Got back on Monday from a week in England. The UK had been pretty cold; but in Marche temperatures reached +20o while we were away. We left Italy on the 21st and I drove to Candy’s whilst Pat took a train to Deborah’s. Matthew and Charlie came to dinner at Candy’s that evening.
The following day I drove down to Suffolk. The roads weren’t as bad as I’d feared but had great difficulty in pinpointing Debbie’s house, despite the satnav. Managed to have difficulty in finding it again after I’d returned the key to the agent. Recuperated in the Randolph which not only had Adnam’s bitter but free wi-fi. When Pat and Sophy and Adam arrived around eight - they too had difficulty finding the house - we all went to the Randolph for dinner.
Wednesday was largely taken up with putting Quinn’s electric motor-bike together. Waitrose delivered the Christmas shopping - minus the turkey. Fortunately Pat noticed it was missing and the delivery-man ‘found’ it in his van. Highly suspicious we all felt.
Christmas Eve went in to Southwold, or Islington-by-the-Sea: hardly a non-RP accent to be heard or a black face to be seen. Even the corner shop in Reydon sells the Assam tea, smoked mackerel, and sliced pancetta so essential for a civilised life. Came back in the afternoon feeling poorly and spent most of the rest of the day in bed. Candy, Quinn and Deborah arrived in the evening. By then I had recovered sufficiently to make the stuffings for the turkey (Pat had done all the hard work by getting the membrane off the chestnuts - a task I detest).
Christmas Day followed its immutable pattern. The Christmas pudding was particularly good this year as Pat had adopted my maternal grandmother’s practice of steaming a pudding she’d made the previous Christmas. It transforms it utterly.
On Boxing Day we had lunch at the Anchor in Walberswick. Deborah and I walked there - or more accurately I trailed behind Deborah as she strode across the marshes at a pace which would have won gold at the Olympics. Sophy and Adam also walked - but separately from us. Pat, Candy and Quinn drove.
The following day Pat and I drove to Candy’s to spend a freezing night after the warmth of Reydon. But there was wi-fi to console us somewhat.
And on Monday, having scraped the ice off the car’s windscreen it was back to Stansted and home.
Click here to see a video of our Christmas.
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