Something to look forward to

Travelling around London today under relentlessly grey skies and increasingly cold winds was a clear sign that the Indian Summer weather that we sometimes get in September was not going to happen. We are close to October now and I decided I needed to brighten my day, so I've started searching the low cost airlines for flight deals for our Christmas/New Year escape to our place in Spain. Once I have that booked I know I have some sunshine and blue skies to look forward to. We regularly head away from London over this period as the UK comes to a work standstill for around two weeks. We love the fact that our local town of Ibi has a festive lights display that puts the West End of London to shame. Christmas Day in our area of Spain is very much a religious and family day and presents are not exchanged until the night of the Three Kings when there is a huge procession through the town. Ibi has the only monument to the Three Kings anywhere in the World and the procession winds down from the Town Hall at the top of the town to the Plaza where the statue stands. Marching Bands, escort the floats of the Three Kings - it is quite a sight. Any children who live in the town have a large box with their name on left at the Town Hall and friends and family leave presents for them there. At the end of the Three Kings procession a large lorry brings all the present boxes and messengers in festive costume jump out and deliver each child's box to their home. It is such fun to see the excitement in their faces as they rush their parents home as soon as they see the final lorry approach.



We usually have friends arriving on 26th December who help with harvesting our olive crop - with sixty trees we need help. Our olives go to be pressed and we keep some of the oil for ourselves and sell the rest. Frankly we don't make much money from the olives, it just goes towards paying Juan who looks after the crops for us and plants the kitchen garden which supplies our vegetables in the spring and summer. Still if anyone fancies harvesting olives let me know.

Better Times

I thought I would share this beautiful photograph that one of this Summer's house guests took of our new path from the main house to the swimming pool and summer house at our property in Spain. Just looking at it makes me long to go back especially as I am sitting in my office looking out at the drizzling rain and grey sky.

Today I again suffered tube troubles. The Piccadilly Line had signal failures, we were shuttled between stations and a twenty minute journey took over an hour. The joys of a working woman!

Since returning from Spain I have only had three working days as last Thursday and Friday was the Jewish New Year - a time for synagogue and family get-togethers and naturally food! We missed the wonderful Honey Cake which my late Mother-in-law used to bake for us every New Year. She died just under a year ago and is very much missed. I think my sister-in-law was given the recipe and I am under orders from my grandchildren to acquire the details so we can make it ourselves next year.

At the end of this week is the Day of Atonement, a time to reflect on the past year and pray for forgiveness for actions that I regret and commit to being a better human being in the year to come.

Whether you are Jewish or not may I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year.

RELUCTANT RETURN

Sorry for being so lazy.... I haven't written a word in weeks. The glorious hot summer in Spain was too enticing. We returned last night and it was grey and raining at Luton Airport, almost bad enough to turn around and take the first flight back. Hopefully getting soaked returning from my first client appointment this morning isn't a sign of things to come. I beat the Tube Strike to get there on time and felt a certain satisfaction that Bob Crow [the Union Leader we all love to hate] hadn't ruined my first day back at work. I promised when I started this blog that I would explain how we came to create our little bit of heaven in Spain and later today or perhaps tomorrow I will post the story with pictures and I would welcome any comments.