Christmas Day 2015

We woke this morning to a fine bright and beautiful day although slightly cooler than it had been on Christmas Eve.  The sun was streaming into the garden and through the kitchen door.  We had a full day planned even though it is just the four of us we like to try and make it a day to remember.

We started with eggs on crumpets so that we all had a bit of something to line our stomachs for the day ahead.  We had decided to go down and feed Millie and then call back via the Droushia Heights Hotel for a little drinkie before starting our meal which we stretch out throughout the course of the day.

We all showered and changed into our Christmas finery.  Mum and I had new frocks - which is a bit of a tradition and Dad and John donned jackets and shirts and ties.  Dad had even found some money in his pocket even though he can't remember when he last wore that jacket and that was going to fund our Hotel drinks.

Before going down to feed Millie we decided that we would have our gifts from Mum and Dad and then we would open the gifts John and I had purchased on our return.

Very pleased to report that Millie was in and ready to eat - she got extra special treatment today with some additional treats thrown in which we had purchased for her for Christmas.  She got extra cuddles and an extra brush and we left her happy that we had seen her and happy we had spent some time with her.

We made our way back up the hill to the Hotel and found ourselves a nice little table in the bar tucked away from the children that were getting very excited about the imminent arrival of Santa Claus - this is so funny because this is such a new concept for Cypriot children.  When Mum and Dad came over 25 years ago Christmas passed by with little to no recognition - how times have changed.

We got ourselves a nice carafe of Kolios Red and were given some little nibbles of cheese to go with it. Some people were sitting outside in the sunshine but we preferred to be indoors.  There didn't seem to be as many families there this year as there had been last year and it was a different Santa Claus - confusing for the children that this one had his own black beard underneath his Christmassy white one!!  Anyway the children seemed to love him or burst into tears at him as children do all over the world.

We were sensible and stuck to the one carafe before we bid farewell and Merry Christmas to the staff who always look after us well and then made our way home to more wine, food and presents.

As we entered the estate it was good to see that our Cypriot friends had come to celebrate up here in the hills with both their children who were so young when we first met and who are now such grown ups with Elena at university in London and George now learning to drive.

Although we have scaled down enormously present giving at Christmas - we seemed to have quite a pile each to open.  John's Mum had sent us a parcel which included a cracker each for the cats.  Chivers, Boris and Minnie Mou weren't bothered but Charlie had claimed his and sat patiently waiting for it to be opened so he could check out the contents.  Almost as patiently as he sat later in the day, at the end of the dining table, watching whilst we ate ever hopeful that a morsel of turkey might come his way.

Included in our parcel from John's Mum were some personalised cushion covers which were a really lovely thought - I think I will put them in the bedroom so we can try and keep them safe from little paws, more particularly, little muddy paws!!!

Dinner was under control and we had our starter of pate and thins with a little of my tart passionfruit jam to accompany it.  I had decided to cook the
turkey in a different way putting it in the slow cooker first thing this morning and, according to the recipe, this was a guaranteed way of making sure that the meat would be moist and could not be overcooked.

Between our starter and our main course we had a Dad's Amy-fest as I had managed to find some old Christmas specials to watch - I did something similar last year with Morecombe and Wise and the Two Ronnies and Mum and Dad really enjoyed them.

I got everything cooked and ready at the same time - I scaled down on the number of veggies this year but we still seemed to have far too much.  The stars of the show were the special stuffing balls that John had wanted.  They were really lovely and I could have just eaten them on their own!!

We all chilled out to an easy cheesy film Papadopoulos and Sons for which I have to thank Sheila and Klaus as they had watched it recently and suggested it.  John and I thought we may have seen it before but either I fell asleep at different points than I did yesterday or I hadn't actually seen it.  It was light and inoffensive and just right as it didn't need too much thinking.

 After the film we played games.  Dad was, thankfully, feeling better today than he did yesterday - maybe it was my threat of taking him to the doctors if he didn't improve - maybe it was the thought of having a nice hot toddy to go to bed with!!

We got out my old Beetle game which started to become very competitive - Mum and I were out early-doors so the champion was to be either Dad or John.  Dad will say that having incurred a sports injury (rolling the dice started to make his shoulder ache!!) he had to call in a substitute by way of Mum and then having kept it close John edged forward to become Droushia 2015 Beetle-Drive Champeen.

I think a good day was had by all - we certainly did not lack anything and most importantly we were together.  We have done this for so many years we wouldn't know how else to celebrate.