After a week or two of blustery, wet and wild weather, we’ve been having some hot sunny days so I’ve been doing mundane things like airing out the house and actually managing to get towels dry. Houses here are so damp! Other than that, we’ve been enjoying the vacation; sleeping in and staying up late, eating way too much, having friends over, playing with trains and new presents.

We had a lovely, quiet Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we went to a service at the local protestant church. The pastor invited everyone who wanted to up to sing in an impromptu choir. Abel was first out of his seat. I had to follow because they handed him a mike, which he held right next to his mouth as he croaked along. In our family, the females can sing and the males can’t, and Donn and I, dissolving into giggles, agreed that something must be done to spare the ears of the congregation.

Afterwards, everyone was tremendously hyper and stayed chatting, and running and wrestling, for a very long time. (You can decide who was doing what) Then we came home to make tartiflette with Spanish bacon and real reblochon cheese, which they had at a store here. It was sooo good. It’s years since we’ve had it.

We stayed up far too late, and as a result started Christmas morning quite late. We had to actually get Elliot out of bed about 9:30. I jumped on him and heard a loud, ominous crack. Sure enough—the long piece of wood down the side of his bed was broken, and inspection showed that it had been made of two pieces glued together. I have to say this is typical of stuff here. It looks good and you pay European prices, but more often than not it is shoddily made and doesn’t hold up.

Elliot got a sword. The twins got roller blades. This is actually what we were looking for in Ceuta, but apparently kids there who want them come to Morocco to get them. I got some lovely pottery things and a new scarf and a tin of Quality Street, which reminds me so much of my childhood that I’m having a hard time sharing. Donn got a photo book of Morocco, and a lot of chocolate from the children.  A couple of days earlier, we got a parcel from friends with Starbucks’ Winter Blend. I love good coffee.

Ferocious young warrior

The twins modeling the new cap and scarf we got them in Chefchouen.

Since Ismail and his mother are always sending up food, we sent them down a plate of Christmas cookies and pies and a large platter of our Christmas dinner, roasted herbed leg of lamb, roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary, mint sauce, glazed carrots, fresh peas. I suspect they didn’t like it but it was a nice thing to do. On Saturday they sent my platter up with couscous, cinnamon, powdered sugar and crushed almonds. Mmm.

A friend gave us two boxes of Lindor truffle balls. I put them out in a decorative blue bowl. Ismail dropped by to bring us our mail, and I offered him one and watched in bemusement as he took the entire bowl, obviously thinking I was sending them to his family! Sigh.

So what about you? How was your Christmas? Hope you were this happy…