Carpe diem

Because sunny days are so rare in winter Luxembourg, you really make the most of it when the sky clears up.

No time to procrastinate. Hurry up, change and bolt out the door. 

This was the best weather I had throughout the entire stay, 3 days before I leave. Heh. AH, les beaux parents and me took a look at that sky from the dining table after lunch, swiftly got up, changed and were out in 10 minutes, record time.

Really teaches one to savour the moments and not waste a single minute. 💖

Rare blue skies

💙

This sign tickled me so much

Love the outline of the botak trees

Special mission: The chocolate cake do-over

A week after the fake chocolate cake fiasco, the dear MIL was still rather sore about it, and explained to me the rationale for her disappointment: the family loves chocolate, and as they rarely partake in cakes except for festive celebrations, having a nice chocolate cake is a special pleasure that they look forward to on such occasions. 

For Christmas, the brother-in-law had gotten a cake from a famed patisserie near where he lives, and while it was delicious, it was a light vanilla cream cake, so the in-laws were already slightly disappointed. No matter, there was still New Year's, they consoled themselves. 

So when the MIL had taken pains to verify with the sales assistant that the cake she had her eye on was a chocolate one, only to find out that the only chocolate it contained were the four slabs on the outside of the cake, she was really upset. She even took photos and went back to the bakery to voice her displeasure. 

Oops. 

On the last day of this trip, I detoured to the same patisserie as that was their favourite after all, barring the whole drama, and procured 4 individual slices of chocolate cakes for us to share. Nobody could stomach a full cake after all the feasting over the past weeks, but I figured that it would at least make up for the disappointment which had marred the celebrations ever so slightly. 

The way my bellemere's eyes shone when we told her we bought cakes for dessert was so worth the effort. "Chocolat!!" she exclaimed excitedly with joy. Haha.

It was fitting to end our last meal together with that delicious dessert. Sweet and complete. 

Chocolate is a necessity of life

Final cheesy meal

For the final full day of my trip, it was yet another sad rainy day, which also called for the perfect wet weather lunch that required minimal cooking or prep time: Fondue! Another meal that in-laws knew I missed out on in Savoie and were determined to make up for me. Haha. I certainly have no objections over having yummy cheese. 

Bread cut into bite-sized pieces, charcuterie, a big green salad and some cornichons on the side, and of course that large hearty pot of cheese mixed with wine. It was divine. 

If it seems like all I did was eat, eat and eat some more on this trip, you are certainly not far from the truth. Mealtimes here are all about conversations and companionship though, so I'd like to think that they are more bonding exercises than simply acts of gluttony, with the added benefit of French listening comprehension practice for me, heh. All very constructive.

At least that's my story and I am sticking to it. 😇

More cheese, why not.

炒虾面！

尽管之前提过不敢干涉家婆的厨房，看她餐餐一人包办，心里实在很过意不去。家翁和老公其实也时常帮忙，但主要的烹饪还是她的负担。

原本以为我至少能烘一粒我最拿手的面包与他们分享，但没料到欧洲的气温与潮湿度与新加坡天渊之别，结果面包彻底地失败，以悲剧收场。🙎

一天在超市看到些亚洲食品的摆放，家婆心血来潮对一包包的生面起兴, 打算买来准备一餐。既然我对中餐还有多些把握，于是自告奋勇的自荐准备那一餐。

虽然欧洲超市的亚洲食品有限，但所幸炒虾面基本的材料还够普遍，所以都一一购齐：大虾，豆芽，蒜头，酱清，麻油。

下厨当天，刚好家翁家婆有些事务需要出门处理，让我能自在地应用整个厨房来下菜，省得他们义务帮忙，也省了我不少压力。老公有询问是否需要他的协助，但我也推辞了：毕竟，我还挺享受烹饪的过程，而食谱也堪简单，独自准备整个过程真的是悠游自得，嘿。

