Ham and Turkeys

Hello Team! Happy New Year to All!!

We have just arrived back in Cork to start the adventures of 2007. Christmas was spent in London with John and Kaetlyn and my parentals flew over for a surprise visit which was awesome. The holiday started with a traditional trip to midnight mass - but in Westminster Abbey - it was a beautiful (Neal will say LONG) mass and the choir was fantastic. Christmas day dawned rather cloudy - but we were not worried tucked up inside with turkey, ham and the equivalent of a swiss chocolate factory. Dad and Moira brought some good kiwi wine and bubbles...missed the barbie though!

I think I have become rather obsessed with Christmas ham...yes rather strange. Maybe it was after carefully selecting my green ham, and then having to carry it over to London from Cork - glad there is no real customs!! I then had to ask butchers and anyone possible how on earth you cook a green - ie raw ham - the answer is....boil it for about 20min per lb!!! Yum Yum Yum!

We spent the rest of the week pottering about London and counting how many Aussies we saw on the train. I must say that London is a pretty cool city - bustling and happening. We perused the shops, fought the masses in the Harrods sale (silly, silly idea), played with the squirrels in Hyde Park, looked for the Queen in Buckingham Palace with Dad and Moira and watched people fall over ice skating under the Tower of London!

Another highlight was dinner with Mark and Sarah and their two gorgeous monkeys (kiddies!) Mia and Zac, and Emma and her fiance Mark ( Mark 1 and 2!). The kids were heaps of fun, full of beans and smiles!

And on the New Years and Neal's Birthday - always a party. We cruised down to Barnstaple, Devon in our Eco - half battery- car to stay with Mark's sister Robyn, who I also know from med school. We saw Stonehenge through the sleeting rain enroute and marvelled at the cute thatched roof villages. Devon was cool - awesome wild beaches and mammoth rolling surf - I walmost wanted to get out there despite the arctic temperatures. Spent NY eve out for dinner and then onto drinks at Robyn's. It was great also to catch up with Chris Hewison and his girlfriend Alison - a buddy for Tauranga - look forward to seeing you back in the NZ Hewison!

Now back to work. Planning out trips already - with skiing and America's Cup in the not to far off future. I cannot believe how quickly the last year has gone - and all the things we have done this year - just crazy! And as for NY resolutions - well.........