I've had a bit of an internet holiday this last week – I've swapped it for snowy driving to Wales for Christmas and more snowy driving to Scotland for Hogmanay. The west coast of Scotland is positively springlike compared to English temperatures, and I'm not looking forward to returning to my chilly flat on Monday.
In Bristol, the Christmas Steps are Christmassy all year round, but I always find them especially pleasing in December. I ended up going up and down them far more than I expected before Christmas due to some emergency present buying. In the end, Benjamin and I decided instead to bake chocolate and hazelnut biscotti and put them in a little bag with a ribbon around the top as little gifts for the people we forgot to buy for. They are super easy to bake and make for much-appreciated presents – the recipe we used is here, if you're interested.
In Bristol, the Christmas Steps are Christmassy all year round, but I always find them especially pleasing in December. I ended up going up and down them far more than I expected before Christmas due to some emergency present buying. In the end, Benjamin and I decided instead to bake chocolate and hazelnut biscotti and put them in a little bag with a ribbon around the top as little gifts for the people we forgot to buy for. They are super easy to bake and make for much-appreciated presents – the recipe we used is here, if you're interested.
My Scottish New Year has been catching up with my feral turned 2011 house cat, Muesli, falling off my mother's new horse, drinking gin made in the distillery across the road and taking long New Year's Day walks along the beach with Ben, my little sister, and Jock, the Westie who loves to run in the sand. He steals the show some. Now for some apple tarte tatin, and a viewing of a home video of my mother and grandparents in the 1960s to round off a perfect New Year's Day.
Wishing you all the best for the New Year! I'm looking forward to seeing what it has in store.
Happy New Year Siubhan! Jock looks so happy running on the sand!
ReplyDeleteI love the first picture.. just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Years to you! :)
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naoma*
Lovely lovely photos again... Seems to me you had a great time and biscotti are a great idea. I always want to do that, but somehow never do! ;-)))
ReplyDeleteM
Awww, Jock is adorable! I love terriers; I have a mini schnauzer of my own. :)
ReplyDeleteThose are such nice photos, especially of the swan! I wonder why they're called the Christmas steps?
ReplyDeleteaagh im almost drooling at your post! Firstly, i gasped at the Christmas Steps! I went to them, somewhat inappropriately in the summer and they were gorgeous then but wow would I like to see them now! Soo pretty!
ReplyDeleteAah tarte tatin, sooo good! must make some again
and 'muesli' so cute a name!
kisses, happy new year xxxx