SJ’s Traveling Tueke

EUROPE

WINTER CHRISTMAS

MUST DO'S!

Kia ora! Hello!

December 2019 I landed in the UK for the first time, and for my first European Christmas/Winter - it was an absolute game changer. I have another Christmas booked this year in Europe and I am so freaking excited!

The one big difference is that Christmas is celebrated in complete opposite weather from what I am used to. In Aotearoa we would be known to have Christmas over a BBQ lunch and some beers. You will find Christmas sales in the malls, the odd regional Christmas parade through the town with some stalls, and a sprinkle of decorations in sight. I wasn’t a big Christmas person before my Europe trip in 2019, it’s awkward - who do I get presents for? how much do I spend? do I get gifts for my direct reports? It is meant to be festive but there is minimal Christmas vibe going on until the week of.

Typically Christmas was me, my Dad & my brother so we would have a glass of wine for breakfast (tradition between Dad & I as it is also his birthday) and then share gifts and it is all over within 20mins, until Dad cooks his beer flavoured chicken on the BBQ and I drink the rest of the wine in the meantime.

Here are some highlights on Christmas in Europe that should be on everyone's to-do list!

1.London - Winter Wonderland

This is a massive carnival, like one I had only seen in American movies, full of rollercoasters, rides, stalls full of games/food/Christmas gifts. You do have to pay for a ticket to come to this one, but I cannot recommend it enough!

2. Christmas Markets

Look up the prior years list of top Christmas markets and try go to them. The ones we checked out:

  • Edinburgh, Scotland

Like Winter Wonderland but on a smaller scale. If you are staying nearby like we did, it makes for some good dinner options.

Salzberg, Austria

This was much smaller, but I had the best bread pretzel here - Cheese & Bacon flavoured, and it was bigger than my head! The joy with the Christmas Markets is they are always buzzing with noise, people around and a great atmosphere.

  • Munich, Germany

This was a last minute hungover day trip from Salzberg and not planned at all, but it was a good decision we made. There was carol singing outside a building on a balcony with a choir and sooo many stalls and food. It does start to feel a bit repetitive with the items being sold at the stalls, but for the environment and the outing alone it is worth it.

3. Shorter days - Visit sites at 8am or 6pm for better photos

There were a few times we had gone somewhere and returned after dinner or gotten up early because we saw potential for some stunning photos that wouldn’t be filled with people.

4. Shopping!

Now I am not a fan of shopping, but I say this because you can get some clothing that is cheaper and different to back home. I stocked up on some thermal pants and long sleeved tops so I could ensure I was nice and snugged up in the cold. It also means you can pack an even smaller amount of clothing if you plan to shop for a day - it’s going to happen, it is totally inevitable.

I will leave you with that short list for now, and after my trip later this year I will have some for you - including (fingers crossed we see them) the Northern Lights!

Haere rā! Goodbye & happy traveling!