家婆买的虾已煮熟，所以可省些时间。但我还是把虾头与虾壳拔出，用来煮上汤让面能入味。生面简单地依照包装上的指示先用沸水煮到七分熟，加点麻油放一边待用。最费时的是把豆芽去根：好久没应用豆芽，还真忘了这步骤有多耗时，但繁琐其中还有些莫名的乐趣。当一切齐全，只需用些热油把蒜蓉爆香，加入豆芽，上汤，生面与少许的酱清，差不多煮熟时加入虾一起搅匀，简单的炒虾面就可上卓。

我原本也想买包菜萝卜清炒当配菜，但家婆兴致勃勃地提议买冷冻的亚式炒菜，想说能省些准备功夫，我想也无妨。但当我把冷冻的蔬菜下锅时，才察觉蔬菜已经过酱料处理，并且味道偏甜，实在是我不太喜爱的味道。于是我临时变通，额外加入些前天买的味增，顺便让对这食材好奇的家婆尝尝。

那么简单的一道午餐摆上桌，一家四口静静地吃完。还好最后他们都还像蛮享受的，算是成功！我也总算贡献了一餐，让多劳的家婆能轻松半天，我能做的也就有限于此 。既然我还算证明了自己有些基本功夫，或许下次多做些计划与准备，再帮忙煮多几餐亚式菜肴与他们分享吧!

欧洲煮虾面，别有一番滋味

Au cinéma avec la niece

We surprised the niece one day with a trip to the cinema, where AH and I took on the babysitting duties. 

The film of choice, "Ernest et Celestine: Le voyage en Charabie" was the latest in a series of movies based on a French children's literature of the same name. The protagonists of the story were a grumpy musician bear Ernest and his best friend, an ever optimistic and artistic mouse Celestine. The stories centre around their adventures, into which were woven real life issues related to values, morals and even some political discourse. Très français. This latest movie saw the pair venture back to Charabie where Ernest was from, to find a master who can repair his violin which was damaged by accident. Quite a fun and entertaining watch, with the graphics very much based off the original illustrations used in the books - all those rustic and muted colours were such a pleasure to the eyes. 

This being a European cinema meant that there were no English nor even French subtitles accompanying the movie, but I was pretty stoked that I could understand most the dialogues, thanks to the consistent practice on my Duolingo app the past year and a half. Heh. 

The little girl was delighted to be in the theatre, but even more so to spend time with her uncle, whom she adores, which isn't surprising since he dotes on her immensely too and the two have the same ruckus level energy when they play/fight/dance. 

For the first ten minutes that we were in the hall, it seemed like we booked out the entire space for ourselves, so we had fun taking some goofy shots too. Cute memories to remember before she becomes too grown up to express such unbridled joy and wonder. :)

Adorbs

Silly faces

Pretense>reality

Raclette!

The in-laws are the sweetest - when they heard that I didn't get to have raclette while in the Alps on vacation back in September (the woes of solo travelling - most restaurants' servings for this dish are for minimum 2 persons), they took note and made sure I got to have it while here. Love.

So lunch it was, perfect for the grey rainy weather that day. Heh. 

The French are genious at coming up with various dishes that are essentially different permutation of cheese and potatoes, two of my favourite foods. Yumm. The nifty apparatus that allow each diner to melt individual slices of cheese and pour them over cold cuts and boiled potatoes is simply genious. A huge bowl of salad was the perfect complement to all that rich decadence, not forgetting a delicious bottle of Apremont from the Savoie region. Mmm.

It came as no surprise that we all needed a petite sieste to recover from the food coma after the meal before waking up for a walk in the crisp cool air after the rain finally stopped. Very balanced day, indeed. 😉 

The quiet last dinner for 2022

While the dinner for Christmas Eve was filled with chaotic joy and fun, with an additional invited guest and the brother-in-law's family that included the funloving 8-year-old niece, New Year's Eve dinner was a much more subdued affair, but enjoyable nonetheless.

