Christmas Eve

Invited to Alice’s (Kieran’s girlfriend’s) parents, to meet them and the rest of the family (brothers, uncles, aunts, etc., etc.) I needn’t have been nervous after all, as we sat down to aperos of foie gras and smoked salmon, followed by a delicious dinner of lobster, chapon, cepes, to name but a few of the tasty morsels served. We had intended to go to Adrian and Julie’s that night, but as dinner went on till midnight and there was still the opening of presents to do, we took Alice up on her kind offer of a bed for the night, finally crawling in at around 2am.

Christmas Day

Spent the morning at Adrian and Julie’s, making sausages out of the bits of turkey (3kg) left over when Adrian jointed our one and his three giant birds. One batch made with added smoked belly pork, the other with apricots and cajun spice. All that hard work left us ready for a traditional Christmas lunch, courtesy of the Emperor himself. Then a walk in the lovely Christmas sunshine, a film, bits and nibbles, followed by two more films!

Boxing Day

Woke to hail lashing the windows, so what else was there to do but wait till Kieran joined us, then tuck into a full Blue Peter English, including, of course, the sausages we’d made earlier. Played some guitar, watched another film, then the annual sandwich-making competition, where you have to put some of every item on the Christmas Day menu into a sandwich; not easy with rice cakes! Thanks, Ade and Julie, for another fantastic Christmas.

December 27th

Realised I’d left my handbag at Ade’s, so we met them in Pau to collect it. A wander around the town proved enchanting, as we ambled through the Christmas Village and on to the Christmas market where a jazz band was playing. It was ridiculously warm (21ºC) and sunny, with amazing views of the mountains as we drank tisane and hot chocolate at a pavement café, listening to the band.

I’ve a horrible feeling I may be making Christmas dinner next year, the first time in many years; I hope I can live up to the standards that have been set!