Going away for Christmas.

[Scottishtourist]

I note from posts on forum that some members are travelling to Luxor to spend the Christmas period there.
What are your reasons for "going away"for Christmas?

Is travel cheaper at that time?
Do you want to make the most of a Christmas break from work?Enjoy some winter sun?
Would you rather escape the hype and commercialization of Christmas in a Christian country?
Are you athiest and have no belief in it?
Are you on your own with no close family...so loneliness is a consideration?
Or do you just enjoy the "different" experience?

Where will you be on Christmas Day?
Will you be enjoying a roast turkey dinner in a Muslim country?Or embracing the very fact that you are doing something "different?" and enjoying the experience?

'll be at home (as usual!)throwing the turkey in the oven and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" whilst enjoying a bottle of wine as it's cooking!

I can't contemplate any alternative..there's no where else I'd rather be..and nothing else I'd rather be doing!

Any views or opinions?

[Brian Yare]

I note from posts on forum that some members are travelling to Luxor to spend the Christmas period there.
What are your reasons for "going away"for Christmas?

To avoid Christmas and New Year, with all the hassle in the UK. On my previous trip out here I avoided Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night, and I will be back in the UK before Coptic Christmas.

Helen may well go to some of the festive events being organised here, while I will be eating and drinking ordinary fare with my Egyptian friends. It is a win-win situation!

2012/13 Helen was working abroad so I spent 2 weeks in Malta, where public transport only stops for 4 days on Xmas day and New Years Day.

2011/12 we spent 4 weeks in Egypt.

For the previous 25 years (at least) I have spent inordinate amounts of tie in the kitchen, as I do all the cooking at home. And I've spent a great deal on food, drink, decorations, ... . I am glad to be rid of all that!

2010/11 we spent New Year in Luxor with British friends and family.

2009/10 we were in Egypt before and after Xmas, but were in the UK for the festive period, at which point I resolved not to repeat the horror!

[Lisak]

I can only take my holidays during school hols so am limited when I can go away.
As I can't stand Christmas, and as I had a friend whose dying wish was for her ashes to be left at Philae, I thought I could 'kill 2 birds with one stone' so to speak.
So here I am, sitting on the roof, drinking a stella enjoying the sights and sounds with sand between my toes from today's outing to Abydos and Denderah.
Now what would I be doing at home instead?

[dsaxelby]

Spending Christmas with my daughters, due to their work schedule i.e. Xmas or New Year off from work our tradition is Christmas together, albeit I have travelled to London with my youngest to spend the holiday (Bridget Jones style) with them, as they start work again Boxing Day I will travel o my second home and spend the New Year in Luxor, partly persuaded by the legendary New Year Eve party at JJ's on another level, my adventure becomes full cycle as my story really started here New Years Eve last year.

I have dreaded Christmas for the last 7 years but this year I feel invigorated a new venue a new emphasis so we will see. Merry Christmas one and all

[Bombay]

Spending Christmas with my daughters, due to their work schedule i.e. Xmas or New Year off from work our tradition is Christmas together, albeit I have travelled to London with my youngest to spend the holiday (Bridget Jones style) with them, as they start work again Boxing Day I will travel o my second home and spend the New Year in Luxor, partly persuaded by the legendary New Year Eve party at JJ's on another level, my adventure becomes full cycle as my story really started here New Years Eve last year.

I have dreaded Christmas for the last 7 years but this year I feel invigorated a new venue a new emphasis so we will see. Merry Christmas one and all

Does this mean Colin Firth and Hugh Grant will be outside fighting over you

ps PG tips please!! :cuppa: :cuppa: :cuppa:

Yes Merry Christmas to you and the girls

[dsaxelby]

stamped and packed lol..

[Chocolate Eclair]

Normally Christmas and New Year is a more expensive time to travel, we used to get away at Christmas because I had a 2 week holiday every year, to get away from the maddening crowd, that over shopped for food, to get away from the cold, and ingeneral to have a rest after a long period of time between the last August Public Holiday and the festive season. We always came to Luxor because of the climate and used to love walking the El Nile Street amid the Christmas lights, the last year we came their were no lights and many of the tourists complained at the hotel we stayed at, saying, "Although we came away for Christmas its always nice to remember what time of year it is, we came here to enjoy the festivities and it seems has though Christmas is no longer celebrated, in Egypt, the only place you can see a bit of Christmas is back at the Hotel, the rest of the place is dead"

[Dusak]

In the UK I always felt that I had Xmas forced upon me. ''We are going out,'' ''we are going to so and so's do''. Sometimes you just wanted to relax at home and enjoy the moment away from the ''who's going to drink orange juice while I have a drink as we have to use the car''. All the temper tantrums at not being able to get a parking space for the overly expensive and not warranted extra Xmas shopping. Bad weather, bad TV with repeats and so old films that you sit though them attempting to see an actor that is still alive and Xmas adverts beginning in November. Constant phone calls, constant ringings. Mountains of cards going to people and destinations you have never heard of before, send two hundred out, get twenty in return. Ignoring the attic full of boxes full of decorations as new ones this year would look better and so on and so on. This year, as the last two, I will wake up to a normal day, decide as to whether I will call it Xmas day or just Wednesday. Every day here can be a Christmas day for me if I wish it so and living here is the gift that each day unwraps itself to display a new, wonderful visage.

