A Good One

I hope everyone has a wonderful celebration tonight!  We are staying home, just the two of us. And before it is too late I want to share some more photos from our Christmas weekend!




Be safe!  Cheers.

Holidays

I wish the holidays never had to end...  I love the time spent with family!  And at Christmas you can't help but feel like a kid again... if only for one morning!

"The manner of giving is worth more than the gift." 

[Pierre Corneille]

This small package was my favorite this year - so cute and small!  And my sister was so surprised at what was inside!  What a wonderful Christmas.

Goa [India]

Goa - our last destination on our Indian adventure!  We flew from Mumbai and we stayed in the town of Calungute and it was a lot more low key than I imagined it to be.  It was certainly very tropical and warm and I instantly felt like I was on a vacation within a vacation - everyone else around us was on holiday, too!


It wasn't until very recently (the 1960's) that India gained their independence of Goa from Portugal.  There is still a large Christian population and we even heard some Christmas music being played at the hotel - the first sign of the holidays!  It has been strange to be away from home when the holiday season is in full swing!


We spent our last days shopping in the markets and enjoying delicious meals on the beach.  It truly was the best ending to our adventure! 

Mumbai [India]

"The heat of Mumbai hit me like a brick wall and I could not imagine how it must feel in the summertime.  We survived the overnight train and made our way via taxi from the station to the hotel (over an hour) through the streets of Mumbai.  I noticed immediately the differences - wider streets, cars staying in their lanes (more so, anyway), bigger apartments (especially facing the sea), and a general feeling of greater wealth - except for the slums.  Some of the girls went on a tour but we opted to stay behind and take a walk around our neighborhood.  Mumbai reminded me of Alexandria - of being next to the sea.

Before enjoying an awesome 5-star lunch at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel we visited the Gateway of India (seen above)."

Tuesday Tune (Christmas)

Is it really almost Christmas?  As always time is flying and I find myself reminiscing about those college six week winter breaks!  I have all our gifts wrapped and under the tree, our house is decorated inside and out, and we are watching our holiday movies... it is definitely feeling like Christmas around here!  What are you doing to enjoy the season?


Here are a few more Christmas favorites to get you in the holiday spirit!  




Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree



Run, Run Rudolph

Ranakpur [India]

"Always expect the unexpected here in India - always.  We took a two+ hour jeep ride (as you can see my hair is too big for this country).  After enjoying a delicious lunch at our (gorgeous) hotel we took another jeep ride to a nearby Jain temple.  Very, very, very beautiful.  It was so peaceful there in the mountains.  The time I spent inside the temple will be something I won't forget... The sunlight was finding places to sneak in... and it was truly astounding..."

"A small group of us went on a nature walk the next morning and ended up walking through a very small village, past a few houses with families with young children - one just learning how to wave hello!  "

"It really is a shame we could only stay here in Ranakpur for one night - but tonight we are setting off to the train station for an overnight train to Mumbai - another adventure!"