Boxing Day

Happy Birthday Hazel - what a crazy year it has been since we were together last year celebrating

Boxing Day and a glorious day here in Droushia - wall to wall sunshine and a real warmth in the sun.  Our family tradition is to have Cornish Pasties and a walk - we have done so for many years in a variety of locations and with a wide range of weather conditions.  We agreed that this year the weather is much more how we used to enjoy it many years ago when we used to come for Christmas here.  In the early days we remember assembling with Nicky and Mark and Liz and Bill, Janet and Arthur and Eileen, Mum and Dad and any other hangers-on in the car park at Coralia and walking, before we set up camp in the shelter of a closed cafe looking out to sea enjoying mulled wine and pasties and some tiramisu and paddling in the sea getting a tan!!!

Under the current Covid restrictions our walk was to be a responsible socially distanced affair and John was staying at home with Mum to be in charge of the pasty cooking which was not easy as there were contributions from me, Nicky and Nicky's Mum Liz which were all different.  The ones in the picture are made by Nicky.  Mine looked ok when they were made but something went a bit awry when they defrosted so one collapsed beyond salvation!!  Fortunately they tasted ok.

Those of us who walked did the 'short Inea loop' just to stretch our legs, going Noah style - two by two and it was a saunter rather than a walk but it was glorious and a fabulous photo opportunity for Liz who loves to take a photograph and it was warm and the inhabitants of Inea were keen to have a chat.  In fact we were taken by a house with a lovely hidden courtyard and the lady came out and engaged us in conversation.

We distanced the walkers around the house and garden - what a joy to be able to sit outside in December and eat and actually not feel cold.  Nicky, Mark and Liz kept Mum company indoors but John and I felt uncomfortable witnessing their pasties being smothered in gravy - Dad would never have approved!!

All in all a good day and we rounded it off with a 'picky' tea of cold cuts and salad and then some nice easy TV - we particularly enjoyed the gentle drama about Roald Dahl meeting Beatrix Potter - it was so beautifully filmed...