our christmas and jasper's....

Our first christmas in Europe for 3 years - and in every way it was like a refreshing cool/snowy breeze after life in the oven. 

I greatly wanted to be at home with my family around me with a large turkey (with darling Jay who always wears his party hat far longer than anyone else - and this year was no different).  It was wonderful and a stark contrast from the last two years...which included tourists and

·         2008: much cooking over an open fire for guests, a kidney infection, a 5 hour drive on christmas day to Sauli to return the Queen (with only one dry roll en route). We arrived back in Pemba at 11pm and missed Rebecca’s offer of pork and chocolate roulade...

·         2009: we decided to have a feast and killed the large angry alpha duck which I lovingly cooked in a large pot in the furnace with all sorts of nice ingredients...but the skin did NOT crisp so at the last Dominik unexpectedly plunged it into the furnace caking it irredeemably in 1cm of fine ash...

Anyway this year as you may know we left Jasper in charge.  Jasper has lived in Pemba for many years, he knows Moz and its ways and also Dominik and his ways..he is highly practical and fantastic at stepping in as our temporary manager and Fixer. 

Jasper's christmas...he managed to drive all the way back from Nampula in time to collect food from Pemba and then deliver it to Antonio at Mareja on 24th, in preparation for our 2 booked Dutch guests (and further 4 visitors arriving 26^th).  Once at Mareja he waited and waited to welcome the visitors...who did not appear.  He arrived home, after a 6 hour round trip, too late and tired to enjoy Christmas eve. Argh – poor Jasper.

I have just heard that our guests on 26th did come but only for 1 night not the planned 2.  They saw 4 elephants and 6 antelope which is wonderful...but all that preparation and food...for so little return. I am heartily pleased we came home this year.  Imagine we would have prepared a Christmas feast with prized duck killed and all else polished and eventually eaten alone.

I could not have borne the disappointment of so much work and waiting in vain and another year without one Christmas carol, brussel sprout or the sight of Jay in a paper hat...it is funny what you miss most.