The trilogy that is the run up to Christmas,
Christmas day and New Years eve!
 
 
 
Ho ho ho it’s been all go. Well best to start as you mean to go on! We had a Christmas warm up lunch with Team Bubbly lady. Turkey with all the trimmings (yes there were brussel sprouts). As usual they were the ‘hosts with the most’ and a very good time was had by all. The morning we arrived at their house the sun was shining and the temperature was about 26 degrees. That night everything changed... We woke up to 6 degrees (which by anybodies standards is a little harsh). Unfortunately the bad weather arrived on the day of the Christmas Carol Concert (some of the marina gang were in the choir, bad weather did not stop play just made it a bit wet!) As day turned to night things got progressively worse. Mummurs of ‘We’ve never known a night like it’ could be heard along the pontoons. Wind, sleet, snow and a barrel full of swell. Sadly both pontoons and boats were damaged. One poor couple in the marina couldn’t get off their boat for two days. I kid you not (has to be said they had been given a somewhat dubious spot). The snow that settled on the mountains did look lovely and helped to take the edge off things a bit. It was mission accomplished on the ‘Turkey de-boning front’ and we were rewarded with a lovely roast dinner (even those that didn’t stick their hands up a turkeys bot). On Christmas eve we celebrated Swedish style. The proceedings kicked off at 4pm (we were all working on the premise of an early start would mean an early finish, as all wanted to be feeling top banana for Christmas day). What can I say other than the Swedes know how to party. Great food (yes, there was herring) a wide variety of grown ups lemonades (Glogg and Tequila made an appearance). Christmas Swedish songs and chants of ‘skal’ (Cheers). The ‘piece de resistance’ a rendition of Abba songs!! Not sure if we were quite feeling ‘top banana’ on Christmas day, more sort of squashed banana. Still there was no time for slacking off, turkeys had to be in the oven at 8.00am and we had to assemble for Bucus Fizzas at 10.00am. Then it was back to the boats to cook up the storm that was to be the Christmas day lunch. As is always the case when yachties are involved, it all comes together. We had a feast, as Mrs Muff would say (much to her hubbies chagrin) it was yum scrum pigs bum! Post lunch, there were Christmas carols. Later we cranked things up and broke out the ‘Party girl CD’ There was dancing, singing and singing and dancing!! It has to be said there wasn’t much singing and dancing going on, on Boxing day, things were pretty subdued in the marina. We managed to find our second wind around 7pm (sorry about that Kandeed). New Years Eve saw a variety of celebrations in and out of the marina. Our game plan was to ‘pace’ ourselves and try and exercise some ‘restraint’. By 10.30pm, I think we’d got confused and replaced ‘pace’ with ‘race’. By about 3.30am, well you can see for yourselves the ‘restraint’ part of the plan had gone out the window. By 6.00am, well by 6.00am I’m not really sure what had happened but we did have a jolly good time! A few brave souls made it for the New Years Day dip, Team Stells (as you’ve probably guessed) did not put in an appearance! We have just got back from the 6th January (Epiphany) celebration. A priest throws a cross into the harbour (3 times) and some young strapping lads, strip down and dive in after it, those who retrieve it are then blessed by the priest. Not quite sure if the man who saw the cross floating on the water (whilst the others were splashing around trying to find it) and then jumped in fully clothed, received a blessing or a telling off! Well that’s the end of the celebrations for now. So it’s Au revoir 2010 (it was great) et Bonjour 2011!! For those of you who are asking ‘Surely you can’t eek it out for another year?’ Who knows, you’ll just have to watch this space! Here’s wishing you health and happiness for the coming year. Love to you all Team Stells and First Mate Floozie (still on cat sitting duty) XXX
Thursday, 6 January 2011