The Great Grant Getaway...

Unfortunately, Zoe and I were not able to meet up yesterday, but I am already looking forward to the next time that we do... And today (drum roll, please) we leave on the beginning of our much anticipated holiday travels! (Obnoxious girly squeak!) We've got 4 places to peruse before Christmas!

Bruges, Belgium. Excited to see a ton of "fairy lights" decorating each city. (FYI: Fairy lights = Christmas lights in British jargon... how whimsical!)

Brussels, Belgium. Beer, chocolate, waffles, and lace. Although not necessarily in that order.

Disneyland Paris. La Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant(?) I believe this is Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Apologies if incorrect. I'll find out soon enough!

Paris, France

London, England

I know that was 5 pictures, but I counted Disney and the Eiffel Tower as one for Paris. I'm sure that is sacrilegious to French people. Apologies once again. Then, we will return to jolly ol' home base (Cambridge) for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

These are King's College choir members preparing for the annual Christmas Eve carols service. We will not be lining up alongside the hundreds of crazy people who queue in the bitter cold for hours awaiting admittance to the festive singing service. Sorry, boys. I'm sure the show will still go on!

Matthew and I will say goodbye to my family on the day after the day after Christmas, do some quick laundry (if such a thing exists) and meet his parents in London on the 28th to start round two of destination domination.

Hope we can catch a glimpse of the Downing Street tree outside the Prime Minister's headquarters.

Then, after a short return for a stay-over in Cambridge on New Year's Eve, it will be off to Barcelona to visit the crazy Catalans and their gorgeous city. Maybe it will be warmer there?

We will be parting with Matthew's family on the 3rd of January and returning to the 'real world,' if we can even dare to call it that. We are praying for smooth and safe travels, cooperative weather, and many once-in-a-lifetime moments (that I will earnestly attempt to capture on digital film.) Please excuse a few weeks of silence from us Okie-EmiGrants. I promise there will be more than enough to catch up on when we return in 2012. Until next time, wishing you and yours a HAPPY Christmas! (I love the frequency with which the greeting "Happy Christmas" is used as opposed to "Merry Christmas" over here. I like to pretend I'm Emma Watson or Kate Middleton or some other classy, English lass when I say it.) Hope you have lots of snow to wonder at, snuggling to partake in, and songs of gratitude to sing!

PS - Here is our virtual Christmas card for 2011. In lieu of spending ridiculous coin to send it out via Her Majesty's Royal Mail Service, we opted for a greener and more cost-effective solution. (And as I said in the last post, we are cheap. Can't help it.)

Front

Back

Thank you so much to everyone that sent a holiday card all the way across the pond and through our mail slot. Each and every one is proudly displayed on our bookshelf, reminding us of how much we love and miss you. Thank you times infinity!!! (That is an accurate estimate of the number of thank you's we are emitting in your direction, by the way. We counted.)

Ok, enough jibber jabber. Whirlwind commence!