I finally found my christmas spirit

The fortnight we've been back in Oxford has been hard yakka. Lots of work, lots of travel, no social life, no going to the gym. I'm just knackered.


So I was very pleased to have a great big sleep-in on Saturday before taking myself into town mid-afternoon, where I finally discovered that I didn't leave my Christmas spirit behind in Belgium.


It's been clear and even sunny the past few days, but winter light here is cool and pale. As the bus made its way into town, brown trees thrust spindly bare branches into a sky of palest pink, mauve and blue. College towers, domes and church spires rise out of the haze and the view is really quite gorgeous. As the shops were still open, the streets were a blaze of light and colour, with buskers and schoolkids chanting carols on every corner.


I dived into the market, which was next to empty (the English REALLY don't know how to cook, they buy Christmas dinner as readymeals from Sainsbury's and Marks & Sparks), and went all aquiver at the sights all around. Stalls laden with prawns, cheeses, choccies, puddings in cloths hung from all the rafters. The butchers stalls are all hung with row upon row of turkeys, pheasant, bunnies and deer, all beheaded but still furry, hung above little piles of sand to catch any undrained blood. It might sound gory, but it's so very wholesome. And yummy.


In 10 minutes flat I'd sourced all my christmas dinner entrees and veg and paid for a brace of pheasant, to collect on Christmas Eve. Another half hour saw Christmas and birthday pressies sorted for friends (with one exception - might have to take a day off on Wednesday, cos I can!).


I headed into an evening full of carols and fairy lights, with a piper playing christmas carols that echoed off the college stonework. I was headed for the gym and felt very virtuous. It was a good day.