We woke to another hot day. It’s going to be more than 40°C and a part of my mind is wishful for snow and ice… but not cold driving rain!
Whilst reading the international news I noticed an article regarding Harry & Meghan. Apparently they had planned to release a Christmas video. However some old lady has beaten them to it.
Jan was born in England and I suspect had a traditional Christmas until she was fortunate to find and marry me. Probably turkey with all the trimmings. Not me….. the dinner! When you are on the opposite side of the world the seasons are reversed and having a heavy cooked Christmas lunch doesn’t make sense to me. Sometimes we have BBQ’d and on one occasion it was jam sandwiches on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. More usually it’s tomato sandwiches.
Which has led me to think of our Christmas’ over the last decade.
2010. We were living in Adelaide and Waiouru was supposed to be being fitted out. In the morning we took the dog down to the park and met all the local dog walkers for a drink of orange juice and sparling white wine. Lunch was tomato sandwiches.
2011. Onboard NB Ufton loaned to us by the boatyard whilst we waited for Waiouru’s fit out. Our first cold Christmas in many years. Unfortunately no snow and so no ‘White Christmas’. Tomato sandwiches weren’t on the menu. Jan cooked something, but I can’t remember what it was.
2012. Still at the boatyard waiting on the final parts of the fit out. We were joined by our sons who had travelled from overseas to have a family Christmas for the first time in a number of years. Jan cooked a traditional Christmas lunch. Again, not a white Christmas. It was cold and rained!
2013. Jan was on Waiouru moored at Rugby whilst I was in Saudi Arabia. They obviously don’t celebrate Christmas and; not for the first time in my life; the 25th was a working day. I had tomato sandwiches for lunch. Jan also had a quiet Christmas on her own.
2014. Back around the Rugby area. Several days prior we had an early Christmas dinner at the Barley Mow, Newbold. Again no snow, but it rained. Several days later the Venetian boatman poled his boat past as he headed to the water point. Maffi was waiting on a replacement gearbox!
2015. Nantwich. A windy Christmas Eve night moored on the embankment. Jan cooked a traditional Christmas lunch, albeit for two. I had a cunning plan to spend Christmas on the Llangollen where I knew we would be unlikely to be frozen in. Well of course it didn’t get cold enough and I got bored, so we headed east towards Manchester via Nantwich. Two days after Christmas the canal did freeze over and Waiouru broke ice heading into Middlewich.
2016. I mistakenly assumed if we spent three days around Christmas in the middle of Birmingham the ambient temperature would be too high for the canal to freeze. Wrong! Christmas lunch was unusual. We had a chinese takeway
2017. Back in Perth, Western Australia for a hot 25th. My brother invited us to their family Christmas Lunch, a combination of hot and cold food. Later we watched all their small grandchildren unwrap their presents.
2018. Tomato sandwiches in Perth waiting on a call from our son in Manchester.
2019. Tomato sandwiches
2020. Just the two of us waiting on a call from Manchester. This time the moths escaped from the wallet and the tomatoes had a reprieve. I BBQ’d sausages, chicken and some Waygu Beef. If you haven’t eaten Wagyu Beef then you’ve missed out on one of life’s pleasures. We purchased a piece from Costco, which probably reduced the price, however it was still around $170. Jan cut it into 12 steaks. The steak just melts in your mouth! Apparently the Australian cattle are fed a diet of grain (instead of grass) and local red wine.
Jan has made one attempt to swim in the pool this afternoon before giving up after complaining about being cooked by the burning heat of the sun. We may have to look at installing some type of sail/shade cloth over the pool.
This is the part Jan insists on being included.
Merry Christmas
and a
Happy New Year
PS…. May your tomato sandwiches remain fresh
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