Merce

Back blip

Last night we had dinner with our friends-next-door, Merce and Ferran. I say 'friends- next-door' because that's what they are, our friends, not just neighbours. We've lived next door from each other now for 13 years and during that time we've had many dinners and parties together. These days they're a bit more sedate, but on one occasion the four of us danced on our patio in the wee sma' hours to Scottish music, managing to break two (or was it three?) rather expensive Edinburgh Crystal thistle whisky glasses in the process! Another night in our house, we ended up smoking one of these hubbly bubbly pipe things, which they left and were going to pick up the next day. Next morning when Bb and I were cleaning up, we somehow managed to drop it! We were literally gobsmacked and had to go next door, tail between our legs and admit what had happened. Merce and Ferran, when they say our faces, actually thought we were the bearers of some tragic family news and were relieved to hear what we actually had to say! That summer we spent many hours in the south of Spain searching for a 'vase' which would fit what we had managed to salvage of their hubbly bubbly, which they'd bought in Tunisia. They've got one son Bru, now 16 and he's like family to us really as we've known him since he was just 3 and seen him develop into a really lovely lad. It's interesting to see his different fashion phases and tastes in clothes, music and hobbies! The next stage will be his taste in girls! I gave him his very first private English classes when he was knee high to a grasshopper and a wee part of us likes to think that it's our living next door which has contributed to his love of the language and his recent excellent grades. Anyway.......here's to many more years with our friends-next-door! To Merce, Ferran and Bru!