Moving on...

We've had a lovely Christmas, all things being equal. We'd intended to go down to the coast on 23rd but in the end, we decided to go into Granada. FR had seen a funfair and thought it might help to distract Ruy and Romy from their struggle to come to terms with Darwin's dreadful demise.

They were very brave and enjoyed themselves despite it being difficult to smile at times. The setting was spectacular and the small fair was in the grounds of some big warehouses that were home for the 'Muestras de Armilla'. (Armilla is a village of Granada and a muestra is an exhibition.) It was incredibly noisy inside the big spaces and there was a lot that was just a waste of space too, but in amongst, there were some interesting things to see and do.

The setting was spectacular, with the snowy Sierra Nevada behind the huge chimney and glorious blue skies.

There was a large model railway set up at one of end of one of the three main exhibition halls. We'd arrived when there was nothing running...but we were assured that on the hour, there would be movement...

A smile (almost) was raised in the police exhibition area when the children were allowed to go on the huge police bike...

I rather fancied sitting on it myself. I remember as a 5 year old, being allowed to sit and play on our nextdoor neighbour's motorbike and it has stuck in my memory ever since.

This looks as though Romy might have been wrong to set the siren off without leave....at least he didn't put her in the back seat.

Manoeuvring a remote controlled truck around an obstacle course required a lot of concentration....

This is a lot of concentration....

There was a zip wire - quite a big one - and both Ruy and Romy were keen to have a go....

But even that failed to raise a smile for Ruy... poor Ruy. He's been very, very hard hit. We're sharing lots of hugs as and when needed.

We gave the impressive Viking long boat a wide berth although I bet the view was fantastic as it swung from side to side. (I would be probably hanging over the edge though, not caring about anything if I went it it. I remember going in one once many years ago and hanging on for what seemed a lifetime before it eventually, and mercifully, came to a stop. Never again!)

No, we didn't manage to raise much of a smile on Ruy's face.

However, I found a very nice stand inside one of the pavillions that was a dog rescue centre based near Santa Fe, not too far away for us. I spoke to a lovely German woman who worked there who said they always had dogs and puppies in that needed adopting or rehoming. I think we might pay her a visit in the not too distant future.

Christmas morning was lovely.

With everyone very happy with what they got.

And the tree looking very comfortable in the corner of the den, where we all sat round opening our presents.

And acting in the usual clownish way...

After lunch, the children continued playing with the surprise star of the gift show - Storycubes. These are a set of 9 dice with pictures on each face. You throw them, look at the pictures and then make up a story that is inspired by the images. Romy and Ruy spent almost the whole day telling stories!

 Romy was heard telling stories on her own, later on in her own room. Absolutely perfect for her!

Once upon a time, there was a little bee, whose name was ...

And who wouldn't want a pair of knitted wellies for Christmas?

I did, but they didn't have my size. These are Romy's.







We had a few moments of real sadness - particularly around mealtimes. FR has been much more affected than he thought possible. He's usually first up in the mornings and it's been really hard to go downstairs and not find Darwin, still dozy from sleep, stretching and reaching up for a morning stroke. And having no one to pass on the bits left on plates...very hard on Christmas Eve, when we had barbequed ribs. Never has our appetite been so dulled. We saved the bones for Sergio's dogs.
The weather - which has been so lovely and bright and sunny for so long - was appalling on Christmas Day. The wind was relentless and very strong and we had driving rain from morning to night. This caused the metal fly curtain that we have outside the door to keep rattling against the glass - always a sign that Darwin wanted to come in....that was very hard.

On Boxing Day - not a day recognised in Spain as a holiday - our English friends, Sam and Dave and their two daughters came over. Originally, Dave wasn't coming at first - this is his first year working on the olive harvest, which is gruelling work but cannot be done in the rain. After the deluge of Christmas Day, the ground was too wet to go back on Boxing Day, so we had the whole family together which was lovely.

And we had a great afternoon and evening - and of course, the girls stayed the night which pleased Romy no end! We played a crazy game of Uno, ate well and had plenty to drink. It felt like a proper family Christmas celebration and we're so glad they could come.

It doesn't look wild, does it? But we had such a laugh!!

And the next day, there was much jumping on the trampoline. I love these photos.

And yes, Ruy is smiling again.  It was our first Christmas in our new home and it was one we will never forget - for both the right and not so right reasons.We're moving on.

And towards a New Year. Hope you've all had a very Happy Christmas.