When searching for a winter getaway, we had four main criteria:

• Safe
• Cheap
• New Country
• Kid’s club for toddlers

Looking at our options, it appeared that Sousse, Tunisia was our best choice. It also had the following perks:

• Direct flight under 3 hours
• Warm
• Sunny
• Within 90 minutes of 5 world-heritage sites

The day before we left, I quickly scanned the web to make sure that I had everything covered. Smartraveller.gov.au had given the country a yellow light (the same level as Mexico, Costa Rica, and India), no major incidents in the news, and Brussels airport was looking snow free. Though when I checked that no visa was required for UK and Australian citizens, I started to panic. I couldn’t believe that I had been so cavalier as to not check this earlier.

Having previously teased JT about not checking if he needed visa to Australia, and Adrian for Romania, I was now facing the same crisis myself. The Tunisian embassy was already closed for the week, so I had to do some quick googling to try to come up with a last minute solution. Most official websites stated that a visa must be obtained well in advance, but someone called BigBurp claimed in a 2010 web forum that Australians and South Africans were able to get a visa on arrival at Tunis airport, as long as they were able to pay in Tunisian Dinar. It wasn’t much to go on, but I exchanged some cash in Brussels and the next day boarded the plane with my fingers crossed. I had visions of Adrian using his UK passport to spend a week in our pre-paid hotel room by the beach, while Hayden and I were cooped up in our small apartment in rainy Brussels. However, a very friendly team of officials at Tunis airport happily created tourist visas on the spot, and we passed smoothly through immigration before our luggage trundled down the conveyor belt. I was so grateful for this stroke of luck that I promised myself I wasn’t allowed to complain about anything for the rest of the trip, and I would be much more careful about checking visa requirements in the future.

Indeed, it was a terrific holiday. For the first couple of days I did very little apart from send Hayden to the kids club and then nap, read, and relax at the spa. Mid way through our break I had regained some vigor, so we spent the remainder of our time visiting the World Heritage Medina of Sousse, city of Kairouan, Amphitheatre of El Jem, Archeological Site of Carthage, and the Medina of Tunis.

Hayden seemed to enjoy his first time in Africa – playing soccer, climbing up the stairs, eating sand, throwing food off the balcony (“uh oh”), waving to everyone, refusing vegetables, and indulging in the many treats brought to him by the waiters. Having a kids club made things so much easier for us; it was fantastic to be able to take a complete break for a few hours each day and then spend some quality time together. It was a fitting way to end the year and return to Brussels filled with sunshine and renewed energy for 2013.

One of my favourite features of the Brussels Winter Markets are the two carousels that appear each December. Ever since I first saw the Manège d’Andrea and Manège Magique, I dreamed of riding upon them with my child. Last weekend we were able to finally realise this ambition. However, once the stag beetle began to buck wildly, Hayden became very anxious and didn’t seem to be enjoying himself very much. I held his hands throughout the ride, and then we decided that the next circuit we would visit the peaceful mole instead. This creature was more appropriate, however he still didn’t smile much – maybe next year will be a little better.

A beautiful article that explores the creation of these roundabouts can be found here.

It might be 41 degrees Celsius in Australia, but over here the temperature is dipping and snow is on the horizon.

Brussels’ Winter Fun celebrations begin tomorrow night. For the next month, the streets will be lit up with artistic light sculptures and lined with wooden huts selling hand-made treasures and tasty treats. There will be events for all the family, including parades, shows, as well as a skate-rink, carousels, and a Ferris wheel. It is one of my favourite times of the year.

30 November – 27 December

Winter Markets
Two kilometers of picturesque huts filled with desserts, crepes, smoked sausages, hats, scarves, and gifts. All the items are hand-made and sold by by small businesses.
Place Sainte-Catherine to Grand Place.

XmasTree
The controversial electronic XmasTree. Not a pine-needle in sight – instead it is composed of steel and tv-screens, with an integrated stairwell with a panoramic view over the Market Square. The stairwell is open from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; no children under 3 are permitted.
Grand Place.

Sound and Light show
6:00-10 p.m., every 30 minutes.
The facades of the Market Square engage in a dialogue with the XmasTree using over 1600 LEDs.
Grand Place.

Saturdays

Freestyle Ice-Skating demonstrations
4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Place Sainte-Catherine

Thursday 6 November

Light Parade and Fireworks
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Fantastic characters, such as goblins, elves, giants, jugglers, and musicians amble along the streets of Brussels for an hour.
The parade will start at the Stock Exchange, go down the Rues Orts, Dansaert , Lepage, and Marché aux Porcs and wind up in front of the big wheel with fireworks launched behind the big wheel.

Sunday 9 December

Puppet theatre
2:00-2:30 p.m. and 3:00-3:30 p.m.
Performed by the Petit Théâtre de la crèche Gravelines.
Early Childhood Office, 17-18 Place Sainte-Catherine. RSVP: christel.demeyer@brucity.be

Saturday 15 December

Magic Show
2:00–3:00 p.m. and 3:30–4:30 p.m.
Abracadabra.
Early Childhood Office, 17-18 Place Sainte-Catherine. RSVP: christel.demeyer@brucity.be

Saturday, 22 December

Family Music
2:00-3:00 p.m. and 3:30–4:30 p.m.
1,2,3, on with the music… parents and children will be caught up in a whirlwind of songs.
Early Childhood Office, 17-18 Place Sainte-Catherine. RSVP: christel.demeyer@brucity.be

Friday 4 January

Fire Parade
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
To mark the last weekend of Winter Wonders, a parade fills the streets of Brussels with sparks, smoke, and light.
Market Square > Stock Exchange > Devaux > Sainte-Catherine >Vismet> Big Wheel

This weekend we went to the mall to visit the man in red who brings presents to children in December. However, this venture was a little more traumatic than expected.

In Australia, Santa waits on a large stage, surrounded by trees and reindeer. There is a long line of children waiting to sit on his knee and tell him what they want for Christmas. There are also elves waiting off to one side to talk you into buying an expensive photo package to remember the experience.

At our mall, there was a temporary building set up on the ground floor, enclosed on all sides, with only a small sign on the front. As soon as we walked in, a large bear wearing a harlequin costume jumped out of a barrel. We walked through a dark maze, each wall covered with mirrors that reflected grotesque versions of ourselves. I turned a corner and suddenly found myself in a very small room with a shabby guy with a camera, the pope, and a white woman dressed as a black man. Hayden and I froze.

Saint Nicolas started started a long monologue in French, and the only phrase I could pull out was “très vite” (very quickly). I started to panic, trying to work out what it was that we had to do so rapidly, and stood there in mute incomprehension. Luckily in Belgium, my facial expression was common enough that after a few moments of awkward silence, Sint Nikolaas realised the problem and switched to English.

He explained that Hayden was too young to have his photo taken alone, and I should hold him. The photo would be available for free on the mall website in a few days. Hayden and I obediently positioned ourselves in among this bizarre menagerie, with Père Fouettard (Whipping Father) / Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) looming behind us.

It was quite an ominous undertaking, and I can see why this pair are quite frightening to many children. I certainly don’t want to be beaten, thrown in a sack and sold into slavery. I think that next year we might just write to them instead (rue du Paradis n°1, 0612 CIEL).