Happy New Year. I can still say that, it's still the first month of 2016 (just). I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and the beginning of 2016 has been kind to you all.
Christmas was magical here in London. With all the amazing light displays and events (both organised by the city and us) the season was certainly going to be a jolly one.
From the 12 pubs of Christmas, a Melbourne tradition we needed to carry on (thanks Tayf, Deb and crew), to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, we think we've established some new traditions for our seasons here in London.
Christmas Day was spent between home and the North Star. The North Star being a pub in Ealing, where we had our Christmas dinner. It was a mild day which meant walking off dinner wasn't too chilly. And was so lovely having the additional company of Sasha, who has been our first guest in the flat.
We headed down to Cornwall to see the New Year in, staying in our favourite place St Benets Abbey. JJ and Lynn were the greatest hosts, even providing us with a bit of history of the Abbey and the area. And we couldn't have asked for a better set of people to share New Years with than them and their family and the other guests staying at the Abbey. So if you ever get a chance to get to Cornwall and want somewhere brilliant to stay, I highly recommend it.
We headed over to Fowey, not far from the Abbey on the east coast of Cornwall. Fowey is an amazing little seaside town. It's the quint-essential English seaside down. Down to the church in the centre of town, to the cobbled roads and the ferry across to either Polruan, Bodinnick, Looe or Mevagissey.
Tony found the largest doughnut I've ever seen and insisted on getting one. And I found the cheese... oh my goodness. Don't get me started on the cheese. There was one shop, Kittows, which must have had over 30 types of cheese, and that was just the English cheeses. There was an extensive collection of European cheeses also. And from here, where they declared the best one around, Sasha had her first Cornish pastie. Which on all accounts, was very good. I tried mine the next day from the cafe next to Tintagel, which was OK, but regret my decision not to have one the day before.
Cornwall is full of stone circles and mystical places. None other than Tintagel, the legendary birth place of King Arthur of Camelot fame. We visited a few of these, including Tintagel which was a very long way down and a lot of up and down steps and paths. Whilst fun, a bit daunting for this kid, but I managed to get through a fair bit of it. This accomplishment, I attest to all the walking prior to Cornwall. This walking thing has nearly got me ready for one of the bigger walks - across England. So in the New Years spirit, and while this isn't a new years resolution, it is a goal for me to accomplish. One which I will hopefully complete before 2016 ends.
Cornwall is also home to Minions. Of which I accidentally came across while browsing over the map of the area and needed to go to. Amazingly enough, the Hurlers (a stone circle I had earlier read up on) was in Minions, so; two birds, one stone.
Cornwall was incredibly fabulous during this time of the year. After being down there in April, I have to say, I was quite enamoured by it over the New Year. It seemed to have more character to it, and definitely had that mystical feel to it, you would usually expect. And our hosts provided an amazing offering for New Years Eve, including booking us into the local pub for dinner. Small towns like this are one of the things I really love about the UK. The inhabitants and country people will pretty much keep to themselves and go along their own way, but when it comes to the evening or the weekend, or, like New Years, a special occasion, they come together at the centre of town. Usually this is the local pub, and no matter how old or young you are, there is always someone to talk to. And, as we have found at these wonderful establishments, will welcome strangers and travellers into the mix and be quite happy to talk to us and impart their knowledge on the area and surrounds.
It dawns on me today, as I write this, it's Australia Day (well it was until an hour ago). And it makes me appreciate my life and my choices. My heart belongs to three countries, each of which I love so differently. To my homeland and place of birth, my love for New Zealand will never diminish. I will never stop being a kiwi, no matter what passport I travel on and I will always support the All Blacks. For the place I am now, I have a huge appreciation of what its done and is doing for me now. The opportunities to learn and grow and see and do new things blows me away. I am humbled by the experiences we continue to have here. And to Australia, especially Melbourne. You're weather may be erratic and unpredictable, but it's where we have loved, laughed and grown for a large part of our lives. It's where we have built foundations, not just of mortar and bricks, but of an amazing extended family (related or not) when we were not able to have our own. You welcomed us into your world and for that I love and miss you.
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY to my Australian family and friends. And to all of you, we wish you the best of all things for 2016.
Jodi
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