New Year around Europe

Not long now, its finally 2009, the year we are off travelling. Yippeeeeeeeee. I can't wait and am now officially getting excited, if somewhat scared by the amount of packing, sorting and sewing still to do.

Jam Jar has had to be banished to storage for a month or so to pacify the neighbours and then he'll be back to have the final repairs before we head off. Meanwhile we have been busy enjoying the Christmas and New Year festivities.

Christmas was spent in the Peak District with Chris family. We got in a couple of walks and the weather was beautiful. We also met our little niece who is very cute.

We saw in the New Year in fine European fashion with lots friends, booze and all 50 flags of Europe hung up around the walls. I had quite a lot of fun finding the flags and it was really interesting as there are so many I just didn't recognise.

I also had fun looking up the New Year traditions from around the continent. Some are much the same as ours, others quite different, and found some recipes for traditional new years dishes from around Europe. Who knows where we will be this time next year, maybe in one of these countries!

Vasilopitta - a sweet bread eaten in Greece

Banitsa - a cheese souffle/quiche type dish eaten in Bulgaria

Olliebolle - which just has a great name! and is a deep fried sweet dough from the Netherlands.

Spain - Eat twelve grapes at midnight, one on each stroke of the clock for 12 months good luck. get it wrong and you loose months of good luck. I went for the British champagne drinking instead not to risk those bad luck months!

It was a great evening and a fantastic start to our year. Lets hope the rest of the year lives up to expectations.