A Perfect New year

Discovering the loveliness which is Greece, or the Mani, that middle prong that protrude southwards on that lovely peninsula which is the Peloponnese.  Spending time with dear old friends Cressida (from the Royal College of Art times), and her Paul, both delightful originals...in Cressida's new (old) rustic hilltop cottage in the village of Platsa, where I picked my own delicious breakfast  from her orange trees, eaten with local yoghurt and honey. 

New Year's Eve was spent in the neighbouring village with no tourists at all, just the locals- a delightful and very Greek experience which included the local priest (below) cutting the cake for all present at midnight:

and plenty of Greek music and dancing! I thought, in my ignorance,  that that was something old fashioned  that  happened only for tourists or in the  film Zorba the Greek... Clearly not. 

On New Year's day I walked down from the hilltop village to the coast- a one and a half hour's trek through divine Mediterranean scenery on a warm day in total silence, only met one car on the way.

And Cressida awaited me by the beach- we went for a swim, it was actually very pleasant! Can't have been less than 17 degrees, so the same sort of temperature as a Swedish summer swim almost...

 Now back in Siena, where today the streets are full of witches- the last bit of Christmas- with the peculiar celebration of Befana, the broom riding old hag who brings sweets for all the good children, and charcoal for the bad ones... Hettie, Lisa and I are going for Befana Aperitivos in a little while.

                                                                            Buon Anno!