New Years Eve

 

And Australia 

I love waking up on New Year's Eve and knowing celebrations will begin in just a few hours as NZ and then Australia enter first into 2026.

Our midday news will show fireworks lighting up the sky over Auckland City. 

The afternoon news will show the fireworks display over Sydney Harbour bridge and it's iconic Opera House.

Down in Poros town bands of children are going door to door banging triangles and singing the New Year's eve Carol. It's a tradition that is still very much alive.

K misses all that and hopes that some of the neighbourhood children will ring our bell.  

There are only a couple of children 

 up here and none appeared on Christmas Eve so probably there will be none today.  He has a purse full of small bank notes just in case.

The children are given a small monetary reward.  More from us out in the wopwops.

Wishing you all a joyful New Year's Eve .

I will probably be in bed by then.

Grandchildren in Athens will be opening Champagne, or another bottle of vodka.  Those who remained on the island will be celebrating with their friends on the waterfront, kissing cheeks and yelling greetings along the harbour.  

Church bells will be tolling merrily, the car ferries will be tooting away and the whole town will be lit up 

K, if he is awake will be phoning friends and sending messages on Facebook.  Maybe I'll be awake too and I'll pop the cork on a bottle of Prosecco. Then I shall go out to our front gate and smash a pomegranite. On the road maybe. They make a mess. 

Coming back inside I'll make sure it's right foot first over the threshold..... even though I'm left-handed. 

Happy New Year to all my blogger friends

Good health and happiness to you all

Mushrooms are Magic

 But these aren't magic mushrooms  

They are mushrooms magically transformed into coffee

Instant coffee made from a blend of the mushrooms listed below

Reishi

Shitake

Maca

Cordyceps

Lion's mane

Ashwagandha 

'Supports energy, focus, productivity and adrenal health. Enjoy the added benefit of happiness in every sip' . So it says on the packet. 

My son in law Yiannis gave me a packet for my birthday.  I was a bit wary of trying it, not sure what to expect. Then I read about it on another blog (Jabblog). I opened the packet, gave it a sniff. Not mushroomy at all. So I boiled some water and made a cup. 

It's very pleasant with an almost chocolatey taste. It has less caffeine, reduces anxiety and improves immunity. 'They say'. 

Now you know

27th

 Today, in the Greek Orthodox church it's the feast of St Stephen.

The day when Good King Wenscelous once looked out...... 

Elsewhere it was celebrated yesterday, the 26th.  

The day has dawned chilly and very cloudy.  About 13o. No rain. 

Yesterday I started the clean up. Dishes were done on the Big day.  All the leftovers were divided up and taken away. I made sure they emptied the fridge as well. 

The girls did a fantastic job.  Bones and scraps were bagged too and left for the wild cats.  

The boys scrubbed the baking dishes till they shone.

I'm slowly and surreptitiously taking down Xmas decorations and storing them away. This year I've got it sorted. Every plastic container has 2026 written on it and the contents written on it. Next Christmas I can chose what I open and what I leave.  Minimal seems to be acceptable.

Except for the lights. K loves stringing them inside and out.  They're lovely at night, brightening up our rural neighbourhood.

Though actually it's St Basil who should be filling our stockings here in Greece and he doesn't arrive till New Year's Eve .

Saint Nick is patron saint of sailors.

I'm not supposed to do any washing today. It's not 'done' on a Saints day.

My Greek mother in law is no longer here to click her tongue and frown at me. The washing line is full.  The big tablecloth and half a dozen kitchen towels for a start. 

We went down to the harbour to pick up some medicine and dump half a dozen bags of rubbish and glass, plastic and paper for recycling.  Empty ouzo and wine bottles, beer cans, empty Xmas cracker boxes and loads of crumpled Xmas paper.

I also recycled  those tight Christmas t-shirts.

Next year I may buy more for the girls but I'll make sure they're not crop tops!

I start buying little presents for the stockings right away.

The repairman for our Wifi turned up today. The router was fried by lightening , even though we have a special breaker thing which is supposed to stop this happening.

It didn't cost us anything and took 10 minutes.  Good service especially on the Saturday between Xmas and New Year.

I'm back online. My phone had free data till the Wifi was up and running again but paying bills and  shopping online is difficult. I need a wider screen and larger keyboard.

Extra Extra

 The Fun Photos

Those Xmas tees were very stretchy but still too tight and too short 

They fitted the dog perfectly

Boem modelling his new Xmas t-shirt

Is it a bird 

Is it a plane

No

It's Super Elli

.......about to fly off to the kitchen sink 😂😂😂

They sheer joy of opening Christmas presents 

Xmas

 

Family

Granddaughters

In their too-small Xmas tees

Better luck next year Xmas Santa

Fun in the Winter Sun

All of us

Getting ready to pull crackers

And read those dreadful jokes

'What is pig skin used for?

To keep the pigs together'

A certain clever clogs got that right. Bravo Jan

More of the greek family

Me and Jan

Lots of food, drink, love and laughter

Hoping your Christmas day was as merry as ours

The sun came out

The family gathered

Santa brought presents

Happy Day 

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas everyone

Kala Christoyenna

Kirihimete

Jan and I wearing our Xmas outfits

Tis but once a year

More or less

That we can wear these 

Kronia Polla from K

Cheers Big Ears

Elli and Kyriako 

We had a massive thunderstorm which knocked our Wifi out

Can't comment on your blogs but am managing to send these greetings

Warm wishes for a happy day

North and South

Wherever you are

PS wouldn't be complete without Poppi 

Poros Pics

 December... 

It's still warm enough on a sunny day for coffee by the sea

The streets are merry and bright

Even at night

And alive with the piped sound of Christmas carols

The Central  

 'Mayoral Square' 

Down one end of the harbour winter works are under way. Sewage pipes are being replaced. 

The road is closed but the works hopefully will be completed over the winter months 

Better now than midsummer

Bundles of nets all along the waterfront are wrapped against the elements till spring

The little boat is decorated with flags for the festive season 

It is the tradition here to decorate boats at Christmas and New Year

All the yachts which make up the

'Greek Sails' flotilla are tied up to the wharf for winter refurbishment