Friday Smiles 2024 # Week 1

 A Very happy New year to you all. It will take a bit of getting used to,  to write 2024 now!

I hope you were all able to see the new year in, in whatever way suits you best. We were busy with video calls from all our boys through the evening. Tom lives in Denmark and they seem to have fireworks going off randomly all evening. His flat is quite high up in a block, so he has a good view all around, and usually shows some of it to us live.

We weren't particularly impressed with the TV programmes on offer so I read with my Kindle and Chris did whatever he does on his laptop, but as midnight approached we turned on to a Spanish chanel that was featuring the celebrations in Madrid's main plaza. There is a domed roof with a large gold ball on a chain above the clock, and at midnight it slowly lowers until it reaches the clock which then chimes . 

The tradition here is that everyone has a glass of cava and twelve white grapes, and for every dong of the clock, you eat one grape. Believe me it is almost impossible to eat twelve grapes, even small seedless ones, in the time it takes for the clock to strike twelve times, but that is the custom, and it is fun trying! Some supermarkets even sell little plastic dishes with twelve grapes on them for the occasion, but the fruit counters also carry huge amounts of grapes in bunches to divi up among your guests etc.

After that we half watched TV for the next hour, and at 1.00 our time, which is mid-night in UK, we tuned into the BBC, raised a glass to family and friends over the waters, and watched Big Ben strike and then the fireworks. 

I am always torn by this as I love the pyrotechnics, but am also uneasy about all the money going up in flames at a time of financial hardship for so many. I know it is sponsored, and a lot of funding comes from the sale of tickets, and as a country we really do do it very well, but all the same, I felt from what I saw on world news, that other countries had toned down their displays a little this year, while ours was possibly more spectacular than ever. Certainly there were more colours in the sparkles, and I admire the pictures they can create with drones. Here are a couple of shots I took of the TV screen.

As for the rest of the week, nothing very exciting has happened. I have had several chats with our son as both he and his partner are Covid positive, which messed up some of their holiday  plans.

Last Friday we passed a small shop that has a very small garden centre attached to it, and I bought these winter pansies - well they are violas really I think. Aren't they pretty? And also one red and white mini-carnation, or pinks as we always called them when my dad grew them, which I bought because it smelled so strongly or cloves.They are now planted out in some of our front pots and add a spot of colour to all the greenery.

My arm continues to improve and only really hurts now if I try to do too much with it, so I must be patient. One big improvement is that I can now push myself up from lying flat so I am able to sleep in bed again, instead of in the recliner chair. That is very positive.

Also this week we met a lovely Spanish lady who is coming to do some cleaning from next week, (after the Three Kings weekend). We had been talking about it for while, and right now I can do with a bit of domestic help. She doesn't speak any English so it will be good practice for me to use my Spanish, which is another positive.

The weather has changed today with quite a significant drop in temperature, which is a shame as we want to walk up through the village for a little event this evening. We will just have to wrap up well!

As a follow up to that, we had steady rain all afternoon, much needed but not wanted that day, but by the evening it was dry again and we donned our coats (first time this year), and walked up to the small plaza at the top of the village. Here we came to what I would describe as the Spanish version of Santa's grotto. There were three thrones set up under the awning, and soon the three kings arrived, and a queue of excited children soon formed, waiting their turn to sit on the knee of one of the kings, and tell him what they were hoping to get on the night of 6th.

Meanwhile, in the side road that runs alongside the plaza, there were trestle tables set up with 60meters of roscon on them! This is the soft, brioche style bread shaped into a doughnut ring , surrounded by a gold paper crown, and topped with a sweet, sticky glaze and big pieces of glacé fruit for the jewels, traditional for this festival. Although these can be bought plain, they are usually sliced through the centre and filled with lots of cream. This huge one was organised by our local baker, Noella, (seen in this photo), and with some helpers, she soon had it sliced into generous portions, plated up, and handed out to the waiting crowd. We had our slices and they were delicious.

Back on the plaza, as the kings were preparing to leave, and every one was satisfied after eating their roscon, the artificial snow machine turned on. It was on a balcony of the flats above the shop that fronts one end of the plaza. Soon we were all covered in soft, foamy flakes and the children were gathering it up to throw at one another. It was all great fun and we really enjoyed the evening.

And that is really it for this week. We will have a busy weekend with the Three Kings celebrations, but after that, the decorations will come down and everything will get back to 'normal' whatever that is. So I will now link up with Annie's Friday Smiles. See you over there.