Our Blog - Christmas Decorations 2023- Toulouse, France

We took the weekend and got our Christmas decorations up this year. I must say ... it takes us a LOT less time to put up directions here than it did when we lived in North Carolina. Much of the interior decorations are the same, but we don't have to get the ladder out to hang the icicles from the roof, nor get out the yard decorations and all of the various extension cords.

Some things never change, and one of those things in our nativity set, which has been handed down to me from my parents.

We still do a little bit outside, including lights around the top of the balcony railing and icicles that hang down. Mind you ... this points to the park, which closes around dark, so the only people who "benefit" from our lights is us (of course) and our neighbors across the way.

And then our tree, complete with the teddy bear on top. Our ornament collection expands with each major trip, as we always try to add an ornament. Some ornaments are quite traditional, while others are anything but. In some cases, we visit places in the summer and Christmas ornaments aren't easily found and in other places, Christmas isn't really celebrated much. In those places, we find that keychains work well, as they can be hung easily.

A more traditional bulb with a tiny nativity scene inside from Naples, Italy, along with a glass bird that I have had for longer than I can remember.

And the keychains ... the first is from Fukuoka, Japan. Here we see Kumamon (the bear), the mascot of the Kumamoto Prefecture that was created in 2010 to draw tourists. He is joined with another little character, both on top of the Fukuoka castle.

Of course, we have to have a Lucy the Corgi ornament!

More from travels ... Barbados, Swaziland, Wales, and South Korea.