Christmas in Europe - a Photo Fantasy!

 
Have you ever done family travel in Europe at Christmas time? The Christmas Markets, festivals and traditions makes it quite different than how we do it at home! This is our fourth Christmas in Europe and we love celebrating it in our tiny, sunny, warm village in Andalusia, Spain.

We have also enjoyed the Christmas Markets around Europe like in the lead photo which was taken in beautiful Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany on the awesome Romantic Road. If you would like to read more about the markets, check out this article on Matador or this one from UK's Times Online.

My Aussie friend Caitlin in San Francisco has a great Christmas roundup on Roaming Tales  that includes fun European holiday posts at Europe a la Carte and Intelligent Travel.

But since many of us are busy at this time of year, I thought I would continue the Xmas "eye candy" from my last post. All of these pictures were taken in Europe ...many at the wonderful markets in Germany, UK, Scandinavia, Spain and France.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped in each other." - Burton Hills

 

 

 

Comments

[Jen Laceda]

i love christmas in europe!!!! those christmas markets are just so delicious and they really get you into the holiday spirit like no other!!!

If I've said it before, I hope you don't mind that I say it again. I really admire your family!! I finally convinced my husband to travel "long-term" --well, he agreed on 6 months, although I would prefer a year or more! :)

Have a happy holidays!!

[Andy Roberts]

I've been following this blog for some time but now I'm wondering whether perhaps I'm not supposed to be reading it at all. When you say "different than how we do it at home!" it's like the writer is assuming that all the readers are American, so it's only meant to be for people from outside Europe, and particularly the USA, looking in as visitors to the continent. But just because somebody is able to read English it doesn't mean they are reading it in America. The internet is worldwide. I just wondered if you were aware of creating a kind of US exclusive atmosphere on here by your choice of words and phrases. You ask "Have you ever..." using the direct second person question but then restrict the worldview to one country.

On another topic, I wonder if you could clarify for me please whether both spellings of Andalusia and Andalucia are correct or if one is preferred? Cheers and Merry Chrstmas

Andy

[soultravelers3]

@Jen - Thanks so much! Wow, that is great news...you will all love extended travel! He might like it so much, that you will end up doing more. ;)
Happy Holidays!

@Andy Interesting points!

Certainly, everybody is welcome here & yes, sometimes it is difficult to address a world wide audience without offending anyone or meeting every politically correct, cultural aspect in a paragraph written with one left hand! ;)

I can only have the perspective of one human who happens to be American/Californian (although spending so much time in Europe has given us more of a European view).

I wasn't referring to other people's experience, but our own and how *our* holiday (& I am using that term in the American way) is very different than it was at home in some ways.

Even just saying "Europe" is too general because each country and even different areas within single countries or different individuals have different celebrations or traditions.

So I thought about that and even the different religions that I am not including by just talking about Xmas ...which also excludes many of my readers.

I don't have a lot of personal experience with the other religious holidays celebrated at this time, or how every English speaker celebrates, so stuck with what I know.

I meant this as just a little gift to all no matter where one is or what religion one is..."eye candy" fun.

I was thinking of Xmas here in more of a secular, openhearted way that every one can celebrate or embrace...the spirit of giving, the joy of family, festive beauty.

Like most American blogs, we have more American readers by far, followed by countries with dominant English speakers, but we do have readers from around the world. All are welcome and embraced! ;)

Andalusia and Andalucia? I think the "c" is the Spanish way & "s" the English way. I am use to seeing it here in the Spanish way, so have to force myself back to the English way. ;)

Sometimes I do interchange tem, did I do that here?

Happy Holidays!

[HarveyNC]

awesome pics and fun...it radiates through the pics. Thanks for sharing!

[Caitlin]

Gorgeous photos! Thanks for the link.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[Caitlin]

@Andy When she says "different than how we do it at home!" I interpreted the "we" to be herself and her family, rather than her readers who are clearly scattered around the world.

Trivia point - "different than" is grammatically correct in US English, but in UK English it's "different to".

[Christina]

I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and thank you for giving us the gift of this blog. It always kindles my travelling dreams.

I think you mentioned working on a book. Might we see it come out sometime during this next year? That would be a treat!

[soultravelers3]

@HarveyNC - Thanks so much! Merry X-mas!

@Caitlin - Have a great 1st X-mas in SF! I appreciate your insight via your experience living in US & UK. Thanks heaps for the Stumble!

@Christina - Merry Christmas to you too & thanks so much for your kind words!

I've been working on several books but between the travel & now my paralyzed arm since August, I am always way behind. Just keeping up with all the email & photos is daunting.

But a great literary agent that I like has found me & 3 people have just told me about voice activated typing software, so my goal in 2010 is to make serious progress in this area.

I really appreciate the encouragement about our book!

[Jens Becker]

I am from germany and I read your blog once a month just to see what happens. I travelled the different countries of europe a lot in my life and it's funny to see and "read" it through your eyes. What's daily life for me soimetimes seems very exotic to you. I sometimes wonder what it would be for me in the US?

[soultravelers3]

@Jens Ha! I so understand! I feel the same way when I read about Europeans or people from other countries exploring the US. I get a real kick out of Caitlin now who is discovering SF area as a foreigner!