A new year begins ...

We are back from our ski trip to the Haute Savoie where we had a really good time. We didn't ski every day, but, when we did, had excellent snow, brilliant sunshine and near empty slopes, without queues! More about the trip in another post, but just a single photograph taken on Christmas Day to whet your appetites!

Our journey home was relatively uneventful, apart from the first 100km when snow was falling. Still we managed it, possibly helped by a very early start, but you can see the conditions would have deteriorated.

En route we visited our friends Anne and Steve in Kent and had a lovely evening and breakfast with them. For the first time ever the M25, M1 and M6 were relatively quiet for the last leg of our journey home.

We arrived back to find that Gill, our very good neighbour and friend, had stocked our fridge with some delights from a local farm shop. Wonderful ...

Today we have taken down our christmas tree and decorations, and are invited to lunch by our friends Chris and Sally. I'll also need to pick up some fresh food as the only fruit we have is a lemon!!

Tomorrow it is back to work. I shall miss my colleague Liz who has resigned in order to make a new life with her family in Clermont Ferrand, where her husband, who works for Michelin, has been transferred.

To cheer me on my way a photograph of some beautiful hyacinths bought for me, before Christmas, by my friend Corrie. When we went away they were closed up, but are now in full bloom with a heavenly scent.

It's a pity you aren't able to smell them ...

Finally, Tim has completed his opus magna, aka our bathroom renovations. We're really pleased with how it's turned out, but you will have to be patient …