Kobi & Brian: Europe 2013-2014: Christmas in London

While the days are getting shorter, and the temperature is dropping, there is definitely one perk to this winter business – Christmas!

We weren’t sure how we were going to find it this Christmas, considering Christmas is usually tipples on the beach or around the pool, wearing thongs and wishing the turkey in the oven would stop making the house so bloody hot. Maybe it’s because we’ve watched Home Alone so many times (or for my brother and sister ‘Jingle All the Way!’) but the cold weather is actually very Christmassy!

On November 8^th the Regent and Oxford St lights went up, and it’s only gotten better from there. The shop windows, markets and decorations in London are amazing. At the City of Bunbury, it’s impossible to spend much money on decorations because you will always get the party poopers who say ‘you spent all that money on decorations but the footpath on Carey Street needs upgrading’. In London, the footpaths are death-traps but the decorations look fabulous. I like the way they prioritise!

So far we’ve experienced Christmas in London, Manchester and Liverpool – but London wins hands down.

Things we’ve loved about London at Christmas:

The Christmas lights on Regent and Oxford Street. This year they were sponsored by a Pixar movie, which is what the advertising in the middle is. Last year they were sponsored by Marmite, which would have made for cool photos.

The shop windows at Selfridges. Each window was a work of art. I think I might have found my dream job. I realise it’s seasonal, but that’s fine as my doggy day-care centre will keep me afloat for the other 10 months of the year.

All the real Christmas trees for sale, from huge to mini! They smell so good. Dad – there are such things as mini-ones so you don’t need to hire a SkipBin every January!

Mistletoe for sale at the Christmas markets

Spiced cider and mulled wine at the Christmas markets. Favourite memory of Christmas so far – Brian buying a new jacket, and then a cup of mulled red wine, and then tripping up the stairs and throwing the whole thing on himself. I saw the whole thing happen in slow motion.

Patting two reindeer at Covent Garden, and getting to feed them along with 50 other kids.

Going ice skating at the Museum of Natural History (Brian’s first time skating and he didn’t even fall!)

Stumbling across the gorgeous Somerset House ice rink one night on the way home from the theatre.

Going to a Christmas pantomime production of Peter Pan, starring the Fonz as Captain Hook! Although pantos are for kids, it was hilarious and included a lot of adult humour and we had such a good time. Brian ate too many chocolate coins and felt sick – who says we have to behave like grown-ups?

Getting Christmas post! My parents gift arrived in November, and it was torture knowing that there was whipped peanut butter in a box under my bed that I couldn’t open until Christmas! In contrast, Brian’s parents made us open theirs early –lucky, as it contained a ham, venison and some salmon (amongst other delicious perishable items!)

Christmas ads on TV – for the best ones, YouTube John Lewis Christmas ads

Having Christmas day at Megan and Cousy’s in Richmond, cooking, drinking, playing Monopoly and watching the Queens speech. All very British. Even though the monopoly was the Scottish version.

Seeing the giant Norwegian Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square

Exploring the German Christmas Markets on the Southbank, selling wooden toys, rum-spiked hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts and wieners.

Making my first gingerbread house with my flatmate Emma. The whole house smells delicious

While this blog entry makes Christmas in London sound awesome, there is one obvious hole in the masterplan – and that’s all the people we love. Wishing everyone back home a very merry Christmas – we miss and love you very much.

Merry Christmas – here’s my favourite Christmas Cracker joke so far this year:

Two aerials got married – the ceremony was good but the reception was rubbish.

Ho ho ho

Kobi & Brian

xxx