Seasons Greetings!

Merry Christmas to anyone reading this, hope you had a wonderful time with those dear to you. We celebrated Christmas in Spain this year, just the three of us. Although all of the stores are geared up for Christmas now, much more so than my first Christmas here 10 years ago, it still lacks something for me. I think if ever there were a time of year that even the most integrated of foreigner were to feel home sick it would be Christmas. You can find all of your home comforts like turkey, mincepies, christmas puddings in the stores now fairly easily, there are Christmas Carols playing and even Father Christmas sat waiting for the little ones to have their photo taken with him......the ones who are not pretrified that is! But, for me at least, it just isn't the same. Perhaps it is the weather? Not just that the sun is most years shining which in itself is not "Christmas" let's be honest, but also that it is still light at 5pm and that no sooner have you finished your festive turkey it is time to get back to "normal" on the 26th with no Boxing Day to sit with your feet up, completely stuffed by the annual box of Quality Street, with a remote control in one hand and a glass of something in the other.

But now that we have a family of our own I did feel more Christmasey than usual it has to be said. I imagine that as Charlie gets older that feeling will only grow. For the first time I was not interested in the gifts I had to open, I was more excited to see him open his!

As much as my traditions have dictated to me what Christmas is, perhaps new traditions will be made as I raise my young family in Spain and in years to come Christmas simply won't be Christmasey without a little sunshine and a chorus of "Feliz Navidad"!