[Who2]

'll be at home (as usual!)throwing the turkey in the oven and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" whilst enjoying a bottle of wine as it's cooking!

"Just to let you know as you probably won't be deep frying it, an average turkey will easily allow you to to drink 2 bottles of wine and to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" two and a half times, remembering to deforest one's Turkey the night before….

[Scottishtourist]

'll be at home (as usual!)throwing the turkey in the oven and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" whilst enjoying a bottle of wine as it's cooking!

"Just to let you know as you probably won't be deep frying it, an average turkey will easily allow you to to drink 2 bottles of wine and to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" two and a half times, remembering to deforest one's Turkey the night before….

How much does a turkey cost in Egypt Who2?And is it eaten for any specific Muslim feast?
Reason I ask is that in April I visited friends for lunch and turkey was on the menu.They said it was the first time they had cooked it and asked if it was ok.It was delicious...so they say they will eat it a lot more from now on!
I always buy a Turkey crown.Feeding six adults and 1 child this year and it cost £23.
Always much more expensive than buying the full bird..but it does us all two meals and there's never any waste.
Served with sausage meat and sage stuffing,chipolata sausages wrapped in streaky bacon,carrots and sprouts,mash and roast potatoes.
Starter is spicy tomato,three bean and chorizo soup with chunks of granary bread...and dessert is profiteroles and cream.
Coffee,mince pies and shortbread to finish..then some generous glasses of "Grouse"just to keep out the cold!
Most of the cooking will be done tomorrow night,2nd bottle of wine will be entirely optional...as will be a further viewing of 2nd favourite dvd..."Batteries not Included."That's a nice, gentle,feel-good film by the way..not an "Ann Summers"special!
Just wish I could charge family for the meal,wonder what the going rate for the menu and fare would be.
Never mind,the boxed set of "Downton Abbey"is forthcoming (so I'm led to believe) My very own festive special to be savoured once they've all gone home!
Merry Christmas. x

[Maakari]

Glad to see you have a christmas off from the wards ST! Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy! I too am away from the blood, gore, and Norovirus! and am going out to lunch for the first time in years and years! Yipeeeeeeeeee! No sprouts to put a bloody cross in!
"Batteries not included" is one of my favorite films as well! along with "The Goonies" ! (i know,.....sad innit?)
What ever you do, may you have a very well deserved break and a very Merry Christmas to you!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Christmas dinner here - fresh range run turkey from Gabriola (another out island) of about 25 pounds, stuffing or dressing made of home made sausage and water chestnuts, turnip and carrot mashed together (Canadian thing), scallop'd potatoes, home cooked cranberry sauce, broccoli, yams, corn, various breads and appy's and cakes and cookies up the wazoo. Should be a 3 pound weight gain Christmas this year

[Scottishtourist]

Christmas dinner here - fresh range run turkey from Gabriola (another out island) of about 25 pounds, stuffing or dressing made of home made sausage and water chestnuts, turnip and carrot mashed together (Canadian thing), scallop'd potatoes, home cooked cranberry sauce, broccoli, yams, corn, various breads and appy's and cakes and cookies up the wazoo. Should be a 3 pound weight gain Christmas this year

Sounds wonderful LLL.
But...only 3lb weight gain?
I'm reckoning on at least 6lb!! And that'll probably be just with the wine!
I used to be a big fat lump!Went to "Scottish Slimmers" and lost 2 stones,got down to 9stone 6lb.
Carrot and turnip(neeps as they're known here)were my saviour.All root veges were free!Not just a Canadian thing!
Enjoy...plenty of time after the New Year to start that diet...again!!!

[LovelyLadyLux]

@ST - the 3 pound is the gain from ONE sitting! (Am tall so can hide that much with ease )

[carrie]

A friend bought two turkeys a few weeks ago, and two geese, the geese big ones were 55le and the turkeys 45le, they will still be merrily running round for the rest of their natural lives, the geese are good guards and rather lovely and the turkeys so funny couldn't possibly eat them.
For the first time in years I will not be making Christmas dinner I am going out for a curry, no hassle, no cooking hooray.
Wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a healthy happy New Year.

[Miss scarlett]

Have to agree with you, geese are excellent guard animals, and turkeys, well can just watch them all day, so funny . Enjoy your curry, coming over to Luxor next week and while there will definitely be eating at Taste of India, in fact have packed some PG Tips for Bombay.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Our three basic steps of a turkey plus 1





Talk getting down to bare bones!



And the Plus 1 is apple pie with ice cream