It was a quiet dinner for four, and the MIL delighted in changing the table settings, swopping the table linen from white to a gorgeous black, an elegant and striking contrast to all the champagne gold decor and place settings. 

In place of a dance party fiesta, we played a more laidback but still upbeat playlist. It was pretty cool to see the in-laws, inspired by a news program earlier that morning extolling the benefits of songs and dance to one's life, busting out some moves and simply enjoying moving to the rhythm and beats with pure joy and little care. 

Food was kept to the usual festive favourites:  trio of aperitifs, pâte en coûte, foie gras, followed by steak with mushrooms and sweet potato purée, cheese and a delicious hazelnut cake. There was a moment of chagrin when we discovered that the cake had barely any chocolate (safe for the scant four pieces around the sides of the gâteau), but we ultimately decided not to focus on that for the evening, and simply revel in each other's company. 

As the clock struck 12, officially stepping us into 2023, we enjoyed a good viewing of the fireworks display at Champs-Élysées, in the comfort of home and safely far away from the 1-million-strong crowd gathered there in person. Best way to partake in festivities, methinks. 😬 

To another better year ❣

卢森堡庆圣诞

这次到卢森堡过圣诞，格外感触。走过的一年太多起伏，大家都似乎有些心力交瘁，但至少最后到了年尾，最忐忑的困境终于也多少平复了，还真的有种如释重负的感觉。

法国传统庆圣诞，是注重前夕的大餐，就像华人农历的年夜饭：一家团圆，围桌享用盛餐，欢庆度过的一年。

家婆的厨艺精湛，所以在准备晚餐时，我可不敢插手帮忙，以免帮倒忙，只得安分守己地帮忙布置餐桌，客厅等。所幸她热爱圣诞的程度可称"疯狂"无愧，各种大小装饰品，小灯泡等样样齐全，我随意把不同的饰品拼凑一起，也看来似模似样，还算看得过去，呵呵。

如往年，这一餐一坐下就吃上七个小时，比跑马拉松还长，哈哈。但大家吃吃喝喝聊聊，时间还真的似箭，不知不觉已凌晨两点。我们各饱而不撑，带着暖暖的肚腩入睡。

圣诞，快乐

Soaking in the quiet

Love walking in Luxembourg, where there is a special stillness and quiet in the streets and the expansive landscapes. It fills the heart with a quiet joy and calm, and familiar comfort. 

Soaking these up as much as I can, when the weather and schedule allows. 

Hearts.

Of first impressions: Luxembourg

The 18 days in Luxembourg fleeted past, not in a blink, but at a deliciously leisurely pace. When it was time to go, I was a little wistful, but also immensely happy with this holiday.

While three weeks is hardly enough for one to claim to know a place, my impression of this country is that of one which is really easy to like - the pace of life may seem slower than that at home, but from the conversations with AB and his friends, it's clear that they are by no means laid back. People here work hard too, except that outside of work, there is much more space (literally and figuratively speaking) to breathe, and an abundance of nature to appreciate. Of course, you do need to actually like being out in the cold, otherwise you will quite likely get bored rather easily, being confined indoors for probably the better part of the year. Me, I love the cold (the irony of growing up in a country of eternal summer), so I absolutely thrive in this environment.

Most of our days were spent with AB's family, and I was glad to have done so in the midst of the Christmas and New Year celebrations. While being physically with family for nearly a month is bound to bring out some tensions and conflicts, it's generally jovial and the spirit is mostly of thanksgiving, to have each other, and to be able to spend the festivities together. While I don't know for sure AB's family's impressions of me, I am quite confident that they at least don't detest me, heh. Pretty sure I didn't come off as a rude snobby brat, and I thank my upbringing for that. Language is a barrier to really getting to know each other, and hopefully the next time we meet I can carry on more meaningful exchanges with them beyond the daily greetings and the occasional faltering but interesting dialogues.

