Christmas in Portugal has been a treat. All of us have been able to catch up with kith and kin thanks to the miracle of Whatsapp or global roaming. Nat spent the morning at her school in Melbourne cooking and serving lunch for her students and their families, most of whom are in fairly desperate circumstances. She soon heads off to Columbia to demonstrate her navigation skills to the local populace. Mitch and Grace are in The Land With no Christmas, but have been provided a magnificent lunch by their Iranian host in the house where they are staying on the Caspian Sea. The four of us are having a very Iberian Christmas.

What else to start a Portuguese Christmas day but tea and natas, followed by gifts? My children, you know how much my wardrobe is desperately in need of another hat and fortunately your mother was aware of that. Coffee followed at our local cafe made by a very homesick Tilly from the UK. Then it was to mass on the stroll home.

Catholic mass in Portugal is not for asthmatics, such were the clouds of incense. An acquaintance of ours, a disgraced Gatton altar boy, would be more more familiar than I with the ceremonies of Margie’s people – the service itself was interesting, although I didn’t think much of the sermon. The acoustics were amazing and I was also amazed at the age of the congregation. Obviously a seafood diet promotes longevity, stooping and the wearing of fur, however sometimes it does bring comfort to feel that you may in fact be one of the youngsters.

Our Christmas meal will be a chicken chosen for us by St Celeste the Ageless at the local market, veges from surrounding farms, Portuguese wine and cheeses with a berry crumble dessert. Travel is difficult my friends, so as my Christmas gift to my vast audience of six readers Dr Cunnington-Smythe and I intend to continue putting ourselves through such hardships so that you may experiece these things vicariously in the comfort of an Australian summer, such is my magnanimity. Somebody has to I guess, so it may as well continue to be me.

Merry Christmas to you all

Farley and Lady C-S