We celebrated our first Christmas in Denmark with our good friends and old neighbours from Cambridge - Tara, Russell and their son Joss. They flew into Copenhagen and took the train to Aarhus on Christmas Eve. Our apartment was too small to fit them in so we found them an Air B&B apartment across the street. It felt good to be with familiar company. To be honest, it would have been strange to have been alone in a foreign country at this time of year.

Christmas Eve is the day of celebration in Denmark, with dinner being served at 6pm. So, when we met our friends at the station late in the afternoon, there was tumbleweed blowing through the streets and we were three of the only people on the bus. The city was totally deserted. All shops closed. Just Christmas lights and the odd whiff of roasted nuts seeping out from the closed-up street food stalls.

That evening was spent eating, drinking and catching up. Finding out what was happening on our old street.

Christmas Day started not too early. We opened our presents, had a great smoked salmon and poached egg breakfast, then went for a walk on the beach.

Dinner was typically Danish: pork, from the butcher down the road.

It was a great relief (for me) to not have to wear paper hats or watch the DFS Sale commercials.

I should say that the blog is a bit thin at the moment because I’m extra busy with guests.

Paddy, Martha and Kit arrive just as Tara, Russell and Joss leave.