All in all, it was an awesome trip where I rested, ran, wrote, played, ate, drank and slept very well, in my favourite kind of weather, all while getting to spend lots of quality time with the man, and got to know his family better too.

It was so lovely to meet you for the first time, Luxembourg. I hope you liked me too, and I look forward to seeing you again in the hopefully not too distant future.

My daily view

Dining in the city

The city centre of Luxembourg may be smaller than even our CBD, but is a place rich in history, with plenty of great eats and watering holes. Other than the Christmas market, we were there a couple of times, once for me to just visit the area, and another to catch up with another group of AB's friends.

One of the things that I love most about visiting a place in the company of locals is that you are assured of great meal/drink choices, since they would already know which are the best places to go (and the crummy ones to avoid). As a result, I enjoyed both places that I visited:

Franz
I was quite tickled to learn that we are dining at this place, suggested by AB's friend who actually had the same first name. No, he doesn't own the place. 

The moment we stepped into the brasserie, I was taken by the decor in various shades of black and grey. The ambience is best described as "borderline boudoir", thanks to the use of tufted leather and gold accents in their furniture, coupled with walls that were stonewashed and overlayed with the prints of chandeliers, it exudes a charm that somehow managed to be both cosy and classy. Me likey.

Our party of 4 shared a bottle of red (I didn't note what it was, I only knew it was delicious, haha). For lunch, the rest had originally contemplated the set menu but ended up ordering the signature burger when their choice of main was sold out. I had skimmed through the set but nothing jumped out at me. Poring through the ala carte selections, it wasn't too tough to select the Tartare de Boeuf (Aller-retour Aberdeen Angus). I had long wanted to try a beef tartare, and what better place to try it than a recommended French restaurant? AB, after a quick deliberation, decided to select the same as mine.

The food arrived gorgeously plated, and with a crunchy fresh salad and fries on the side. My beef tartare was nicely seasoned and the lightly pan-fried exterior provided a nice crisp contrast to the succulent mix within. While I have not had this dish before and therefore no frame of reference to know if it's good or not, according to AB who is well acquainted with it, this was a more than decent attempt. The friends' burgers were nicely done too, and the conclusion was that this worked out much better than a set lunch, as everyone was just at the perfect point of satiation at the end, whereas the sets might have been way heavier.

This is a place I will definitely remember eating at.

My stunning meal

Chocolate House of Luxembourg by Natalie Bonn

Christmas cake

This place. While it had a nondescript exterior, as one in a row of shops located next to the palace in Luxembourg city, the moment you step through the door, it's like you've entered into a magical realm. With the white tiles, wooden floor and the rich mahogany tables and chairs adorned with cosy cushions, it would have been right at home in an Enid Blyton book, mixed with some magic of Willy Wonka.

The specialty of this three-storey establishment was their chocospoon, which comprises a wooden "handle" that holds a huge block of chocolate that comes in a mindblowing variety of flavours. You choose your preferred flavour, and the type of "base" you would like - again provided in an expansive list that caters to practically all dietary preference/restriction. I picked an oat milk base with a 85% cocoa, the highest possible percentage I could find.

It was so. GOOD. The oat milk was probably the best decision I made, since it meant that the base was kept quite light, with a tinge of oat fragrance, while that block of chocolate melted the concoction into a most divinely rich and comforting drink that was spot on for the cold weather outside.

A must try I would probably recommend anyone visiting the city. Just take note that it's always busy so it may be a bit of a wait to get a seat, but it's worth it. If you have the stomach space (or a much bigger sweet tooth than I do), you can also order a pastry or dessert of your fancy on the ground floor to go with your chocolate. That's way out of my league so I was just supremely happy with my chocolat chaud. :)

A chocoholic's dream

Passenger perks: carviews

As much as I enjoy driving, I do appreciate the perks of being in the passenger seat, especially during travels. Without the main responsibility of watching the traffic (even though I do take note of that too), it's really enjoyable to take in the changing landscape and spot random sights or scenery flashing past.

