Christmas 2011 – Joyeux Noel
Actually the boys decorated the tree, and cut it from the forest!
I’d like to take this opportunity of thanking you for so loyally following my travel blog through 2011.
I have loved the opportunity of sharing once a week with you my stories and experiences of travelling in France. Christmas is such a special time to reflect on everything.
It has been a traumatic year for my family and friends in New Zealand, and they will all be eagerly awaiting 2012. The continual earthquakes in Christchurch have exhausted everyone and we think at this time of all those still suffering and missing family members. As you will have read we have just had more major shakes on 23 December. It is a very testing time, but Kiwis are very strong people, so we will be OK!
I have been fortunate to travel for several months through France and Portugal, while my family continued to be shaken by quakes back in NZ.
I have loved writing stories for you and this year I have been very happy to be regularly receiving around 1000 plus readers a week. My most popular stories have been:
Carcassonne – I was there in the year 1209.
Edith Piaf – The Sparrow and the Rose
Auvers sur Oise – Dining with Vincent Van Gogh
I am spending Christmas with my family in Christchurch (NZ) and will spend time as well on a secluded beach somewhere warm! But I do love thinking of my friends in Paris and elsewhere in France. There it’s cold, the decoration lights are draped over all the shop fronts, the oyster sellers sell from the footpaths their longed-for Christmas treat, the smell of mulled wine emanates from the man selling his “vin chaud” on the corner of our street, and the queues at the chocolate shop extend out on to the footpath.
Our Christmas tree at home.
Have a wonderful Christmas wherever you are in the world and I look forward to 2012 to share more stories of this wonderful country France, and who knows you may even want to treat yourself to a trip there in the new year.
Joyeux Noel et je vous souhaite un nouvel an d’exception!
Tous mes meilleurs voeux pour un Joyeux Noel et un 2012 d'exception!