One of the traditional aspects of Christmas Day in England that I love is going for a Christmas Day walk.
This was something of a novelty for me when I first came here as we spent most of our Christmases in Australia flitting in and outside in the gorgeous weather often eating our lunch outside. As my parents, brother and sister, cousins, aunt and uncle and grandparents numbered over a dozen, there was definitely enough to make a good fielding team, so there was often a point at which the cricket bats came out and a few overs were bowled in the back yard well into the afternoon.
Here, however, it is twilight on Christmas Day well before 4pm, so it is often a race to snatch a bit of daylight for a walk, especially since lunch is often served around 2pm. We often choose to go before lunch is served, in that final frantic hour when the cook is trying to time everything to come out of the oven at the once, usually with several hobs and an oven shelf short of what is ideal to accomplish this feat.
I think it is only a little bit about getting some fresh air on a day when you would normally be stuck indoors eating, and mainly about giving the cook some type of respite from people lounging around, clamouring to help or expecting to be fed.
This Christmas Day we went for a walk along the breathtaking Chirk Aqueduct on the England-Wales border. At an exhilerating 21 metres (or 70 feet ) above the valley below, it carries the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley. Canal boats have been making there way across this 220 metre (or 710 foot ) span since 1801.
We walked the towpath alongside. If, like me, you get a bit dizzy at heights, it is definitely worth overcoming any trepidition to enjoy the experience of a walk both ways, delighting in the views of pinpricks of sheep grazing below and wondering at the skill of the engineer, Thomas Telford, for designing it, and the numerous labourers who would have brought his vision to fruition.
Once on the other side you can enjoy a sweet row of little cottages, with ducks gamboling and cats stalking squirells on the other side. Even the Meerkat's were out in force when we were there!
If you can not face the idea of being suspended over the valley with deep water on one side and a mere rail to protect you on the other, than the Chirk Tunnel on the other side, a dark and damp walk along the tunnel towpath of 421 metres (1381 feet) is another option.
We did both before heading back to devour our Christmas lunch.
While I normally make a Christmas pudding, this year I was consumed with Christmas cakes and so ran out of time. I was seduced by the promise of the luxury and delectable nature of gold leaf atop fruity Christmas puddings which were being advertised everywhere, and purchased a Golden Christmas Pudding from Tesco.
And I got a cermaic Pudding basin for future sticky toffee puddings or steak and kidney pudding for Mr BB ....
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