Start of a Collection?

Slept well in my own bed last night and managed to remember where I was when I got up to the loo in the middle of the night! Always a bonus!

Bb had a couple of admin things to do this morning and then I joined him in a lovely old traditional cafe for a morning coffee and 'ensaimada' - a sweet breakfast pastry, sprinkled with icing sugar - and we settled down to listen to the tv programme for 'el gordo', - the huge Spanish Christmas lottery. We didn't win one of the biggies unfortunately, but still have a chance with the smaller prizes. It was lovely to walk round the Barcelona streets this afternoon, chilly but bright blue skies and sunlit. We had a menu del dia lunch in a new place for us, but one we'll go back to. As we walked around, we both commented on the huge difference in culture, wealth and our own safety and comfort between this and Cairo.

Oh, and we popped into a shop called 'Taste from Home', which we visit once a year, and bought a few bags of goodies to enjoy over the festive season, including sausage rolls, Christmas crackers, pork pies, mince pies Stilton cheese, oatcakes, self raising flour, other bits and bobs . . . and a Crunchy for me!

My blip's of our Christmas pressie for our 19 yr old neighbour. We're hoping it might spark the start of a new collection! We've known him since he was 3, since moved into this house and we're very good friends with his parents and him - part of our Spanish family. We have a few dinners a year and they always come to us in the 26th Dec for cava and nibbles late morning. Two years ago was a classic - they arrived at 11am and left in the early hours in the morning!!