Christmas 2007

Despite of the crappy Saturday, I had a wonderful Christmas. On Christmas eve I did my last grocery shopping. (When I found out that my car wouldn’t work, so I did the shopping by bike.) On the first day of Christmas my friends Arjen, Jos and Yaser came just in time for coffee and cake and a lot of chatting (might have been a little bit too much facts and not enough gossip, but we’re all serious people). They had even brought some presents (a good chianti, a Madrid bear and very funny coffee spoons).
The Christmas goose was simply fantastic. I had stuffed it with 4 apples and dried plums after it was salted and rubbed with some rosemary. Of course a 9 pound goose was much too much for 4 men, but we did a good job on it. I mean considering the fact that we had a starter and a desert (Tiramisu) as well.
On Sunday after an extended brunch we went out for a big hike (10 km). My friends left after dinner, and I had the first longer period of time in which I could think about everything that was said the Saturday before.
While I was thinking about everything that had happened, I got an e-mail from Hensen, my friend and former neighbor, who unfortunately had moved to Amsterdam this year. (Sorry Hensen, of course it was a good move for you, but it was unfortunately for me.) He sent me the most wonderful mail someone can wish for. He put everything in the right perspective with a clear analysis from the way he had known Erik and me (also a great Christmas gift).