New Year 2010

Late as I am, I'm not quite finished with the story of Christmas holidays, because our vacation included a bit more than Rome.

Two days before Christmas we hosted our first Christmas Dinner with our good friends Hector, Alban, and Ainhoa. I made duck wrapped in pastry with wild mushrooms, an online recipe search inspired by David after he had a similar meal in the company cantine. We had good wine and small presents to exchange and laughter all night.

I told the story of administration woes, and our friends brainstormed ideas to help me get my carte de sejour back as efficiently as possible. In the end it was Hector who proposed the simplest plan, the one that was against my principals but in the end worked beautifully. I guess I should reflect on the fact that challenging my principals was one of the main reasons why I wanted to move to Europe.

More on this brilliant plan later.

When we returned from Rome, we had one day to launder, tidy, and pay attention to the cat before packing bags again, this time heading for the train station. On a bit of a last minute impulse we had accepted an invitation to spend New Year's Eve with David's Aunt Susie and Uncle Peter in their flat in London.

Just a few weeks after the Eurostar had broken down in the chunnel for more than 13 hours we were a bit nervous to be taking the journey, but in the end the trip was without a glitch.

We had opted for first class tickets, which at last minute prices were only slightly more than normal seats, and fully enjoyed the extra legroom and complimentary meal. Trains are the best.

In London the weather was predictably cold, windy, and rainy. Fortunately, the flat wasn't far from the train station, and we quickly hurried inside. Susie had told us that the flat was "next to The Eye", and she meant that quite literally. The London Eye was a mere block away from the apartment, towering over us.

It was a brief visit this time, but we appreciated the time with Peter and Susie. Before they arrived from their home in Kent the next day we took a trip to Camden Market and each bought a pair of Doc Martens boots. That night we tried to see Avatar 3D in the nearby IMAX theater, but what a silly idea, it had been booked for weeks.

When the Jones' arrived we had a quiet dinner in together. We passed the evening in their warm living room chatting while the square outside the apartment filled with people. At a quarter to midnight, Peter helped us squeeze from the front door of the building into the middle of the mass of people to watch the fireworks over the Eye. We were just starting to feel the cold set in when the whole thing was over and we slipped back inside. What a hookup!

The next day we were treated to an excellent breakfast before packing up again and saying our goodbyes. Then back to the Eurostar and back to Paris, this time in a new year.