London called...

One of the amazing things about living in the south of France is that there are so many cities that become holiday destinations, which are all just a short flight away. We picked London as the first stop on our two-week holiday, and the city in which we would spend our first Christmas together as a married couple - and the first away from any family.

With so much to see in the big city, we took in as much as we could, and certainly saw the things that were on our 'must-see' list. If I went into detail about them all, I would be writing - and you would be reading - for days. So instead, here is a snapshot of the highlights of our time in London. Enjoy!

Our first stop was the Christmas festivities at Hyde Park. Market stalls lined the path into the Winter Wonderland; a playground of rides, attractions, ice skating, and a German beer garden.

I thought the fence around the front of Buckingham Palace looked more palatial than the building itself, but the size and location of the historic grand Palace was impressive. We were lucky to see it at night with no one else around, and then returned for the Changing of the Guard...with every other tourist in London.

We took a tour of London in a topless double-decker red bus, from which we saw so many landmarks and learnt about the history of many areas of London. It was also on this tour that we went most of the way around the Monopoly board! 

The famous Tower of London was a must-see for us, and didn't disappoint. With tours through the Keep and the Fusilier Museum, and a viewing of the Crown Jewels, there was something to please everyone.

We boarded our pod on the London Eye around 4.30pm, but as it was the shortest day of the year and the sun had set, we saw the bright lights of London from the Eye. It was a pretty experience, albeit unusual for us to be in darkness by mid-afternoon!

The Westminster building was impressive, and one that we spent some time looking at, while the clock of Big Ben stood tall and proud alongside it.

I couldn't go to London without a visit to the Portobello Road Markets in the suburb of Notting Hill, made famous by the film of the same name. It was a pretty street, lined with market stalls selling antiques, and filled with umbrellas!

I could have marvelled at the beautiful old Churches of Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral for hours. 

Some great attractions in London are the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and the British Museum, all containing more history than we could fathom. Housed in such old and impressive buildings, the highlight for me was seeing my favourite Van Gogh, Sunflowers.

I managed to squeeze in a trip to the famous Harrods department store, which has an impressive collection ranging from scarves, to a deli, and even bullet-proof clothing! We also battled the crowds at the traditional Boxing Day sales on Oxford Street, however we didn't last too long...being a seasoned shopper in Brisbane was not nearly enough preparation for this experience!

We enjoyed some traditional British pub meals, and tried the 'famous' British fish and chips, which felt like a little taste of home...all I needed was the sand between my toes and sun beating down on my back.

Our trip to London was exciting and memorable, but was only the first half of our holiday. Next stop: Paris!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I LOVE this time of year.

I love the joy in the air. I love the time spent with family and friends. I love the giving and receiving of thoughtful gifts. I love how Christmas brings people together. I love the traditions that are unique to every family and every culture.

Europe is an amazing place to be at Christmas. From November all the way through until January, the towns come alive with lights and markets and Christmas festivities.

The big blue Christmas tree in Limoux
sparkles at night

The frozen fountain in the middle of the
ice skating rink in Carcassonne

Since November, Limoux has been slowly decorated in anticipation of Christmas. Lights have gone up on every light post in town, all over trees down the main street and in the town square, and a big, blue Christmas tree has been put up on the main round-about through town.

As if by tradition, all of these lights were turned on on December 1, and every night since they light up this little town with Christmas joy. The big blue tree, which happens to be just a short stroll from our front door, lights up and sparkles. Boxes wrapped as gifts have appeared under the tree just this week, and the street behind the tree welcomes people to town with an illuminated 'Bienvenue' sign.

Preparations for local festivities have begun in the town square, with an old traditional-style merry-go-round being installed in the centre, surrounded by brightly-lit trees and small wooden chalets that convert to gift stalls. 

Almost every tree along the side of the roads has had colourful ribbons tied on their branches, and a big illuminated '2013' sign hangs prominently on the way into town.

While Limoux's efforts at Christmas cheer are welcoming and charming, they are modest compared to the larger centres.

Carcassonne has installed an ice-skating rink in their town square, complete with a 'frozen fountain' and electric light display. The impressively-sized rink is surrounded by stalls selling mulled wine, hot chocolate, churros and crepes. A few streets over in another open area, a Ferris Wheel provides a backdrop to a carnival-style display, with stall vendors selling Christmas wares from little chalets.

Christmas markets in Toulouse

Christmas markets in Barcelona

Festive lights adorn the streets of
every town, including Barcelona

We also ventured up to Toulouse, and wandered around their markets, which were comprised of unique and often hand-made gifts, with everything from jewellery to beanies and scarves, kids toys, and home-made sweet treats. There were also a number of food and drink outlets serving the crowds of people with mulled wine, hot chocolate (which was pure liquid chocolate - I know, I tried it!), and potato cooked in a variety of ways (filled spud, mash, chips, etc).

Even in Barcelona at the end of November, we walked through the Christmas markets, which were filled with stalls selling small nativity scene characters and all kinds of Christmas tree decorations. Christmas lights hung across every street - big and small - as we walked through the old town.

From what we have seen and experienced here so far, Christmas is more than just a time for family in Europe; it is a real community event, where people of the town celebrate and enjoy each other's company in the most festive ways.

While we won't be sharing Christmas with our families this year, nor will our gift giving and receiving be anything significant, we will certainly experience and thoroughly enjoy the joy in the air, the way that Christmas brings people together, and the unique traditions of this culture.

Joyeux Noël!