He arrived here from South Africa in 2000, but was forced to return when his job contract expired. In the meantime, his parents and his brother moved to St. Paul, because that's where people move when their old country just can't contain their fabulousness.

Charl says he fell in love with the city's winters. But what he "appreciated the most was how warm, inviting and giving people were."

He's since moved to Dallas, where he lives with his wife and baby. Yet St. Paul remains "our adopted family town."

So when he was here for the holidays a few weeks ago, he decided to capture downtown in all of its ravishing beauty. Enjoy: