Christmas holidays

Joel arrived safe and sound on the 22nd and has been able to stay until the 1st which is the first time since he began his new job that a proposed schedule hasn't changed. A much-needed break in the usual chaos.

As most of you know our families live a few minutes apart in Oak Bay so getting to have the maximum number of Christmas dinners and brunches is something we have turned into tradition. The past few years we have also had an annual ReBar cook-off with our CISV Steering Committee Alumni on Boxing day. We spend the day cooking a multi course meal out of the ReBar cookbook and then the evening is spent eating it. So that was the first three days of eating. On the fourth day of eating (the 27th) we had a fantastic freshly caught salmon and prawn feast with Joel's Uncle, Aunt and cousin from Campbell River.

On the fifth day of eating, we took our siblings out for a 7 course meal with wine pairings at Matisse downtown Victoria and finished the night at Vista 18 overlooking the inner harbour.

On the sixth day of eating (yes I know, I'm in elastic waist pants now) Joel's parents took us out to Le Brasserie Ecole. A fab French Bistro tucked into Victoria's Chinatown.

Today we checked into The Kingfisher Spa in Comox for a 24 hour getaway. We've just had massages and now are relaxing in our beachside suite before we do the Pacific Mist Hydropath and and have dinner which might bring us to the seventh day of eating... I love this place.