An Enchanting Finca Navidad

I didn't realize it when I took the picture, but if you look closely, it appears that Joseph is signaling to the Holy Family that it is time to head out.  He probably has the same idea as many of the people in Colombia, because the week between Christmas and New Years is happily spent on the small farms and in the country homes that line the mountainside. These rural or agricultural homes are commonly referred to as ''fincas'' ... which I came to realize translates nicely to ''happy places''.

We gratefully accepted the invitation of Doug's college roommate and friend, Luis to join him and his wife, Piedad for Christmas at their lovely Colombian finca just outside of Bogotá. Located near the small town of Tenjo, their charming home has spectacular mountain scenery serving as a backdrop.

Now just to make it happen. Driving between major cities in Colombia is not usually a great option because of poor roads and mountainous terrain. But flying between cities in Colombia is relatively easy and quite inexpensive. Our round trip tickets cost $90 each, and that was during a peak travel week. Any other time it would have been less than $60. Getting to the airport is also easy using the Metro and bus system ... which set us back a whole $4.

Now, getting from the Bogotá airport to our finca was a little more complicated due to the fact that everyone seemed to be heading out of Bogotá on the day before Christmas Eve.

And the slow-moving horse in front of us didn't seem to help matters!

With the sun setting as we reached our destination, we were ready to experience the comforts and delights of a Colombian Navidad at the finca. But would we be able to sleep without all the music and street noise that we have become accustomed to hearing in Sabaneta??

We suspected that it would be no problem!!

Christmas Eve is the big day of preparation and a big night of celebration, so Piedad and I got started early that morning. She wanted to learn how to make some American favorites like banana bread and Christmas cookies. Despite the language barrier, I was able to explain the process as well as convert my recipe measurements from cups into grams. Our hungry boys were very happy with our success!

The preparation of the main course, pollo relleno (stuffed chicken), was a new experience for me. I watched and learned as Piedad processed, seasoned and re-stuffed the meat inside the chicken's outer skin,

... and, like a skillful surgeon, sewed the opening shut,

... baked it for about three hours,

... and let it ''rest'' on the elegant table until it was time to eat.

The Christmas Eve meal, like most Colombian dinners, isn't eaten until late at night ... often after 10 pm.

First there would be plenty of fancy appetizers and wine,

... followed by Christmas prayers and music,

... and the Colombian version of my family's Polish tradition, the sharing of the Christmas wafer (Oplatek).

After our late night feast, we all gathered around the Christmas tree to receive a small gift from Niño Dios (Child of God). Even Valentino, our adorable golden retriever guest, seemed to think that there may be something for him since he didn't beg (too much) during the meal.

After a full day of cooking and a late night of eating and celebrating, Christmas morning activities started closer to noon. When all the dishes were washed from the night before, we took a ride to a beautiful outdoor restaurant and finca further up in the mountains. Parque Monarca is a family-run business that serves delicious traditional meals in a park-like setting.

After our meal, we were invited to see the various farm animals and give them a Christmas treat. Patos (ducks), pavos (turkeys), gallinas (hens), flamencos (flamingos) and ovejas (sheep) were all interested in my container of leaves, carrots, and corn.

 

But the real treat for us was to enter the Bosque Encantado (Enchanted Forest)

... where beautiful flowers,

... and colorful butterflies greeted us.

The owner is a biology professor at a local university who led us on a tour of his Mariposario (Butterfly House). What a great experience to learn all about the world of mariposas (butterflies) while also getting a Spanish lesson!

Our trip to the finca in Tenjo,

... with all the outdoor fun,

... and views of magnificent churches,

... unique flowers,

...  and colorful birds,

... solidified the friendships that blossom in spite of language barriers and produced beautiful memories of how enchanting a Finca Navidad can be!

Wherever your special finca or happy place may be, we wish you a holiday week filled with relaxation and wonderful memories!

Christmas Greetings 2021: Sending Happiness From Colombia!

  Merry Christmas

Feliz Navidad from Colombia!

Oh, it's a busy time of year, so if you want/need the quick version of our Christmas greetings then feel free to scroll to the bottom. Because as we have discovered, there is a lot of happiness packed into this season, and the celebration of Christmas in Colombia is anything but a night of peace.

It's more like a huge ''FELIZ NAVIDAD'' bursting forth with bright lights, brilliant colors and boisterous sounds!!

A friend recently shared an article that stated that Colombia's strongest quality is Happiness.  We would have to agree, because through the years, we have found plentiful smiles and gracious ''bienvenidos'' during our travels here. But the Christmas season elevates the Colombian ''happiness'' scale to a whole new level, 

... and may even encourage a future pyromaniac or two!

From the moment that we arrived in Medellin on December 2nd, we have been completely immersed in the happiness of the local Christmas celebrations and would like to share some of our experiences with you. 

El Alumbrado ... Christmas Lights

Colombians love their Christmas lights! Starting at the end of November public parks, city streets, shopping malls, and private homes light up with happiness. In our little town of Sabaneta, the central park is set aglow at sunset (6 pm) every evening. The streets surrounding the park are temporarily closed to traffic which allows the Christmas market booths to take over. Music fills the air, the aroma of grilled sausages and arepas tempt the senses, and the lively conversations of people in the streets can be heard until all hours of the morning. While Medellin appeared to ''tone down'' the light displays this year (they have only 6 million lights verses the 28 million that they had in 2020), surrounding towns seem to be making up for it. Happiness can be seen shining brightly around us!

