Brian and Jackie Cross: Christmas and New Year in Altea La Vella, Spain

Tuesday 1 January 2019

Christmas and New Year in Altea La Vella, Spain - Days 83 to 91

Richard (Jackies dad), Brian and John

I’m pleased to report, having just got back from the hospital that Michael is looking and sounding so much better. He’s still in, and with doctors being in short supply over the holiday period nothing will happen until tomorrow, but then, at least we may get some information about as and when he may come home. This has taken quite a lot of time, in one way and another, we just wish we could do more, and quicker!

Christmas did still happen, and was thoroughly enjoyable, our first, with people, since 2013! We had mulled wine and mince pies at John and Carolyn’s meeting their son, d-I-l, 7year old granddaughter, and the 13month old twins. Elizabeth cooked up a storm with me acting as sous chef, with boeuf wellington on Christmas Eve and roast pork with all the trimmings on Christmas Day. Both delicious. Santa brought us stockings (or perhaps it was Pepa?) and there were presents under the tree. We’ve had trees and lights, decorations and chocolates, all for the first time in 5 years

Christmas Eve at Carolyn and John's house

Jackie, Johnathan, Richard and Carolyn with two of her grandchildren

After careful consideration Dad and Elizabeth decided they would go to the UK on the 28th, well they are only a flight away. Since then we’ve pottered, to the shops, the hospital and with a paintbrush (B, I’m not touching a paintbrush yet as my tennis elbow, which started with painting in May has only just stopped hurting).

The full 'Cold Moon' early one morning (view from our bedroom)

Yesterday B took Big Ted’s fridge door off, to find two bits of broken plastic, which explained why it appeared to have sagged. Psyching himself up to go to the ferreteria (hardware shop) on his own, he went to the loo, only for the door handle to come off in his hand! Just as well it wasn’t when he’d just got back! The only possible handle in the shop was shaped, so couldn’t directly replace the broken one, so the inside one had to come off and be swapped over, only to find that the bigger cover then interfered with the locking bolt, so that had to be moved too. Talk about one thing leading to another.... Today he’s got the newly purchased glue out for the fridge repair!

Jackie ready for the Christmas Eve party

Richard loose in the kitchen (be afraid!)

While all this was going on I was preparing our tapas for our New Years meal, planned for grazing in front of the fire, with sing-a-long Greatest Showman, sing-a-long Sound of Music and sing-a-long Grease. Too much of a good thing? Possibly.

Tapas was great, smoked salmon and cream cheese, huge prawns, crab cocktail toasts, goats cheese crostini and blue cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon as the highlights. Hopefully the house will have stopped smelling of the roast garlic bulb, the alioli and the garlic potatoes by the time they get back....! If you look carefully at the picture you will also see the bowl of prawn heads specially prepared for little Pepa, the little madam who went out about 17.30 and didn’t come back in till 01.30 when the fireworks finally stopped going off!