Growing up in a tiny island filled with skyscrapers meant that being able to actually see the horizon is such a treat every time I go on a drive overseas. I still remember the awe I felt the first time I did a road trip of sorts, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The views were simply amazing. I'm often mesmerised even just being on the highways, taking in the expanse of land and road ahead. And being the passenger meant I had the luxury to snap some of these on the camera. It is a fun challenge trying to get a decent capture of the beauty as it pasts - you need to be quick else it will be gone in an instant, and also consider the lag time it takes between you pressing the button to the actual image captured, so as to optimise the limited framing you can do. 

Then again, I sometimes think that for some scenes, it's hard to get a bad shot, simply because the subject is so gorgeous that no matter how you "anyhow" take a shot, it will turn out nice. 

That's also the reason I try my best not to be occupied with my phone during rides - it's too easy to miss all that greatness passing by, and such a shame too - after all, I doubt that you will really remember what chats or social media you were on when trying to recall the best moments of a trip. It's all about being in the present and making the most of things. 

Sharing some of my favourites from this trip. :)

First run of 2017

Also known as my very first time running in the snow. Well, more accurately, it's on snow, since it was just a very thin layer, and in many patches, it had already melted.

It was so much fun!

I was all ready to just head out in the same ensemble I had donned to run in NYC's Central Park when it was the same 0-1 degree-C temperature (pants, running singlet and a thick wind-proof jacket), but the over protective boyfriend was having none of that. So on went a pair of running gloves and a bright red ski jacket of his. :p

I'd admit that it kept me snug as a bug and probably lessened the coldness I felt by at least 20 percent. I looked pretty ridiculous, but then the advantage of being in a foreign land meant nobody could recognise me. Given how bundled up I was, I was fairly sure that people who might know me wouldn't know it's me if we meet, either. Heh.

Running is the easiest choice of exertion over here, since I obviously have no access to weights and I conveniently forgot to bring my trusty TRX along (ahem, tends to happen when you do last minute packing - there is bound to be one or two non-essentials that get omitted! Oops). No matter, it's the ideal choice anyway, to maximise that breathtaking landscape. The only thing is you kinda need to get out early, no later than 5pm, unless you are really prepared to run in darkness and much lower temperature.

As much as I often jibe at AB for being disgustingly fitter than me (he barely breaks a sweat or gets out of breath when we go running as he matches my pace, ugh), I do enjoy running with him very much, especially on countryside runs like this where he probably knows his way even blindfolded (an exaggeration, but probably only a slight one) - the man knows his directions well, and had different routes in his repertoire, so I am assured of a variety of scenery each time, with no fear of getting lost. All I needed to do was to focus on keeping up, while enjoying the aesthetics before me.

For this run, we covered just over 10km in roughly an hour, with some slight slopes that were just enough for the heart to pump hard, but not threaten to jump out of my throat. We even took some moments to pause and take in the expanse of snow, skies and trees at some points. AB, who usually rolls his eyes at my inclination to take pictures of anything that caught my fancy, even obliged me with some photos taken on his phone cam so I can have them for memory's sake (I didn't have my phone with me). Hehe.

It was a perfect first run for the year. It felt really good to hear the feet crunching in the snow, and even the slightly scary parts where the paths were wet and you could feel yourself slip ever so slightly with each step and needed to be on high alert, were pretty fun to add a bit of thrill to the activity. Not to mention that it was a nice distance, too. Decent mileage that didn't exhaust me too much.

Mis-matched, don't care

Treated to a lovely sunset

To more runs together!

Snow, snow and more snow

Le Chameleux: Lunch in Belgium

Le Chameleux

One thing I love about Luxembourg is its strategic location, where it's just a not-long drive to several other European countries. France obviously, but also Germany, and one afternoon, we drove out to Belgium to meet another of AB's longtime good friend and his wife for lunch, together with their 9-year-old daughter. The family is currently based out of London, but had flown back to Europe for Christmas. They had missed each other once while we were in London in September, so a meet up this time round was imperative.

