Christmas 2017 Reflections

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Buon Natale!  Stockings are unstuffed.  Presents are unwrapped.  The boys are chewing on their new bones and our bellies are full from a Christmas breakfast.  There is still frost on the ground outside and we've got a fire going in the living room fireplace.  Church bells have rung, carrying their song through the chilly air.  Tom's wearing one of his Christmas presents...a new shirt from my mom.  I'm wearing some alpine slippers I picked up at the Bolzano Christmas Market on Saturday.  The Christmas tree lights are on and our bookshelves are framed with the Christmas cards we have received.  My coffee cup is full of Irish coffee and we're listening to Burl Ives Christmas album.  I want to sit here and enjoy the ambiance and music so I thought it might be a nice time to share some photos and reflect on our first Christmas in Italy.

It's hard to believe we have been living in Italy for six months.  We're already halfway through our first year.  Time is flying!  After we moved here we started a Wish List/Bucket List of the places we want to visit, things we want to do, before we move back to the States in a couple years.  My list includes a Greek Isles cruise, Krakow, Poland and Auschwitz, and a return trip to Ireland.  Tom's includes visiting Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Also on my list is Christmas Markets.  Over the last couple months I've surveyed my co-workers asking what are the Christmas Markets not to be missed.  Recommendations included Innsbruck and Salzburg, Austria, as well as Merano and Bolzano, Italy.  Well...in the past month I've made it to all four.  I've also visited the smaller, town-centric Christmas Markets in Vicenza, Bassano del Grappa, and Thiene.        
Salzburg, Innsbruck, Vicenza, Merano (clockwise from top)
The Salzburg trip was a couple weekends ago.  We did an Outdoor Rec (ODR) bus trip leaving at 3 a.m. Saturday morning and getting back at 3 a.m. Sunday morning.  A friend's daughter stayed at the house and watched the kids for us.  It was about a 7 hour drive there and 7 hours back and then we had about ten hours in town.  We visited Salzburg for the first time in May 2011.  Here are links to the two blogs I did about that trip: Where Austria and Germany Meet and The Hills are Alive.  It was great returning to this beautiful city and seeing it at Christmas time.
Definitely one of Europe's great cities!
Retracing our steps.  Walking a hilltop trail.
Nice market but SOOOOOOO crowded.  I had a bit of a meltdown because of the crowds.
A little hot cocoa before meeting our bus.
Saturday I did another ODR bus trip but this time I went solo.  Tom stayed home to watch the boys.  The trip included the Christmas Markets in Merano and Bolzano.  The towns are about 45 minutes apart and are in South Tyrol, northern Italy.  This is the part of Italy that has gone back and forth between being part of Germany and Italy.  Residents speak both German and Italian and it has an alpine, German feel.
Beautiful view in Merano
Exploring the shopping areas
The decorated booths in Bolzano were my absolute favorite of the season.
Central Christmas tree in Bolzano
Enjoying a mug of vin brule (hot mulled wine aka gluehwein)
Got to enjoy this beautiful sunset while drinking my wine.
It's Christmas time!
So it's not Christmas Markets without the food.  We've enjoyed great meals, vin brule, hot cocoa, apple cider with spirits, bombardinos (spiked eggnog), grappa, pretzel sandwiches with speck (ham) and cheese, crepes,  and pomme frites (french fries). 
Amazing lunch and Guinness in Salzburg.  Grappa tasting in Bassano del Grappa. 
Hot cocoa (Bolzano), pretzel sandwich (Vicenza), beer and lunch (Merano)
In addition to our adventures exploring Christmas Markets, the season included a holiday party that we hosted last weekend, dozens of holiday/Christmas movies and our traditional Hobbit movie marathon.  As well as making homemade tiramisu with my neighbor.  And...I get to wear coats and sweaters all day, which is a REAL treat for this southern Arizona girl.  

So with a full belly and a full spirit it is now Christmas morning.  What an amazing holiday season it has been.
Stockings for the kids first - bear, bone and treats for Henry
Rope Moose, bone and treats for Colt
Cuddle time with new friends
Our turn...sporting my new alpine slippers!
New shirt for Tommy
So it's almost noon and those of you on the East Coast are probably just getting up.  The Dalrymples wish everyone a VERY blessed and merry Christmas.

This time last year I knew I was in consideration for this job in Italy but I hadn't had my interview yet.  It's pretty amazing what God has done in our lives this past year.  We are going to soak up and enjoy every moment of this incredible blessing.  We are so grateful.  In the words of Tiny Tim...God Bless Us, Every One!
Thanks for spending part of your Christmas with us.  View from where I sit.

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