31 December 2009 New Year's Eve

The final day of the year and another excuse to celebrate.  We had a quietish day,  ashore in the morning to buy a couple of things from the chandlery and David doing engine oil and filter changes in the afternoon.  These need doing once a year and he says if he does them on 31 December it will be easy to remember.
Our special end-of-year repast was smoked salmon and a glass of sparkling wine, deeply chilled it was passable, and chicken korma curry.  Fittingly, one of the best of the year.
Replete with food and wine we locked up Jackster against acquisitive locals and headed into the Old Town.  At 9 o'clock the temperature was a pleasant 27c, perfect from strolling and observing.   The roads within the city walls had been closed to cars for the night and the restaurants had put tables and chairs in the streets for their diners to enjoy an al fresco meal.   There were lots of families and lots of white dresses, no drunks, no bad behaviour, some good music, some bad music from an out of tune band,a mime act and happy people celebrating. 

Just before midnight we got ourselves a spot on the wall to watch the fireworks.   No issues with safety.  You could get as close to the detonation area on the beach as you wanted, safe in the knowledge there was a fire engine and an ambulance standing by.  Once the fireworks finished we walked home and were in bed by 1.30am.  A very Happy New Year.