Merry Christmas from Azerbaijan.

Christmas in Baku is great. We always have someone say, “But don’t you want to go home from Christmas?”. Nope. Never. Actually we are home, this is where we live, this is where my children should wake up on Christmas morning, it’s where Santa leaves the presents after all. Flying back to the UK at this time of year is stressful, has a high probability of leaving you stranded in a random airport because flights are grounded at Newcastle. Then you have the many nightmares that come with having divorced parents and a set of in-laws and who do you have dinner with and will you fit in visiting the Grandmas. So no I’m good here in the land of fire 🙂

Christmas eve was great. We had a non rehearsed Nativity play in a friends garden with the other families who stayed for the holidays too. I wrote the play and my friend organised the small people into their parts. And then this appeared in the garden as part of it…….

YES THAT IS A DONKEY

The “we should have a real donkey in the Nativity” idea started as a jokey conversation with friends on our trip to Shahdag. It was one of those things where an off the cuff remark grows arms and legs and before you know it there is a Donkey in the garden on Christmas Eve.

We  had a great Christmas lunch hosted once again by our favourite Baku family. I’ll have to leave once Liz does because I wont have anyone to cook my dinner for me.

As a testament to how well she knows me this was my present from her..

She knows me so well.

The kids were spoiled, we were well fed and well drunk by the end. Christmas 2016 was a success.