I’m grateful that we planned lots of fun Christmas activities well in advance this year. These outings have given me something to look forward to, and a bit of a break from grieving. In this post I thought I would do a roundup of Christmas outings I’ve done to spread a little festive cheer to my readers. Enjoy!
Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market
The day after my Dad’s memorial service (virtual) Lucy and I went with her parents to Birmingham to visit the Christmas market. This is one of the largest German inspired Christmas markets in the UK. I’d never been to Birmingham before, and it is a sprawling, busy metropolis. While city life isn’t for me, I did enjoy looking at some of the municipal buildings (library, museums, etc.). I also enjoyed seeing peeks of the industrial heritage embedded within modern life. There were so many things I wish I could have told Dad about, or taken a photo to send to him.
The market was mainly for food and drink, though there were a few trinket stalls. My Canadian heart was thrilled to see the Tim Hortons and Second Cup across the street from one another. I had a delightful maple oat latte from Second Cup because (says very quietly) I don’t really like Timmies coffee… We wound up spending some of the day with one of Lucy’s college friends and had a bit of German-esque lunch. Unfortunately, it rained heavily and I discovered a rather large hole in my boot. If you live in the UK and are really into the beer gardens and Glëhwein then I would recommend visiting!
Blenheim Christmas Lights
In early December, we went with Lucy’s family to the Blenheim Christmas lights. I haven’t been for a couple of years because I’ve stayed home with Wilbur. He “coped” okay, and by coped I mean he still cried the whole time but survived without us for 3 hours. Our night out started off well. I drove our car for the first time at night and somewhat successfully parked. Then, as we were headed to the palace I rolled my ankle on a bit of uneven road surface and had a hard fall onto my knee and hands. I ended up needed to get a bandage from the gift shop and just sucked it up, but wandering around with a painful leg put a bit of a damper on my evening.
The weather was perfect – cold, but not windy, and just a bit of cloud cover. We seem to luck out every year with good weather for the lights. I don’t think there was a specific theme this year. The installations seemed to be a bit more pop culture based, with a Frozen themed fountain, and the palace lit up to the Home Alone soundtrack. It was a beautiful evening, and it was nice spending time with the family.
Christmas at Home
I’m headed to Canada in a few days to spend a quiet Christmas with my mom and brother. It will be a time for reflection, celebration, and an opportunity to grieve. I may do a short post next week on Christmas Eve. If I don’t, then I will take the time now to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas!
More Christmas Posts
