With a deal to avert the fiscal cliff in place, President Obama returned to his vacation in Hawaii. The First Family has spent each Christmas season in an exclusive area of Kailua Bay on the island of Oahu. Here's a look at the amenities they've enjoyed on their Pacific sojourns.
The First Family has stayed in several different estates on Paradise Point over the course of the President's first term, each overlooking the ocean on Oahu's windward shore.
From 2008-10, the First Family stayed at the Plantation Estate, a 5,000-square-foot, 5-bedroom complex with ocean views -- and a nearby Marine Corps base for security and POTUS workouts.
A look at the interior pool cabana.
One of the estate's five well-appointed bedrooms.
A nighttime view of the estate's pool.
Another view of the pool.
The dining room.
Living room with ocean view.
The den, looking out on one of Oahu's beaches.
One of the estate's bathrooms.
The main kitchen.
In 2011, the First Family stayed at another nearby five-bedroom estate on Paradise Point. US News & World Report's Washington Whispers blog speculates that the Obamas have returned here for their 2012 getaway.
Like other locations in the exclusive enclave, the estate features backyard patios with large lawns that sweep down to the beaches.
Every year on Dec. 28, the small Spanish town of Ibi hosts the festival of Els Enfarinats, pitting two rival groups of citizens in a pitched battle waged with eggs, firecrackers and lots and lots of flour.
Battle participants are split into two groups. The "Els Enfarinats," married men dressed in mock military outfits, take over the town and begin fining residents who fail to follow their new "laws."
The other side, "La Oposicio," attempts to regain control of the town. All the collected fines go to local charities.
.
The city has celebrated the event since 1981, but its exact origins are unknown.
Many residents add colorful face paint to their ceremonial costumes.
No, that's not snow. One resident takes a break from the flying flour.
One unlucky resident gets a faceful of eggs along with her ration of flour.
An Enferinats member helps a colleague along the street as photographers watch.
We happy few, we band of brothers...
Firecrackers are an integral part of the day's events.
A horned Enferinat gets in an unexpected headshot.
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