A snapshot of Christmas

Doesn't Christmas come slowly and go so fast!   It was only last Thursday when we did the trip to Malaga to pick up Mat and Airi   (4pm, still 24° down  on the coast)   drove home along the coast road with a wonderful sunset behind us - both Mat and Airi taking photos through the car windows of the sea shimmering gold and red as the sun got lower and lower.  Arrived here at about 6.45 and still not quite dark, the horizon was glowing still.

Next day we did a trip up into the pine forests above Mecina Bombaron to walk the dogs and collect pine cones.  Enormous ones up there, about 6 inches or so,  some bigger and better than others so although we took a big bag to put them in, we started throwing some away and only keeping the very biggest and best.  

On the way to the pine woods

Christmas Eve was last minute food preparation for me, figgy pudding cooked so it only needed reheating on the day, but I can't think what else we did!  Oh, made some silver and gold Christmas cones for the  table, plus Airi made this 'hedgehog'.    John was duty chef that night - he made a huge paella  that we weren't sure we'd eat but there wasn't much left, just some rice for Monty and Pip. 

Christmas morning wasn't as sunny or as hot as it had been but still very nice.  A bit of a nip in the air so when our friends walked up to join us for coffee, mince pies, cake, cream and brandy butter - a bit big for elevenses but it's only once a year - we had that indoors in the lounge.  With the sun streaming in through the window it was lovely and hot.

Presents were opened mostly in the morning although I think we kept a few back till later.   Mat and Airi found Xmas stockings on their bed post late on Xmas eve  but managed not to open them till the morning.  I couldn't put them on the end of the bed in case Pip discovered them and the contents....chocolate money and  chocolate covered almonds amongst other things. 

Boxing Day we went up to Granada for a walk around the tiny streets near the cathedral, full of Morroccan goodies - leather bags, so many different  types of lights, woollen clothing, tea shops, spice shops, all  sorts  of sights and smells.  John bought me a wonderful all-in-one hat and scarf with a long, long pointed hat ending in a tassell half way down my back.   It's frosty overnight at the moment and although I have a scarf and gloves my head and ears get very chilly.  Plus when we get the big winter winds I don't have a hat to keep me warm.  Or I didn't, now I have my "scat"  (scarf and hat)   or  should it be a  "harf" ?

Had lunch in a lovely tapas bar where we ate a mixed cold platter and mixed hot platter of tapas.  Hot included salmon covered in melted cheese, tortilla, bacon with blue cheese, lomo with tomato, pork filled croquettes, slow cooked pork with roasted peppers, and fried habas.  The cold platter had  4 different cheeses and 4 different pates on, smoked salmon, jamon, smoked lomo, smoked  trout, different chorizos, all on a bed of salad and topped with toasted almonds, plus a basket of bread.  Add a glass of wine each and  that was lunch.

More walking, more photos, bumped into Mariano and Marie-Carmen out for lunch,  quick chat with them then it was time to go round to the bus station for Mat and Airi to get the bus to Malaga.  They stayed overnight there, went out with friends from Paris who just happened to be in the same city at the same time, then they were flying home this morning.

And that was it - all finished.