LETTER OF THE WEEK

Staying with relatives in Sydney, Australia, I was looking forward to Christmas dinner on the beach. The menu was finalised, family members had been invited – and then disaster struck. Christmas morning dawned dull and wet – the coldest for years, apparently – so hasty changes had to be made. Beach furniture was brought into the house, salads were replaced with hot vegetables and side dishes, turkey was served – but differently. Some around the table had never had Christmas indoors before. What had been planned as a “traditional” Australian Christmas Day, with games on the beach and swimming in the sea, turned into what we had come to escape – the traditional British version, with roast dinner, board games and snoozing in front of the television. At least the Aussies thought it was fun. Boxing Day, though, was hot, dry and sunny. We took our Christmas picnic to North Head and watched the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. That was more like it.

Jill Smith, from Dorset, wins a £350 Experience Travel Group holiday voucher

BROAD CHURCH

On a small-ship cruise of the Caribbean, Christmas Day saw us docked in hot and humid Georgetown, Guyana. It was eerily silent and gave the appearance of having had a great party on Christmas Eve.

We were invited to the Christmas service at the gothicstyle St George’s Anglican Cathedral. How strange it was to sing carols, their familiar notes soaring into the imposing roof space, while clad in a summer dress and sandals. We met elders of the congregation in their bright dresses and ornate hats. At a steel-band factory, we were entertained with songs from The Sound of Music.

Later, as we sailed away, Christmas dinner was served on deck, but the wind and spray extinguished the candles and the flame on the plum pudding. Susan Newth-Gibbs, Essex

OFF TO A FINE ART

I don’t remember why we chose Laguna Beach, California, for our Christmas holiday, but it proved to be an excellent choice. Halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, it was an idyllic (if expensive) place of vibrant plants and hummingbirds, and home to a thriving colony of artists. With their easels peppering the beach, they took advantage of the light as the Pacific Ocean lapped the shore. Numerous galleries displayed their work, among them the Laguna Art Museum – one of the oldest in California.

The sea was too cold for swimming, but access to an inviting pool and hot tub provided a welcome alternative, our visits enlivened by heated exchanges between local Republicans and Democrats. Under a deep blue sky, we enjoyed picnics fuelled by farmers’-market produce and breakfasts at a shoreside restaurant. Was it really December? Celia Harris, Hampshire

A MERRY DANCE

In mid-January, an early-morning mist shrouded the frosty English countryside as we headed to the airport, en route to Asia. Before long, we were in Thailand, soaking up the heat of the sun and the warmth of the people.

While sightseeing, we came upon a festival in Doi Chang – a village tucked away in the mountains – where the Lisu hill tribe were celebrating Chinese New Year. Wearing bright costumes and tasselled headdresses, the villagers danced hand-in-hand around a musician playing bamboo pipes. We were encouraged to join the circling dancers, who were benignly amused at our attempt to keep up with their adept steps.

This was just one of many instances when, spontaneously, we encountered warm hospitality during two weeks of sun-filled respite, far from the reach of chilly British weather.

Margaret Reed, Wiltshire