For one reason and another I’ve not really seen much of the bright lights of Christmas, so early evening we decided to take the train into Birmingham and let our hair down (so to speak) for a short while. 

We trundled around

just enjoying the sense of Christmas, the fun and laughter, sounds and scents slowly mingled their way into our very souls.  The fresh night air was so good, to feel the tingle of frost after the mugginess of indoors sharpened our senses and we loved it all so very, very much.

Santa surveys all the boys and girls, both young and old.

Pretty stars to ooh and ahh over.

A little playing with exposure – I wish I’d bought my tripod.

My very favourite treat from the market, I have to buy them every year, their marshmallow centre haunts me during the year. 

Reindeers and Santas just waiting for lovely homes.

And the most adorable of sales assistant.

And charming side streets just wait to catch your eye.

My lovely hubby just enjoying the evening air.

And during our evening we realised we had not eaten since breakfast which was very light at that and headed to the nearest ‘good’ restaurant that we could find. Oh My Word, how lucky we were to find La Galleria  on Ethel Street.  You knew it was family run the minute you stepped through the door. I had the Filletto Alla Rossini, the fillet cooked blue was the most tender piece of meat I have ever eaten, combined with the richest of sauces and most flavoursome of duck pate it was indeed a thing of beauty.  With Amarone wine, antipasto, fresh bread from the wood fired oven and the waitress eager to ask the chefs if they would make our favourite dessert of Zabaione, which they did and was the best we have ever eaten, it was the most perfect of evenings. We will be catching the train back into Birmingham to come back here, it was that good, such a perfect evening, so glad we decided to throw caution to the wind and head off on a mini adventure.