Christmas preparations

Alhaurin is gearing up for Christmas; there are wise men and angels along the main road, a Christmas tree in front of the town hall, a lifesize stable scene in the pedestrian street... and even one of the roundabouts is wearing a santa hat! There are also some Christmas lights in the little park in front of our house... but as it's a popular dog-walking area, I can see that they're being watered rather regularly.

This time last year we were still house hunting, because the lease was about to expire on our flat. It was the third year running that I was beginning the new year without knowing where I would be living by the end of it. It will be so nice to start 2011 knowing that we'll be staying in the same house for a change.

Despite the recent cooler weather, the jasmine is still flowering in front of our house, but it will soon be time to cut it back for the winter, so that it can reflower and bring its wonderful scent again next spring. This week's temperature's have been slightly milder again, and so we've enjoyed a final few days of its perfume around our doorway.

I have just a few more days here in Spain, and then I'll be heading to Scotland for Christmas. More snow is forecast there for this weekend... so I'm not sure what sort of weather will be waiting for me when I arrive at the airport. We'll see...