Five on Friday

I'm very pleased to be writing my first 'Five on Friday' post this week. The lovely Amy has been writing these posts for a while now, which I have always enjoyed reading, and when she asked whether anyone else wanted to join her I jumped at the chance! There is now a group of us joining in each week with Amy, so every second Friday each month I will be contributing. Every Friday Amy takes time to share 5 things she enjoys with her readers. It's such a lovely idea to link up, a great way to find new blogs and read lots of varied posts - the five things can literally be anything!! Do check out the other bloggers joining in this week: links at the end :)

So what am I going to choose for my first five?

...

Well I thought there had to be a bit of a Christmas theme, given that it is what is keeping me cheerful at the moment! I've decided to be a bit indulgent and share five happy Christmas memories with you...

1. The first snow in Goerlitz, Germany. December 2008

I was incredibly lucky and had a 'year abroad' as part of my undergraduate degree. I was a language assistant in a primary school, and got sent all the way to the German-Polish border - Goerlitz is actually half German half Polish! (The Polish half is called Zgorgelec) An amazing year and one of my favourite moments was the first smattering of snow in December, the week before I flew home for Christmas. Goerlitz has the most wonderful architecture, this is a street around the corner from where I lived and you can just see the double spire of the Peterskirche poking out from the rooftops. Being English I hadn't experienced many white Christmases and that first coat of snow was magical.

2. Family Christmas in Suffolk, Christmas 2009 

So this is a bit of a recurring memory. This is a small snapshot of the dinner table being laid for Christmas lunch, we always have homemade crackers, and the Santa wine-cover is definitely an intregal part... I wanted to take a picture of the table laden with yummy food but I don't seem to have any... I am clearly too busy eating to take photos once dinner is served!

3. Cologne Christmas Market, Christmas 2012

Hmmm I sense a theme... for me Christmas is a great opportunity to indulge in my major  slight German obsession. This was a super special trip - the picture shows the Harbour Market which is just on the river, it's slightly less busy than the bigger ones and we liked it best. C proposed underneath one of those canopies on the right, next to the tower, he could not have asked me in a more perfect place or time. 

4. Sydney, Christmas 2013

A slight contrast now, last year we were incredibly lucky and had 4 weeks in Oz over Christmas. C's best friend and uncle live over there so we travelled around a bit and had the most thoroughly wonderful time. This picture was taken the day we landed, after a nearly 40 hour journey and minimal sleep on the plane, we headed straight out to experience Sydney and boy it was amazing. These are the floating Santas at Darwin Harbour - it was mesmerising to see all these decorations in over 30 degrees!

5. Jervis Bay, Christmas 2013

Another Oz one, but one of my favourite memories!! We drove down to Currarong from Sydney which is on the most beautiful bay and hired a flat. We'd imagined Christmas day barbecuing on the beach in bright sunshine etc etc but the weather had other ideas, it was actually quite cold and raining! C and his best friend, another C, were absolutely determined to fish on Xmas Day and being English the weather did not deter them (the Aussies were very sensibly all in their flats). I gave them their Santa hats and off they went. Us girls sensibly drank wine on the (sheltered) balcony. We had a glorious Christmas Eve and Boxing Day so no complaints at all, it was just wonderful being there. Needless to say they didn't catch anything.... I think the fish saw them a mile off!

I am joining in Five on Friday, taking five minutes from our day to enjoy five things.  Please go and visit the other people who are also blogging about Five on Friday this week.

Amy from Love Made My Home

Gina from Fan My Flame

Joanne from A Whole Plot of Love

Debbie from Saylor Street Cottage

Rosie from Corners Of My Mind