New Year’s Eve

Up and about just after 9am. Breakfast in the flat and then out into the rain - and avoiding the puddles - for a bus to Newport.  We started with a coffee is Caffe Isola. The coffee and the cheese scones were lovely but the service, especially while queuing, wasn’t that great. It’s another case of the staff having an issue and all chatting to each other but not looking up at the queue of people to acknowledge there is a problem.  

After that we went shopping. Our main aim was to pick up some lamps and our steaks for dinner from Sainsbury’s but we detoured via a local fruit and veg shop were we picked up something for tomorrow and via B&M, where we bought storage solutions, and then to M&S where I failed to find a lightweight waterproof coat. 

In Sainsbury’s we got what we wanted as well as some knives and some little ramekins (which are remarkably hard to find)  as well as the food for tonight. Then we went to the hardware store to try and find some port or sherry glasses because I thought it would be nice to have our port out of some proper glasses. We had no success - and then no success at a hardware store in Ryde that turns out to be another branch of the same store we visited in Newport - but we did find some Isle of Wight branded shot glasses in a tourist shop and thought they would be nicer to drink port from. We may loose track of how many times we fill them up.

We had a relaxed late afternoon and early evening. There was some cleaning and sorting and then we cooked the steaks and chips. 

We continued with the radio as the evening wore on. Popping the Prosecco about 11pm, we called Mum and Dad with a glass and then opened the cheese.

A few minutes before midnight we wandered down to the beach front, with a glass of fizz. It’s fantastic that we can be at the beach in about three minutes. There were a few fireworks going off on the beach and a scattering of other people gathering to watch the fireworks across the south coast. 

What a lovely way to start the new year.