 It's nice to know that I'm not the only person from north of the equator to miss Christmas in the winter. I've been in Australia now for nearly eight years, and still am not used to having Christmas in the summer. It feels more like the Fourth of July here, with families having picnic lunches and heading to the beach to soak up the summer sun on Christmas Day.
So, of course, when I found out about Yulefest in the Blue Mountains, I was ready to put on my jingle bells and go! The major hotels and guest houses in the high peaks of the Blue Mountains  put on the traditional roast dinner and usually have some kind of live entertainment. This was our fourth Yulefest, and we've yet to be disappointed. No muss - no fuss - leave the entertaining to other people, just relax and enjoy!
We spent our days hiking and doing a bit of shopping, and our nights enjoying hot meals and cabaret style shows. The views in the mountains are spectacular, and it's just the nicest feeling in the world to come out of the cold and sit in front of a roaring fireplace with a glass of mulled wine. No phone. No Internet. No housework. Bliss.
 After our three course meal, we listened to the sounds of Dr. Don's Double Dose - a trio that played old New Orleans style blues and boogie-woogie. There were definite influences of Fats Domino, Dr John, and Jelly Roll Morton. We could have listened for hours. There's nothing like live music!
And there's nothing like Yulefest.
You can preview some of Dr Don's Double Dose here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dddd
mp3.com.au/DrDonsDoubleDoseFeatDonHopkinsAndRobGrosser
Labels: Blue Mountains, Yulefest |
posted by Melanie O. at 
I am glad that you had a good time. Welcome back.