The wrong trousers - by Theo

Or rather, complete lack of trousers.

It's really not the best way to start the week - cycling through the snow to school and then realising that you forgot to pack your work trousers, so you have to cycle home again and arrive back just in time for staff briefing. Especially when you're teaching Year 11 first period, the supervising teacher is out sick and the printers aren't working.

Although, on reflection, it probably means that the week can only get better!

Miss Rosie's Feeling For Snow By Kate

How wonderful for our tiny daughter that the magic of a white Christmas was bestowed on her for her very first one. The same thing happened to her mother, in fact. And it's taken me another forty years to experience a winter wonderland on December 25th, so it was a rare privilege to share it with my first born.

Rosie, of course, didn't register the specialness of the occasion, although she did take a passing interest in the cold white stuff surrounding her, as you can see on the clip.

I think it's safe to say her reaction to snow was a tad dubious and the relief on her face when she was whisked away in her Daddy's arms is plain to see.

Just in time - by Theo

We made it to France, just in time. If we'd left it a day longer to set off, or stopped overnight en route, we wouldn't have made it. The snow that has been causing such chaos in the UK has moved south and we woke this morning to find the hills around Cathy & Jean's blanketed with thick, white snow. Where they live is so rural, the roads so tiny, there wont be any snowploughs coming to clear the roads. We may have a 4x4 but we wouldn't have got through (and, if it doesn't melt, we won't be getting out). You see, after spending €94 on snow chains for Delilah Delica, I promptly left them in the hall back in Madrid. Boy do I feel stupid!
Anyway, we're very pleased we're here. We may be snowed in, but we've got lots of food, drink and wood for the fire, not to mention great company (and wi fi!) It's also extremely beautiful, and I've really enjoyed the two longs walks with Rosie in the sling and Cocky the dog so that the former could have a nap and the latter a walk. It's so quiet and still, and I've seen not a soul.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. See you when the snow thaws!

snow gone

Unlike in the UK, Sunday's snow-fall that turned Madrid into a fairytale urban landscape has gone almost as quickly as it arrived. This gave us just enough time to build a snowman (on a car bonnet so Kate didn't have to bend over!) and throw some snowballs, but like a good party guest it left before we got bored of its company and it cleaned up after itself!

Well that was a surprise

Yesterday was a bright, beautiful, sunny day. No indication we'd wake up this morning to a blanket of snow over streets and roofs!

Funnily enough I'd been complaining that the warm weather was stopping me from feeling really Christmassy. Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow!

A weekend whirl

The weekend has passed in a blur of not doing much at all, really. Friday evening was spent in sociable fashion, first in a bar in Pueblo Neuvo with various colleagues of Theo, then in a barrio kebab house with the lovely Jero and Jose. Except this kebab house was a lot more civilised than those we knew - and tended to avoid - in Bristol. There were tables where you could sit down and eat your kebab (or falafels, in our case) and you could buy yourself a beer. I drank some sort of yoghurt, lemon and salt drink on Jero's suggestion and actually, it wasn't too bad.
On Saturday, we spent a few hours wandering around central Madrid and admiring the Royal Palace and Plaza Espana in the snow - before the cold sent us scuttling into a cafe in an effort to avoid our ears falling off.
We then had a typically Anglo-Saxon afternoon, joining our flatmate Pete and his cheery scouser friend, Paul in a bar to watch Northampton overcome Pete's team, Leicester in the rugby. Pete and Paul stuck to coffee and sparkling water, having both gone continental, if you ask me. Theo was the only one who indulged in a beer and that was only a cana. This sort of thing could do serious damage to the British drinking reputation abroad.
Despite having the whole of party-mad Madrid on our doorstep, we elected to go back to la casa after the match, get out of the cold and settle down to home-cooked dinner and a DVD. It actually felt rather luxurious.
Today, Sunday was another largely lazy day - apart from a stroll around the local park (which included the opportunity for a snowball fight - won by Theo, more for persistence than accuracy) we mainly relaxed in the flat, chatting with Pete and Alex in passing, writing our Christmas thank you letters, doing some lesson-planning (Theo) and playing a bit of guitar (me).
Tomorrow we're both off to work, in my case doing some training with a company who will then find me some paid employment, all being well. Yikes, an actual Monday.

snow (and our new flat)

We woke up this morning to see gentle, thick flakes of snow drifting down past our window....

...and here are some pictures of our new flat....