Christmas morn began with a quick breakfast of Nutella on English muffins (excuse me – on muffins) to fortify us for present-opening.

(Bonus sleepy Justin and flaming deer candle!)

The theme for the year seems to be gifts of warmth, as exemplified by the wool blankets Jason gave to each of us (including himself 😊). Can you guess which color goes to which person?

The gifts were thoughtful and fun, and we followed up the unwrappening with a lunch of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

“Quoi?” you wonder, thinking that sounds like all too simple a choice for the likes of us. Well, you’re right.

For starters, the cheese came from an enticing shop you can see from the windows of Jason’s flat:

we shredded two types of cheese, then topped with cornichons (my choice) or ‘spring onions’ (the boys’ choice):

The results were quite tasty!

After lunch we got dressed (probably about time since it was 2 PM) and took a walk along the nearby canal and through the mostly-deserted streets of Jason’s neighborhood while spying on the festivities and decor we could see through uncovered windows.

Now dinner’s in the oven and we’re listening to Tallis Scholars while anxiously awaiting the continued unveiling of the deer candle: