A Traditional But Non-traditional Christmas

I decided to stay in Bermuda this past Christmas. Flights were very expensive, and the weather in Canada is so damn cold. I figured that it would be good to experience at least one Christmas here. Plus, I've never been anywhere warm over the holidays, so being on the beach on the 25th sounded like a novel concept.

Just in case I got 'cold' feet and found a cheap, last minute flight home, I'd booked the 24th off work. However, a friend contacted me to say that she was thinking of coming to visit – which meant that the decision was made, I'd be staying. Having a guest meant that I didn't have time to miss my family, which was a bonus.

Christmas day we went to join the crowds down at Elbow Beach. We made it there around noon after a traditional Swiss breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, lox and capers (my guest was Swiss-German). This is the view we had upon arrival. Lots of people, and lots of Santa hats.



I'd come prepared with some bubbly at a wine tasting earlier that month, so we walked around talking to friends with the bottle in one hand, and a wine glass in the other. After a few hours of this, we headed home for a much-needed nap. Or rather, my friend had a nap while I skyped my family. We opened presents just like I was at home with them.

By then it was time to head over to join some friends at Jill & Alex's place for Christmas dinner. Since Alex is Swiss, they decided to break tradition and serve Swiss cheese fondue instead of turkey. It was absolutely amazing! Dessert was courtesy of Valérie who cooked chocolate molten cakes. Delicious!


After dinner we returned to tradition and played games. When the first game didn't really work out, we resorted to poker. Good old Christmas gambling!

Queen's Visit

I've got a bit of catching up to do on this blog. A few notable things have happened over the last few months which are worth a post or two. For starters, let's go back to November.

On November 24th, 2009 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip arrived in Bermuda to commemorate Bermuda's 400th anniversary. They were here for a couple of days and spent their time in a whirlwind of touring, events and dinners. November 25th was their only full day here and we had all studied the day's schedule in order to catch a glimpse as they drove by. Luckily, I got to see them three times throughout the day... well almost.

The first time, someone at work heard that they would be driving past the office along Front Street. So we all ran out onto the balcony to see. As they went by, Prince Phillip who was on our side of the car, saw us up there and gave a good wave. My co-worker got a good photo of him (above).

When it came time for their next move, we went to the bottom of Queen Street to wait as they headed to the ferry terminal. This time we knew what side 'Liz' was sitting on so we made sure to stand on that side of the road. The motorcade had come from the cathedral, the wrong way along Church (a one way), and the wrong way down Queen (also one way). I guess the Queen is allowed to do this. Anyways, as their car passed I got a good look. I'm not a die-hard royal fan, but as I saw her my heart skipped a beat for a brief second. It sounds like a strange thing to say, but I think was quite excited to have seen her as it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Later in the afternoon, we heard that their car would pass by the office again, so we went back onto the balcony. This time, as I'd gotten a good look at them already, I thought I'd try my luck taking a photo with my cell phone. The Queen was going to be on our side so I had it ready as the line of cars came. However, all I got was a photo of the road. By the time I looked up, I only saw her hand waving. Oh well, at least I'd already seen her.

Soup Schpiel

I'm busy making 2 different kinds of soup tonight. There's no reason why I'm making so much. Just that I've got the ingredients, and I'm on a roll.

One is lentil and carrot which I've never tried before. The other is one that I've made several times now so I thought I'd share the link... which is why I'm going on about making soup.

Curried Carrot Soup – http://www.chow.com/recipes/10748

It's very tasty and easy to make. It says to add coconut milk at the end which you could skip if you wanted – but I find it adds a nice touch. Also, I've found that spice I got at St. Lawrence market (I think it's called garam masala – definitely contains cinnamon) tastes nicer than curry power.

Anyways, that's my soup schpiel.