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Xmas





My first Christmas in Italy was amazing. I spent it in a place called Pienza, where I joined a group of locals who lined up to throw snowballs at the congregation leaving the cathedral at the end of midnight mass. A bloke called Pluto then invited about a dozen of us back to his house, where he woke up his wife (at about 2am) to get her to cook us all a meal. The party went on until about 4am, when I was able to sneak off back to the hotel room where I was staying (which was more of a penthouse apartment that had been fitted out specifically for its use a couple of years earlier by the great Italian film director, Franco Zeffirelli, who filmed Romeo and Juliet in Pienza). I got the use of it cheap for the simple reason that a friend of mine knew the hotel proprietor.

I still feel guilty about the trouble that Pluto put his wife to. But, hey! I was in Italy to do sociological research. There was a whole conference worth of stuff that Christmas.
 




Czechmate

Well-known member
Oct 5, 2011
1,212
Brno Czech Republic
Spent Christmas in the UK then flew to Moscow for New Years Eve in Red Square , it was great to see how other people celebrate New Year , they came from the far reaches of Russia for the celebration , all good fun and celebrated with some Russians in our hotel , pissed people everywhere but good humoured . We then went to St Petersburg on an overnight train and spent another Christmas day there ( as they celebrate on the 7th January) , it was a bit quiet as they celebrate Easter more than Christmas but definitely worth the experience . May try another country next year .
 


El Sid

Well-known member
May 10, 2012
3,806
West Sussex
Did Florida 3 years ago, Xmas and New Year.
Made a nice change from the usual routine.

Disney on Xmas Eve was awesome.
Xmas lunch at the Gaylord was the Man vs Food moment of the holiday.
 




Shropshire Seagull

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2004
8,477
Telford
Spent Xmas 2004 & New year in Disney Florida and the next year at Disney Paris.
Nice for the kids but Paris was cold on Davy Crockett's ranch in a static caravan - it was the tsunami year, remember watching it all unfold on French TV
 


Feb 23, 2009
22,840
Brighton factually.....
For the first time this year I'm doing Xmas new yr abroad!!anyone else done it, plusses and minus's pls ????

Depends where abroad, Wales is pretty much the same except its lamb for Christmas dinner, Scotland is pretty much the same little colder except they have deep fried mince pies with buckfast butter on them.

Rest of the world does not get the queens speech any more.
 






Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patreon
Oct 27, 2003
20,938
The arse end of Hangleton
Did Christmas and New Year in Canada in 2001/2002 - best time ever. None of the fuss or crap you get here. Thankfully I'm in France this year for Christmas ..... wonderful. Personally I'd spend every Christmas abroad if I could afford to.
 


wigangull

New member
Jul 19, 2013
40
Wigan Lancs
Go to Canaries every year(no kids).The Spanish dont celebrate Crimbo the same as us of course,and give you get a strange look when you mention Boxing Day.As previously posted it depends where you go i suppose,the atmosphere is strange.Believe it or not i had prawns and salad on the beach for my Crimbo dinner last year. We go tomorrow cant wait:thumbsup:
 


dragonred

New member
Aug 8, 2011
296
Hove
did Cape Town one year - definitely different having Xmas lunch overlooking the sea in a t-shirt, eating a gigantic sea food platter and watching the annual Miss Christmas Cape Town bikini procession on the beach! About as different as cold old Blighty could be! Oh and by time back home the sales were on so did my 'late' present buying for family far cheaper! result I thought!
 




pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
30,180
West, West, West Sussex
Xmas 2007 we did the family "holiday of a lifetime" type thing. Spent Xmas in Disney Orlando then flew to The Bahamas for New Year. Absolutely loved it. Bit weird being in 80 degrees over Christmas, but Disney being Disney they made it "snow" on Christmas Eve in The Magic Kingdom.

Have also been skiing a couple of times over Christmas, and that really is great because of all the snow, and the resorts really seem to make an effort.
 


maltaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
12,938
Zabbar- Malta
Christmas in Normandy once. We went to a really good restaurant and were amazed to see the variety of people eating out. From a table full of men in suits and wives dressed to the nines to to old ladies wearing carpet slippers and feeding their poodle under the table. Plus us p**sheads.
 


Commander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Apr 28, 2004
12,787
London
Christmas abroad is only good if it is COLD. Hot Christmases just don't feel right.
 




brighton_girl87

New member
Jul 18, 2006
2,319
I spent Christmas in Cancun about 12 years ago and loved it! Having pizza and salad for Christmas dinner was odd, as was swimming with dolphins and going to a water park on Christmas day!
 




Apr 17, 2011
277
Shoreham
Not been away for XMas but had New Year in Cuba a couple of years ago. Absolutely superb. Nice beaches, great food and drink. Only problem was that the huge firework display was cancelled due to torrential rain. The only day it rained whilst we were there.
 


Mellor 3 Ward 4

Well-known member
Jul 27, 2004
9,756
saaf of the water
For the first time this year I'm doing Xmas new yr abroad!!anyone else done it, plusses and minus's pls ????

Only been away for Christmas once, the year I lost my Dad. I didn't want to try and have a 'normal' Christmas as we always spent it at his house.

We always go away for NYE, 6 of us, somewhere different each year. Normally a German City, last year was Berlin, the year before Cologne, this year Munich (never been before so any hints would be good.)

The Germans are an incredibly organised nation (and for some reason the beer never gives me a hangover)but on NYE they really go for it with their firework displays etc. these are spontaneous, and often happen in the street, with fireworks everywhere, often just set off from empty beer bottles etc, very unGerman, and great fun.

Hope there's snow, that would be a bonus.
 




Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,401
In a pile of football shirts
Did Xmas on a flight to Australia in 2008. Best. Xmas. Day. Ever. No family, nothing. Just me, the missus, loads of booze, loads of movies. No bullshit, no queens speech, no faux enthusiasm. I'd love to do it every year if only I could afford it.
 





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