Christmas 2016 in Germany

2016's Christmas I spent at home in Germany, together with Marco and my family.

December 21st:
We started our Christmas holidays on 21st of December with a beautiful sunrise over the clouds spotted from the plane on our way from Oslo to Germany.

Approach of Cologne/Bonn airport over the serpentine Rhine river.

December 23rd:
Catching the beautiful light of a sunset at home.

 

At home. 

December 24th:
The afternoon of Christmas eve...

...stitting together with my mum and Engelbert to play some rounds of "Doppelkopf".

Cosy Christmas atmosphere :-)

 

 Not to be missed: German Christmas cookies and sweets.

 

It's Christmas!
Getting ready for our Christmas dinner with raclette! Mmmmm...

 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! FROHE WEIHNACHTEN!!! BUON NATALE!!!

Tonight it was just the four of us: my mum, Engelbert, Marco and me. My brother was celebrating at his girlfriend's place.

Later at night after the delicious but filling dinner, we went to church for the Christmas mass.

December 25th:
This day was exceptionnally calm with not much on the programme. In the evening Marco and I met with my brother and his girlfriend Anna and some of their friends to spend some time in nice company.

December 26th:

Preparing with my mum one more roast ("Schwammerlbraten") for the feast tonight.

In the early afternoon my brother with Anna and her parents and sister, an aunt and a cousin as well as a friend of a family came over for a great afternoon/evening in nice company and with a lot of fun. Later on we had a lovely dinner with that roast served with "Böhmischen Semmelknödeln" and red cabbage. Always delicious!


December 27th:
That day started VEEEEEEERY early for me as Marco had a very early flight to join his family in Italy. After I had accompanied him to the airport I went back to bed (the evening before ended late and I had to catch up with some sleep).
My dad had been away over the Christmas days. So we met him only the day after. Initially the idea was to have an after Christmas dinner at their home that evening, but eventually we met at my brother's place. Also our cousin from my father's side joint to celebrate with us. Another lovely evening with family!

December 28th-31st:
In those days I was busy getting set up my new computer which I had bought some days before and got delivered to my home address in Germany. So I spent hours on configuring everything the way I want/need it, getting all the programs back on it that I usually use (some with the help of my brother), ordering additional items such as a new external hard disk, a new laptop bag etc.
Then of course I also did a bit of shopping together with my mum and the mandatory groceries procuring all the things I wanted/needed to bring to Oslo.
And well, on 31st it was already time for me to head back to Oslo in order to be back in the office on January 2nd. For the first time I would spend New Year's in Oslo. Two friends of mine, Sona and Hugo, had also decided to celebrate New Year's in Norway and invited me to spend the evening with them and another friend. Together we had a wonderful evening :-)

(Pictures by Marco Carbone - thanks for letting me use them on my blog!)