Colorful umbrellas in case of an afternoon shower,

... which into the Medellin River will flow.

Colors galore from the highest tree tops,

... reach to the wet streets below.

Where we can always find the beloved buñuelos,

... or Natilla, a Christmas pudding gift to bestow!

Pesebres ... Manger Scenes

Forget Santa and Rudolph and Frosty ... the Pesebre (manger scene) takes front and center here in Colombia. Churches display elaborate life-size figurines ... minus baby Jesus who will make his glorious appearance on Christmas Eve! Colombians love to decorate their homes and show off their displays. While walking around our neighborhood, we were invited into a couple of the many homes that transform their living rooms into manger scene extravaganzas ... a feast for the eyes!

Dia de las Velitas ... Candle Day (Dec 7-8)

While many of the Christmas decorations go up at the end of November, the ''official'' happiness of the Christmas season begins the evening of December 7. Dia de las Velitas has its roots in the Catholic faith which is the prominent religion in Colombia. On the night before the feast of the Immaculate Conception, families will place candles outside their homes as a way to welcome the ''Light'' that is to come into the world through the Virgin Mary. Accompanied by our friend Somni, we walked around our Sabaneta neighborhood, taking in the illuminating magic. We enjoyed delightful conversations with our new neighbors and marveled at the excitement of all the precious children.

Christmas Foods

When it comes to Christmas treats, forget the numerous types of cookies and sweets that you are scurrying to make. In Colombia, Christmas cooking is simple. Two special treats take center stage. If you have Natilla (Christmas pudding) and Buñuelos (a salty, cheesy deep fried pastry), you're all set! Of course, making the Natilla can be a community effort, as it is often made in large caldrons over a fire in the street.

I was lucky to get a ''Natilla cooking lesson'' when we took a walk one evening.

 

Doug was happy to have his Natilla and Buñuelo handed to him during an in-person Christmas gathering with some of the members of our on-line Spanish/English Conversation Club.

While I'm not sure if it will catch on, I did introduce our Paisa friends to ''Snowball Cookies''. They were amazed that I actually made cookies ... it doesn't seem like homemade baked goods are very common here, but these were definitely a big hit!

We also introduced our Paisa friends to one of my family's Polish traditions, the sharing of Oplatek (Christmas wafer). Here in Colombia they have obleas (a round flat wafer) which is similar in size and taste to the Oplatek. Our friends really enjoyed the sharing of the wafer along with the sharing of the kind words. It seemed to be another way to spread even more Colombian happiness.

Christmas Novena ... Dec 16-24

So have you ever had two or three celebrations that you wanted to attend on Christmas Eve? How do you choose? Well, the Colombians have found a solution to this problem in the form of the Christmas Novena. From December 16-24, gatherings of different groups of family and friends are held each evening. As my friend explained it, each nightly gathering is a ''mini-Christmas'', and since they are spread out over nine evenings, she can get together with both sides of the family as well as special friends. What I have found so unique and ''refreshing'' is that here in Colombia there is little to no emphasis on gift-giving. The true ''gift'' of Christmas is spending time with others.

Which is what we did one recent afternoon. A group that we volunteered with during previous visits here was hosting a Christmas party for the children of one of the poorer neighborhoods in Medellin. 

What a JOY to be greeted with a shy ''hola'' and a sweet smile hidden behind the mask!

While I will never claim to be a face-painting artist, it was a delight to see the smiles after I showed them the arco iris (rainbow) on their forehead, and a corazón (heart) on their cheeks.

And it warmed my heart to see how the boys clung to every word that came out of Doug's mouth. While his pronunciation may not always be perfect, these young people know and appreciate the language of caring for one another. 

Despite the normal late afternoon rainstorm that put an early end to the activities, the happiness of just spending time together was evident on all these precious faces. No need for expensive gifts ... a piece of candy and kind words are all they need. And they even caught on to the ''Rain, rain, go away'' rhyme that I shared.

Veinticuatro de Diciembre ... Christmas Eve (Dec 24)

Like the United States, Christmas Eve is a special day for Colombians. From what I have heard, a special evening meal is served followed by midnight Mass followed by more celebrating late into the night. Colombians sure do like their late night celebrations! Christmas Day is usually very laid back ... a day to eat leftovers and rest up from (at this point) almost a month of late night partying. We are grateful to have been invited to the home of Doug's college friend who lives just outside of Bogotá. While we will miss being with family, we are grateful to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends whose abundant supply of Happiness easily overflows unto others!

If you made it this far, you are either way ahead of the Christmas game, or you have decided that Christmas in July sounds kinda appealing right now. Either way, we want to extend to you ... 

Our Christmas card delivered with plenty of happiness from across the miles!

Which translated means ...

''Today, in the city of David, is born a Savor, the Messiah, The Lord''

Luke 2:11

God reveals His love and His life to us during this Christmas season. We ask that through His birth in a manger, we will all be calmed by Jesus' light and peace.

From our hearts, we bless you, we thank you, and we wish you a Holy Christmas

... and a New Year filled with Joy!