1st January 2011
Bonne Annee! So it's all over - never mind, only 358 days until Christmas...
Whilst we, and no doubt all of you, are still eating leftover Christmas turkey, we can reflect on a Christmas that gave us the best of both worlds. We had
breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, washed down with Kir Royale, aboard Pipit, then returned to the house to cook Christmas lunch. Even though we'd
bought a small one, the turkey alone would never have fitted in the boat oven, not to mention the roast veg or chestnut and cranberry stuffing log, so it was really
great to be able to prepare and cook 'the works' together whilst sipping Ann's special recipe mulled wine.
A visit from Father Christmas.
Odd looking reindeer. And a horse...
No, you can't have one. He wouldn't fit in the cockpit locker, even if he would be very useful for carrying the shopping!
A perfect Christmas morning toast - Kir Royale next to (well even Ann wouldn't fit under) our impressive Christmas tree...
Christmas trifle, French style, with mixed red berries steeped in Creme de Cassis, delicious!
The wonderful log fire at the house, perfect for warming one's cockles - and red wine on the mantelpiece...
Boxing Day we took the final opportunity to be lazy, watch some television, and enjoy the last day before cleaning and clearing
out of the house. It was rather disconcerting how much 'stuff' we had to take back to the boat, but several trips and a couple of hours cleaning later, we
were 'back home' aboard Pipit.
On New Year's Eve we decided to stay in, and enjoyed a superb meal of fresh prawns & avocado dressed with lemon and chilli followed by roast duck breasts with
frites & salad. Pistachio ice cream followed - once again we are indebted to Pipit's former owners for specifying an ice box!
The weather warmed up considerably, but has subsequently become colder and greyer. Never mind, our thoughts are already turning to things we have to do in
preparation for our travels this year, and beginning to investigate which places we'll visit, as well of course as thinking about our Biscay crossing...
