One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is not related to the presents or Christmas dinner, but to the breakfasts we’d have between tearing through Santa’s stockings and opening gifts from under the tree. It was a welcome break in the action. My mother baked fresh cinnamon rolls every Christmas, and later, when our appetites grew with age, added a pan of fresh orange rolls for twice the taste treat. Think warm and dripping with butter.

In Bali, it doesn’t matter much what else happens during the day, because every day starts with fresh fruit and breakfast al fresco. For the first couple weeks here, staying in a private home, we were served orange juice (more like a diluted, cold, refreshing, greenish-clear liquid) and coffee made to order as soon as we showed our sun-shiny faces. When everyone was ready, breakfast choices were banana-mango crepes, poached eggs on arugula with crispy shallots (pictured here), and omelets with shallots, onion, tomato and a bit of cheese. Then the plate of fruit appeared: mangos, pineapple, and watermelon served with lime. And when you think you’ve had your fill, a banana-mango smoothie appears to top things off.

Since our move to the nearby guesthouse, we’ve continued the outdoor breakfast tradition, rain or shine, on the terrace of the house pictured here. Our selections so far have been either eggs with tomato and cheese prepared in a pocket of bread (called something that sounds like ‘haffel’ ) or banana crepes, each served with a large bowl of fruit. Tomorrow for Christmas we’ll have the omelet with tostada and marmalade, which we expect to be influenced by our Spanish hostess, Maria.

Could we ask for anything more? Only if we stop at the bakery, Kué, today to pick up a couple mulberry turnovers. My mother would be proud. Merry Christmas.