Buon Natale

I have been having some Blogger problems and have not been able to log in, but am back online now!
Its been a lovely Christmas. Its cold here in Sarnano, but the sun is shining and the sky is blue. On Christmas Day itself we actually had to go in serach of the snow - this must be the first year when there has not been white stuff on the ground outside the window - and I had promised Connie and John - who were over from Hong Kong - a white Christmas! So we jumped in the car and headed up to Sassotetto. The sun was hiding behind large black clouds up there most of the time, but this didn't deter us from lobbing a few snowballs or from drinking our champagne which we had brought up for the occasion!

The rest of Christmas Day passed in a festive way - with a viewing of A Christmas Carol starring George C Scott (the classic version) and much wine and festive grub. Presents were exchanged around the Christmas Ladder - I couldn't bring myself to buy a tree only to throw it away in the New Year - so I had decorated the bamboo ladder that I shipped from Hong Kong in the Summer, and put all the spare baubles in bowls around the house. Before I had the idea of the ladder I thought I would just decorate the furniture, and started hanging decorations everywhere. I am sure that sometime in June I will find a stripy-stockinged reindeer hanging off a piece of furniture I had otherwise forgotten about!
Connie and John left on the 27th after a Boxing Day trip to Servigliano to see the ice rink and the living nativity in Sarnano, and a wonderful meal at thealways fabulous Restaurant Duilia in Snat'Angelo in Pontano. This little village is Englishville and a lot of the people I know here are put off from going there as a result, but the place is amazing overlooking the whole valley from mthe top of the old castle walls (circa 10th century) and with Pappardelle con Cinghiale (wild boar) that makes my mouth water just typing it!
The journey to the station in Ancona for Connie and John's train was a fast one - gathering pace at the end as we flew along the A14 counting the minutes until the train left. That we made the train in the end was thanks to the rally-like driving, the Smart ForFour that I was given byt the hire car company but which is actually very nippy, and thanks also to the brilliant autostrada - you may have to pay for it, but the road is straight, the tarmac good - well worth it!
Yesterday I hit the stores with Irene, a friend from San Cristoforo, near Manadola, and in the evening we hit the ice rink then went for Raclette at her house - it really feelslike Christmas other than the fact that my family aren't here.
Tomorrow I am doing the 4 hour drive to Rome to spend the New Year with some friends from Hong Kong at their house on the Lago di Bracciano, now famous thanks to mr and mrs tom cruise.
More in the New Year, but until than, Buon Anno a Tutti and all good wishes for 2007.