The choice of venue for lunch was at Le Chameleux, a charming French restaurant tucked in the middle of the woods. You know it's a remote location when even the address can't be detected on the car's TomTom. No matter, with some clever maneuvering we managed to get there on schedule without getting lost. (All credit to AB though, since I know nuts about navigating in this area I've never been).

First clue that the food was going to be excellent was when we stepped into this not-the-easiest-to-find establishment, and they were full house. WOW. Fortunately, we'd made reservations, and most of the other guests had not arrived yet, so service was pleasingly prompt and smooth.

Second clue that lunch would be awesome was that it had a grand total of 6 choices each for main course and desserts. I really like when a menu is kept simplistic - somehow it conveys that the owner/chef are truly good, based on the assumption that they have the confidence and focus on getting those few dishes really well done and are vouching that you will like any of the few selections they offer.

Their signature was la truite meunière, and a no-brainer order for me, being a huge fish fan (for food). I was definitely not disappointed - the fish came perfectly fried such that the skin was crispy golden while the flesh was tender and juicy, and in a perfect size that was just nice to fill you up together with the potatoes and salad. Do take note: that's declared with the caveat that you can be prudent with the gorgeous pomme de terre though. I have a terrible weakness for all things potatoes so I must say I was quite proud of myself that I didn't overdose on those tasty sautéed beauties. I love that it's a whole fish too - the flesh just fell right off the bones and was a such a pleasure to savour - suffice to say I devoured every morsel off the bone. Meoow. Yumm.

Truite meunière: perfection on a plate

I even found space to order dessert, although I have no idea what possessed me to choose the dame blanche. It sounded innocent enough when described by the server: Vanilla and chocolate ice cream served with chocolate sauce and chantilly cream. Who knew that the actual thing was a monster of a sundae?! I completely ignored the cream, nibbled on the waffle biscuit, and just dug at most of the chocolate ice-cream, then left the rest to melt into a mess in the glass. :p Thankfully the rest of the group was busy catching up over their respective desserts (crepes Grand-Marnier and sorbet framboise et citron), and barely noticed. A double espresso also helped prevent a post lunch coma, such that I could enjoy the scenic drive back without dosing off. Heh.

Monster of a Dame Blanche

It sounds like the food was the star for me, but really, it was rather enjoyable to chat with the family who are also fluent in English other than French. Even the little girl, given her education in London, was conversant and reminded me a little of myself so we had some fun dialogues on favourite colours and erm, homework. Hahaha.

All in all, a really pleasant afternoon outing, and a good reunion for AB. With their reluctance to travel to Asia in the near future, who knows when their next meeting will be? Bearing that in mind, we took a bunch of "we-fies" and photos before respectively rolling into our cars and parting ways.

One of the random shots on our way back

Real snow!!

As we drew the curtains aside in the morning to reveal that gorgeous white blanketing the town, and the little flakes gently swirling in the air, I squealed and bounded to the window, hopping from foot to foot in glee. It's snowing!

It was the second day of the new year. The previous morning, I had woken to frosted trees and cars, and mistakenly thought that some of the frost that was being blown to the ground from the trees by the wind was snow. AB stifled a grin as he gently told me it wasn't snow. Chehh.

But this morning it was real! He stared at me gazing in awe at the snowflakes dancing outside and asked, amused, "Is this the first time you are seeing snow??" I grinned, "YES! Well there was a short burst way back in 1993 outside Beijing airport where the flakes were as tiny as dandruff so that doesn't count. THESE are proper snowflakes!" The man's eyes widened and he just smiled indulgently, and ruffled my hair.

