December 28

Christmas Eve

Leading up to Christmas was more anxious than normal as this was the first Christmas that Donald and I are spending without friends or family. Things are a lot different here as I had mentioned about the Christmas Carolers, so I didn’t know what to expect, or how our Christmas adventure would be spent.

Donald had been working late all week and attending Christmas Parties for work so we hadn’t seen a lot of each other until Christmas Eve Saturday. I was really looking forward to that day as Donald really wanted to take me out to see the lights on Oxford, Regent and Bond Street. This also happens to be where some of the best shopping in London is located. So I was very excited to go see the window displays, Christmas lights, and the craziness of the last minute shopper. We had a blast browsing the shops (I went into the original Burberry store on Bond Street) and enjoyed the window displays during the day. As the night came the lights did too and I was really wishing I remembered my camera. It was very beautiful. The air was so crisp and it was so much a Christmas paradise. We stopped to watch a steel band play Christmas Carols; they were wonderful right there on Oxford Street. (Of course their Christmas Carol License was out on display) Music has such a way of touching one’s soul and this was no exception. It was such a treat and made it feel so much more like Christmas Eve.

We went to a wonderful pub on the way home right outside Notting Hill Gate that has been open since before recorded history. It was a resting point for the Romans as they built a road on their way to western England. In the middle ages the Pub was used as a place for men to water their horses and themselves. The food was wonderful. I had a delicious salmon over pesto mash potatoes with a glass of wine and Donald had a nice hot serving of baked Lasagna with a pint of Guinness. As usual we had an extra seat at our table that we call the “Lisa seat”. This is of course a place for Lisa, as we can’t wait for her to join us in London. When we were finished soaking up the pub life and Christmas cheer we walked back along Kensington Gardens in the cold night air for Christmas Eve Mass.

Mass was beautiful. We had ½ hour of carol singing that led into the celebration of the birth of Christ. We had a front row seat up in the balcony that looked down over the alter and nativity. As I have been a little bit homesick, I wasn’t surprised when I started to get teary eyed during the service. Christmas Mass is always emotional for me especially since I lost my brother, but now without family and friends to share the holiday with I was exceptionally emotional. Even though we had gotten to do and see things that day that we wouldn’t have been able to do back home, I still wish I could have been surrounded by everyone I love as the wonder and spirit of Christmas came over me. I was a little disappointed in myself because once again since I have arrived in London, I have come to realize that I am not as strong of a person as I want to be, but I am proud of how brave I have been to seize this opportunity and have Donald to share it with. Donald of course is both brave and strong and he gave me one of the best presents ever. London.

I am really happy we are here, I think to date, Christmas Eve has got to be one of my favorite days in London.