Happy Christmas!

[brianr]

Well Happy Christmas from Dunedin, New Zealand. It is warm at the moment 19'C at 6.30am. However a cold change with rain is suppose to arrive in the early afternoon.
I can see from the webcam that the first cruise ship "Ovation of the Seas" with 4,500 passengers has already arrived. Diamond Princess with just 2,500 passengers should arrive within an hour. I guess many will stay on board as so much of the city is shut but some tourist activities are going to work.
I will go to the Cathedral at 10am. There are usually some ship passengers there so I guess a lot more likely today.

[Kananaskis]

Happy Christmas from Warsaw, Poland.
The weather is dreadful (7 degrees Celsius, strong winds and rain), haven't seen any snow at Christmas here for as long as I can remember, though heavy snowfalls are forecast just before New Year's Eve. Always a couple days belated!
Already through with the Christmas Eve dinner, also today is when we hand out the presents. Do you celebrate Christmas Eve? Or only Christmas Day?

[Corax]

Happy Christmas from Munich! Although it is winter here in Bavaria, there is no snow at all. No winter wonderland as it is supposed to be, if we believe in tradition .
I don't mind,  I don't need snow. I went on a hiking tour in the mountains today and it was great!
We just finished our Christmas dinner and exchanged gifts. Since we decided not to go to church this year (I'm very happy my Dad didn't even try to persuade us), we are sitting in the living room watching a Christmas movie. Really relaxing.

[brianr]

No, we do not celebrate Christmas Eve. My sister's girlfriend (she was her bridesmaid 56 years ago and they still talk on the phone every day as well  as meet up at least once per week) was born in Lithuania and is German. They celebrate Christmas eve at her home then have a typical Australian Christmas Day Dinner (middle of the day) at her brother's home. She always invites my sister and brother-in-law and me over to eat leftovers on Boxing Day but I have not gone to Sydney this year.

[Front-Ranger]

Merry Christmas across the world! Thank you for inviting all the Brokies to your home campfires on this holiday. It is truly a sweet life, and for a short time I can forget about the black cloud over the U.S. 

[CellarDweller]

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating! 

[CellarDweller]

[brianr]

Happy Christmas from Munich! Although it is winter here in Bavaria, there is no snow at all. No winter wonderland as it is supposed to be, if we believe in tradition .
I don't mind,  I don't need snow. I went on a hiking tour in the mountains today and it was great!
We just finished our Christmas dinner and exchanged gifts. Since we decided not to go to church this year (I'm very happy my Dad didn't even try to persuade us), we are sitting in the living room watching a Christmas movie. Really relaxing.

Munich is one of my favourite cities along with Vienna and Paris (and of course Dunedin  )
The first time I saw snow falling in a city was in Munich, I think about October 1974. I was wrapped but everyone was walking around looking annoyed.
Now that I have moved to a city where it snows, although only a few times each year, I do understand.  I try to visit Munich every 2nd or 3rd year. My last visit was in May last year. I went to the Englischer Garten and had lunch listening to the brass band which I always enjoy then went to the opera to see "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" with Jonas Kaufmann (so easy on the eye as well as the ear  )
The next day I went to Garmisch Partenkirchen for a week of hiking and sightseeing. One of my most favourite parts of the world.

[Corax]

Munich is one of my favourite cities along with Vienna and Paris (and of course Dunedin  )
The first time I saw snow falling in a city was in Munich, I think about October 1974. I was wrapped but everyone was walking around looking annoyed.
Now that I have moved to a city where it snows, although only a few times each year, I do understand.  I try to visit Munich every 2nd or 3rd year. My last visit was in May last year. I went to the Englischer Garten and had lunch listening to the brass band which I always enjoy then went to the opera to see "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" with Jonas Kaufmann (so easy on the eye as well as the ear  )
The next day I went to Garmisch Partenkirchen for a week of hiking and sightseeing. One of my most favourite parts of the world.

I'm impressed you even know Garmiscch
You are right, Munich is an great city. I love all the pubs and restaurants, the Opera Houses and of course the "Englischer Garten".

Unfortunately I never made it to Australia or New Zealand, though I have friends near Newcastle. The come to visit us every 3 or 4 years, but I always thought it would be too far away to travel there... 18 hours by plane. I really should do that sometime.

[brianr]

As I said I stayed 5 nights in Garmisch in 2016, but also 4 nights in 2015 (and it rained for 3 days), 3 nights in 2010. I also visited on a day trip at least once perhaps twice back when I was in Munich in 1974, 76 and 80 but am a bit hazy about those. I also spent a few days in Munich during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It was strange seeing Sydney on the giant TV screens in the Munich Hauptbahnhof.
Yes I hate the flights. I always stay overnight mainly in Dubai now as I prefer to fly Emirates, it use to be Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong. However I love Europe so it is the price I have to pay.