Bavarian Christmas Greetings

To all Blipers and their families as well as those Blip viewers who make the mistake of visiting my journal, I wish you all a peaceful Christmas time.

Here in Bavaria, one thing that won't be an issue is the jams on the motorways to get out for a days skiing. For the last few months we have been experiencing hourly traffic jam reports on the radio for those travelling to and from the Salzburg area of Austria. Something we had all thought was a thing of the past but with the border controls now back in place it will no doubt become routine gain. I don't think the controls are in place, or are not as strict, in our part of Bavaria as the area around here is not on the classic refugee route.

I took the dogs to visit Karl the shepherd on his farm and deliver a liquid christmas present. We had a brief chat as he was getting prepared for a traditional German Christmas Eve with his daughter and family and still had to do a quick sheep check before his daughter picked him up in the afternoon.

Was another lovely warm day and a joy to see the newly born lambs being able to spring around the fields (see extra photo) and Flash enjoyed  a cooling paddle in the lovely meandering Mindle river.

Back home some tidying up before sitting down for a very non traditional Bavarian Christmas Eve snack which Angie had wonderfully cooked especially for me - while she ate sausages (traditional), I was treated to a massive Rib Eye steak from the local butcher who prides himself on his meat quality. Angie had been shopping for probably the first time in a week and also brought me a piece of lamb for a later day and as in previous years a huge box of all the lamb bones from the butcher. Lamb meat is not popular here, so there was I think one possibly two lambs and I think he only has lamb on offer at Christmas and Easter.

Then opened a present or two and I thoroughly enjoyed some Turbo food from the "B's, especially a warm cup of milk with "Chai Love" before going to bed - sadly Horlicks not available here for old grumpies like me - Angie shortly before going to bed asked if we had all the ingredients for a quick Caipirinha ! I think she had overheard my phone call with son J who was at his last port of call for the day, a Kebab takeaway somewhere in Sussex before being picked up by his girlfriend Laura and being poured in to bed.