Many of the Alltra guests showed up at the Christmas morning breakfast buffet wearing Christmas pajamas.  One entire family – obviously from the USA – wore matching red-and-black-plaid outfits.  Christmas morning it was raining.  Water had pooled above the roof of the restaurant and began to drip down.  The Korean family next to us had to readjust their seats to avoid the wet spots. 

After breakfast we again gathered in our “loft” above the México Café.  Carl and Corey were still confined to their rooms, so we sent them up some ham and cheese croissants, fruit, and two drinks: a “paloma” for Carl and a mint tea for Corey.  We were a little worried because Hayley was beginning to feel under the weather.  A doctor visited here in her room, however, and she tested negative for covid.

In the loft we exchanged gifts.  Lilah gave Bridget a ceramic giraffe and me a blue kitten, both of which she had made.  Zhi-Ning had wrapped them in cellophane.  Zhi Ren and Jenn gave Bridget and me a gift certificate for “Painting with a Twist.”  A studio in Camarillo offers painting classes that last for an hour or more, during which guests are invited to sip wine.  The other kids gave Bridget and me tickets for a musical production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Thousand Oaks.  Hayley offered to take photos of us on the beach and frame them.

In the early afternoon, “Santa” arrived on a red firetruck or “bombero” accompanied by elves, dancers, and even film characters, such as Olaf the snowman from “Frozen.”  In the middle of the Alltra lobby, dancers performed a semiclassical “pas de deux.”  Lilah got in the line of eager children to meet Santa. Bridget, David and I were at the entrance of the Italian restaurant, “Viaggio,” at 5:00.  We made a reservation for the family to dine at 6:30.  While waiting in the loft, Zhi Ren organized more competitions.  In one, Lilah guessed items from Harry Potter, such as “Hermione Granger,” “Crookshanks,” and “Bludger.”  David and Paul displayed their knowledge of Star Wars, guessing words like “Saarlac,” “Tatooine,” and “Bobba Fett.”  We wished that Corey – another fan of Star Wars – could be with us. 

When we finally arrived at our table in the restaurant Viaggio, we got a musical surprise.  A soprano serenaded us, without a microphone, to Italian popular classics.  At the table next to ours, a little girl was fascinated by the singer.  The girl arose and stood before the soprano while she sang “Time to Say Goodbye – Con te partirò,” the song that Andrea Boccelli had made famous.  The restaurant made two extra meals, and we took them to Carl and Corey.  The next day would be our last full day – and another member of the family came down with Covid.