Follow Matthew's travels around the world…
Another evening of gluttony is over, although a malfunctioning oven meant that some last minute jiggery-pokery with the microwave was required to make sure that we all got fed (and the veggies were still a little on the ‘al dente’ side). Nevertheless, we managed to make a good dent into the roast beef and traditional trimmings.
We woke up this morning to discover that the weather was warmer, the fog had finally lifted, and the sun was shining. Perfect weather for a Boxing Day walk along the beach. We jumped in the car and drove down to Deal for a few hours along the coast, then back to the house to pop the roast beef in the oven.
Boxing Day is a great invention. I wish we’d had it when I was a kid…
Matthew’s hair is not designed to withstand a coastal wind
A quick shot with all the hair in place while the wind had died down…
So the gluttony of the season continues. Last night I cooked two ducks (Donald and Daffy) with all the traditional trimmings – orange sauce, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and plenty of wine. After we’d finished dinner and watched the Queen’s speech, there was only one thing to do – head off to the pub. It was a great way to celebrate my last official English Christmas for a while.
Both Daisy and Calypso seemed enthusiastic about some of their presents (mostly the toys) but Daisy refuses to go inside her new carrying cage, preferring instead to sleep on top of it. What can I say – cats are weird.
Christmas Eve has come and gone, with a little indigestion and slightly fatter bellies all that we have to show for it. In our wake are two dozen Whitstable oysters, scallops, monkfish, a chocolate fondant and quite a few bottles of wine. In other words, the perfect way to start the season.
Well, it’s a year to the day since I wrote my last Christmas letter, and once again I’ve decided that a “year in review” on my blog is the way to go. We’re hosting Christmas here in the UK this year, and Aude’s parents arrived in London yesterday. They’re bundled up as warmly as they can be, but they’re still freezing.
What a year it’s been. We started the year in style with a great red-and-black New Years party with Marjo in Belgium. Never content with one party when there’s an excuse to have two, we rang in the New Year again with friends and family in London, Chinese-style.
And it seems that we were right to celebrate. All in all, it’s been a pretty good year. We’ve spent a lot of it travelling, and both my Amex and my frequent flyer cards have taken quite a pounding. We’ve had loads of good times with our friends, celebrating with them or just enjoying their company. And we got married, which is probably worth mentioning.
At times this year, it felt like I was spending my entire life on planes or in hotels, and when I look back at the numbers, there’s some truth in that. I spent over a hundred nights in hotels this year and can recite a number of room-service menus from memory, and clocked up about 150,000 miles in travel. My passport is quickly filling up with stamps from around the world, little memoirs of where I’ve been.
We started the year as we intended to continue, gathering up loads of our friends for a long weekend in New York. Anne-Laure, Neil and MG joined us in the big Apple, where we ate like kings and shopped until we dropped.
After a few quiet weeks, it was time for a quick run to France to stock up on booze, and before we knew it, it was time to celebrate Easter on the French Riviera with Aude’s parents.
A few weeks later, we were off to the US to spend some time with my parents. We introduced Aude to one of the finest foods in the world – fresh crabs on the Chesapeake Bay, then headed down to New Orleans, one of my favourite places in the world, to celebrate Jazzfest. For me, it was also a chance to catch up with a lot of old friends, but also to see first-hand the damage that Katrina had caused and how much work there was to be done cleaning the city up and rebuilding it again.
More catching up with old friends in Washington, then it was off Paris for a few days on business, then to Amsterdam to lead a training course. Almost before we knew it, summer had arrived and it was time for a mid-summer break in France, then a job interview in Paris.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to France to get married, then we were back on a plane to Turkey to celebrate our honeymoon. Our plan was to see a lot of the Turkish countryside, but mostly I saw a lot of the inside of a doctor’s office and the toilet. Never let it be said that I’m not romantic.
Just days after we returned from honeymoon, I got my marching orders and it was off to Singapore. Where I spent even more time on the toilet. Undeterred by my struggling guts, Gina dragged me along as she went on a one-woman culinary tour of Singapore. And I took lots of pictures.
From Singapore, it was off to Bangkok, then back to Turkey again, this time for business. I did manage to sneak Aude out for the weekend, which was some consolation. This time, to the delight of everyone, I managed not to spend the entire trip on the toilet.
From Turkey, it was back to Singapore for a few weeks, and now finally I’m home. It’s good to be home, even if it’s only for a little while. There’s nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed, even if housekeeping doesn’t turn it down each night. At our house, you’re more likely to find a cat on the pillow than a mint.
We’ve seen loads of friends this year, in between our busy travel schedule. Julien and Karine came to see us in Canterbury,
and Dara came to see us, all the way from Afghanistan.
Neil quit his job and went off to learn French, although like me he mostly learned to swear. Now he’s got a new job in the City, and we’re train buddies each morning.
MG celebrated her birthday, and I celebrated mine, in Singapore-sling style. Aude celebrated hers twice — once in Canterbury, where I managed to fall asleep during dinner, and again in Paris, surrounded by her friends. AnnMarie celebrated hers…
And before we knew it, it was time for Christmas again. There were parties and tree trimming, and plenty of chances to catch up with even more friends.
Last but not least, we used the ultimate excuse to see all our friends and family — we got married. There was a lot of planning, and paperwork, but finally the big day came. One of these days, I’ll get around to editing all the pictures, maybe in time for next year’s Christmas letter.
As I look forward to 2008, we have another big year ahead of us. We’re moving to Paris next month, and with any luck I’ll learn enough French to survive. It’s a new job for Aude and a whole new set of challenges and adventures for both of us. Until then, though, it just remains for me to wish everyone a joyeux noel and une bonne nouvelle année. I hope that your holidays are happy and safe.
And now some pictures for those of you who are more visually-minded (or don’t speak English, or are just too lazy to read all the way through this entry).
Just back after four days in the south of France, where we enjoyed some truly superb weather and managed to sort out a lot of the final details around the wedding. The menu is chosen, the photographer is booked and briefed about what we’d like, we’ve seen the band and we’ve met with the DJ. Incidentally, apologies to anyone coming to the wedding – the DJ was a mandatory requirement of the Chateau (apparently he makes sure the place doesn’t get destroyed) and let’s just say that we don’t exactly share one another’s taste in music. I think we’ll sit Julien next to the DJ and hope for the best…
I also learned that the Mediterranean sun in the middle of the day is a little stronger than we’re used to in the UK. Which is why I mostly look like a lobster in these pictures.
Back at work now, and the treadmill is turning just as fast as it ever was… I’d put my nose to the grindstone if it wasn’t so sunburnt!
