Discovering new countries, cultures and cuisines

The best day trip from Paris you could do this Christmas has to be a visit to the magical Château Vaux-le-Vicomte to see it’s spectacular festive displays.

Christmas pudding traditions date back over one hundred years at the medieval hotel, The Spread Eagle in Midhurst, West Sussex. I recently spent a fabulous day there learning how to make the perfect Christmas pudding.

Famous department stores decorated in festive bling, twinkling lights draped above the streets as bright red double-decker buses pass by and sparkling Christmas trees of every size are plentiful. Wine is mulling, chestnuts are roasting and a rosy-cheeked, white-bearded Santa seems to be everywhere at once — how does he do that? — there really is no place like London at Christmas.

Christmas in London is just magical. And the annual Christmas lights display, in particular in Regent Street this year, is not to be missed. Follow my self-guided walking tour to see the best of the festive displays.

Christmas markets a plenty, department stores dripping in festive bling and avenues of trees sparkling with fairy lights – these images and more swam in my head as I boarded the Eurostar train at St Pancras Station in London. A little more than two hours later I was in Paris. Why? To photograph the City of Lights at Christmas.

Dazzling Christmas lights, spectacular ice-skating shows, Wittamer hot chocolate, a glass of Delirium or two, not to mention the beauty of Grand Place decked out in its festive finery, there are many reasons for visiting Brussels in December.