European Christmas 2018: Running away or finding my way home?

To say 2018 was a tough year is an understatement. 2018 was the most significant year of my life with the unexpected death of my Mother in May.

The prospect of celebrating Christmas 2018 was a bleak one and so the idea of going overseas for Christmas was borne. C and I joked that we should go to Egypt; so deep was my de-Nile (yep you get it the river Nile is in Egypt, and I was still hugely in denial of the passing of Mum). We chose to do a European holiday to chase the classic Christmas postcard experience; sparkling Christmas markets in Germany, comforting Christmas traditions in the UK and the pinnacle; white Christmas in Helsinki. All of these targets were hit with a bullseye as is testimony to our blogs for each city.

Last on the list was Figline Valdarno in Tuscany. We call this our spiritual home because we have been lucky enough to find a family and their farm in the Tuscan hills that we feel so connected to that we even had our wedding here. The magic is not unique only to us, rock-star Sting has a property here, and generously a small farm-gate shop that we often frequent for his and Trudy’s elusive Sister Moon Chianti Classico.

Our five days here were restorative. It is the first time we have been in Tuscany for winter and the environment is very different. The trees and vines are bare, no canopy of leaves from the old oak tree or buzzing of bees in lavender bushes that encircle the beautiful terrace outside our small villa. Even Bamba the farm tom-cat is unrecognizable with his wide girth and fluffy winter coat!

Somehow it was fitting, a new experience of a place so familiar. Life as I know it has changed immeasurably, a new normal but thankfully still beautiful.