At the breakfast table, I couldn't stop staring out into their garden, transfixed by the frosty white that is now falling in greater intensity. I must have spent an hour just looking at the scene in wonder. It's amazing, how each flake really is of that special shape and pattern that I used to only see in emojis. Such beauty, that's from nature. It's spellbinding, and humbling at the same time.

This will definitely be a memory cherished for a long, long time. ^^

A short snippet for memory's sake. :')

A gorgeous morning

Over here in winter, it's not unusual to have overcast days where the skies are filled with looming clouds which tend not to rain, but just keeps the sun resolutely hidden, resulting in grey, cold days. I didn't mind those days, I quite like the melancholy of it, and secretly think it's rather poetically romantic even.

Also, it means that days when one wakes up to clear blue skies and bright sunshine, you appreciate it so much more, and are more likely to make the most of it, than if you had it all the time. 

It was such a morning that we happily went on a jaunt around the village, spending quite a bit of time in a lovely little jardin a mere 15-minute walk away. AB's brother came along with his two-year-old girl, who's at that delightful age where she's just starting to develop her own character, but is not articulate enough to have full on arguments or render one speechless with questions, yet. That's an age I can handle with some degree of comfort, given my hopelessness with children. Also, thankfully the little girl didn't hate me on sight, and was generally easy to coax. Phew. 

As much as I love grey gloomy days, there is something special about being out in the sun, especially rejuvenating when the air is crisp and cool. Being in the village with barely any traffic also meant the air tasted exceptionally clean too. Awesomest. 

Such are days when words can't do them justice. I quietly sneaked shots of all that glorious blue and green, but mostly, the phone/cam was tucked away, so I could immerse in the beauty completely. I may or may not have skipped quite a bit, or laughed out loud (but quietly) at some points. At least I didn't throw myself onto the lovely green (but moist) grass and roll around till I was covered in mud, like a certain impish little girl. Heeeheee. 

Such are days we live for. 

It's not hard to get a good shot.

Blue skies and reflections

Spot the little imp

Caught in the act!

Stop. Breathe. Smile

The epic Christmas dinner

All lit up!

When M heard that I will be celebrating Christmas at AB's parents', he gave me a huge wink, "Ah, you're in for a treat - don't expect to leave the dining table in less than seven hours."

He wasn't kidding. We sat down at 7pm and finished the final course at slightly after 2am. *burp*

They were certainly the hosts with the mostest - We started with aperitifs, followed by three appetisers served separately (oysters, foie gras, then seared scallops). We then made the unanimous (and wise) decision to skip the main course and just had dessert, then cheese and coffee. Did I mention that each course was accompanied by a different wine to complement the food (yes, including digestifs with desserts)?

I finally fully comprehend the meaning of the term "wine and dine".

Oysters and Champagne? Mais oui, merci beaucoup!

While it sounds like a lot of food - it was - true to their French culture, each course was a modest portion and I never felt overwhelmed. If there was one thing I learnt about their dining habits during this trip, it was that the meal is an entire experience and very much about the company as much as the food. Christmas is special to them so you can expect to be wow-ed by the spread. It won't be a buffet spread, but definitely comprising of really, really delicious fare.

Just the digestifs, mostly home-made!

After we all pitched in to help set the table and sat down to commence the meal, AB's mum looked around taking in the setup, and sighed a happy sigh, "I LOVEE a beautiful table." She certainly did, and it's evident not only in every detail of the table but in all corners of their home. What I admired the most was how tastefully she did it though - at no point would you feel like Christmas had exploded in this cosy home - it's all little classy touches at different areas that culminate to conjure a warm Noël atmosphere. It was truly a pleasure to be in the space.

The gorgeous table

Christmas in a jar 💖

And after dinner, the gift exchange took place - it's very heartwarming to see how each gift was chosen with lots of thought towards its use for the recipient. There were no boisterous laughter, or rowdy countdown, but the happy smiles and kisses exchanged filled the home with more Christmas spirit than any party I've attended.

Joyeux Noël, indeed. :)