. I hope you can enjoy your time on Zoom and whatever else the day may hold. Happy Christmas!

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  4. Hello Jenny, Happy Holidays! These is always so much spectacle around us if we just take time to look. I like the close-up of the Brussels sprout!
    --Jim

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  5. Wonderful pics from the Before Times--LOL!
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :)

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  6. Very happy Christmas, Jenny and family. Wonderful photos as ever, and I'm glad you included at least one sprout!

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  7. Merry Christmas. Let's hope you will soon be able to be back on the road taking more fabulous photographs.

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  8. That was a Cook's tour. We miss travelling too. We are usually home for Christmas then away for New Year, but not this year. Happy Christmas. We have earned at least one day of enjoyment.

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  9. Wonderful images. They might as well been gift wrapped. Merry Christmas

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  10. Wishing you a happy and healthy Christmas and new year.

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  11. Beautiful and very wonderful Christmas feeling even through the computer to me
    Thank You so much
    cheers, gayle and the square ones

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  12. Let's hope we can start to travel again next year!

    Have a wonderful Christmas!

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  13. A wonderful vignette of wonderful Christmas pictures. Thank you, and a happy Christmas to you.

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  14. It's difficult to choose favorites from all those interesting photos. I'm wondering if Santa had to remove his beard in order to drink. The Munich food market looks tempting, but what I'd really love to do is dive into that tray of Swiss chocolates! The Wilden Mann Hotel interior is unique and I like the festive ceiling.
    I think if I was compelled to pick a favorite, it would be the Alice in Wonderland display.

    Jenny, I hope you and your family have a blessed and wonderful Christmas.

    By the way - I never knew that brussel sprouts were the traditional Christmas vegetable. That's rather an unappetizing thought.

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  15. Merry Christmas Jenny. What lovely pictures of Christmas past, and I am sad for you having to be home alone this year. We pray for the UK that the pandemic can be suppressed very soon. We had to change plans in a hurry last week because of an outbreak in Sydney - we stayed home, and the Sydney twins& family caught the last plane to be here with us instead. I have been unable to find brussels sprouts this year, fresh or frozen. Australia is having lots of trouble bringing in the fruit/vegetable harvests which is usually done by back-packing young people from all over the world. All good wishes to you for a beautiful peaceful Christmas and a much brighter New Year.

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  16. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, dear Jenny!
    I enjoyed these pictures very much, thank you. We certainly missed our wonderful Weihnachtsmarkt this year, but other than that, we have still so much to be grateful for.

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  17. Jenny,
    It's a shame that many people won't be able to meet their families this Christmas. We do not have strict restrictions, but everyone is ordered not to walk outside on New Year's Eve and fireworks are prohibited. Love your photos, especially the Panto (Google says it's Pantomime).
    A Merry Christmas to you and your family, your wonderful twins.

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  18. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family! :-)

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  19. A wonderful selection of photos, thank you.

    A blessed and beautiful Merry Christmas to you!

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  20. Que este dia tenha sido passado com muito amor!
    Feliz Natal!
    Beijinhos recheados de luz!
    Megy Maia🎀🎄🎀

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  21. Greetings from Canada.
    Thanks for the lovely photos.

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  22. Thanks for your wonderful photos of the places where people are waiting for the arrival of the happy holidays.

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  23. Breugel would have been delighted by the street decoration in Amsterdam. It was very cleverly painted and displayed.

    Happy holidays Bruegel and Jenny, and happy New Year.

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  24. I think our best Christmas was the one in Sydney in 2011. Christmas Day was very warm and we went to Taronga Zoo. Then on New Year's Eve we watched the fireworks by Sydney Harbour Bridge.

    It's wonderful how pantos remain popular, with all their stock characters like panto dames and good fairies. I used to love pantos as a kid and couldn't wait for the next one.

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  25. I'm not sure if it's lack of time or lack of energy and inspiration. I've been suffering from both! :)

    I hope the goodwill and joy of Christmas continues for you and yours through beyond the Season into 2021, and way beyond, Jenny. Take good care... :)

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  26. Hello Jenny, Lovely to see you post today and all those beautiful memories. The idea of keeping a stalk of Brussels sprouts outside is most appealing. A very Happy New Year to you.
    Helen

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  27. Belated Christmas greetings and all goiod wishes for the new year! As you might imagine, I loved each and every photo and I'm sure going through them preparing this post reminded you of many wonderful memories of travels past. I especially liked the panto pix, as I've always wanted to see one, and the markets, but I have a sweet spot for that sign in Amsterdam! Have a wonderful holiday season.

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  28. Hope the New Year will be happy and wonderful for your family.
    I enjoyed all of your photos. Thank you for sharing, Jenny.

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  29. the first image is OUTSTANDING dear Jenny :)
    loved the all images ,these glimpses of various places are delightful specially the munich food market reminded me my son doing his grocery there while talking to us via whatsup :)
    wishing you more blessings of lord and love of family n new year my friend!

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  30. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas Jenny and that the New Year proves to be a lot better than 2020... it must be!!!
    The kindest of regards
    Anna :o]

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  31. I have read that as one gets older time goes faster, and I believe it. It’s lovely to look at your photos of Christmas past. I especially like the one of Fortnum and Mason as when I would go to London at Christmas time I always visited them for tea. I miss that now.
    But let’s look toward to the future, to a new year, hopefully full of pretty pictures, fun, and happiness. Have a Happy New Year.

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  32. Feliz Ano Novo, recheado de muita fé e muito amor!
    Um doce abracinho!
    🎀Megy Maia🎀

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  33. So nice to see your photographs here.
    Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy 2021.

    All the best Jan

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  34. Totally agree with the experience of mysteriously having less time even though there is no obvious reason why that should be so ;) ... I've never yet had any reason to try Zoom as I don't have all that much family (or friends using it). Had a Skype meeting with my brother on Christmas Eve though and some regular phone calls. Wish you a happy new year and I hope the various restrictions and vaccines will soon start working together to turn things around, all around the globe.

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  35. Lovely Christmas photos.

    Yes, I have definitely found I have less free time lately, in spite of all the restrictions that you would think would free up time.

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  36. Dear Jenny - A nice collection of Christmas scenes! I’d like to let my grandchildren see the parade of Santa. I was thinking of you as I saw the news from UK that COVID crisis is getting almost uncontrollable due to the highly contagious new strain of corona. These days I’ve been sad what with worsening pandemic and with USA Capitol building siege. But what pleased me today was the first snowfall of this season. BTW, time is strange thing. To me, time flies fast either with lots of free time or not. In a year, January passes by slowly but I tend to get lost in daily rush in December. It’s like a roll of toilet paper which moves faster as it gets closer to the end. Take care. My best regards to T.

    Yoko

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