Happy 2023, readers.
I write this on the other side of une belle parenthèse festive, spent on both sides of the Channel.
Christmas 2022 was always going to be a homecoming of sorts. For various reasons, it will be the first Yuletide I spend in Blighty since I relocated to mainland Europe, over five years ago. It will also be the first time sis would be leaving Japan in well over three years, for COVID-related reasons, naturally. Japan's travel restrictions have been notoriously stringent, particularly for non-nationals.
Our reunion trip is therefore months in the making. It has been agreed that mum and sis would join me in Belgium after we all first converge in the UK to celebrate Christmas Day in mum’s new place. For me, her relocation is one of the few significant positive events of 2022. It’s the sole thing that would convince me to cross the Channel during the peak festive period; otherwise too hectic and travel too pricey.
Sis touches down almost a week before I’m due to arrive. I breathe a heavy sigh of relief. I have been anxious that sis would be stranded en route. Perhaps apprehended by some officious personnel at Narita airport, owing to an obscure and unfulfilled administrative requirement connected to the pandemic. Fortunately, there are no such hitches.
I make the outbound journey by the very wallet-friendly overnight coach. (Not Flixbus this time. I’m not a masochist.) Nonetheless, despite having switched coach provider, the journey is not entirely smooth. In advance of departure, I receive lots of confusing messages from the company about timetable changes. When the bus does eventually arrive, it departs roughly five hours later than the advertised time. There are only six of us travelling in total. The rucksack of a fellow longsuffering passenger mysteriously disappears. At Calais, we are delayed further when the British authorities detain an elderly gentleman amongst our party. His only luggage is a very large plastic shopping bag. His appearance is so dishevelled, I initially assume he’s one of the rough-sleepers who find shelter in and around Gare du Midi.
Mishaps notwithstanding, we somehow make it to London only a couple of hours later than scheduled.
I have the whole day ahead of me to enjoy quality time with mum and sis. We’ve worked out that this is the first Christmas all three of us have spent together since 2015.
Sis and I natter away for several hours, in spite of my good intentions to shower immediately on arrival. Ahead of the visit, I anticipate being withdrawn and moody, weighed down by the preceding year. Yet, simply being around my closest family, I automatically feel lighter and am able (largely) to suspend worry. It helps that I have not overloaded my Christmas programme. I have a few choice meet-ups on my itinerary – including a sweet reunion with sis and a couple of our mutual friends. The rest is dedicated to family.
Christmas morning is spent at the one hour special service at my London church, conveniently walking distance from mum’s new home.
I return to Brussels the following evening, ahead of mum and sis’ visit the next day. It'll be the first time baby girl is visiting me in my new-ish home. She coos admiringly at my flat.
Initially scheduled to spend a week in Belgium, alas, sis and mum are forced to shorten their trip when sis realises she’s made a mistake with her return date to Japan. We jettison plans to visit the famous Christmas market in Lille as well as a day trip to the French capital to reconnect with Paris-based acquaintances.
The weather is not on our side for much of the stay but it doesn’t faze sis. She adores the leisurely stroll through the Winter Wonders (Les Plaisirs d’Hiver) festival and Christmas market in Brussels’ city centre. She says the light rain lends a romantic air to it all; the festive lights reflecting off the glistening streets. It provides many a great photo opp.
Soundtrack: Best of...2020 Part 1 & 2, Best of...2021 Part 1 & 2
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