DEMOCRACY STREET: Happy Christmas

Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Ευτυχισμένος ο Νέος Χρόνος

A lovely day with family and friends mixed with skype to Val and Lawrence in Dunedin, calls to Sally in Ano Korakiana, to our Greek teacher across town, to my mum in London for Christmas; also a nice email from Trish and family having Christmas at our house on Democracy Street:

Merry Christmas Day from bright and Sunny Ano. The meat is cooked the sprouts have been on since wednesday and all is right with the world. Would like to thank you so much for the use of the house. Its perfect. The village band has just passed by and everyone seems in good spirit. Just waiting for Kate and her friend to arrive, maybe they have the Christmas eve hand overs to contend with. All the best have a lovely day. Trish and Dave xx

And another from Stavros in America, who's blog, My Greek Odyssey, I follow:

Dear Simon. Best wishes to you on and your family during this blessed season and may you have a healthy and happy new year. I hope your Greek lessons continue to go well. You are a better Greek than more than a few I know. Να ειστε ολοι καλα παντοτε. Stavros

Should we have said "Stavro" rather than "Stavros"?

And from Danica in Serbia who's sent me a present of more writing by Ivo Andrić and from John and Annie in Victoria:

Merry Christmas Simon and Lin, Cloudy but warm day here. Annie's family are here (nine of us) and tonight we have a big seafood Christmas dinner. Tomorrow my brother in law insists we watch the Boxing Day test cricket, so I will have to get up early for my cycle. Have a great Christmas day with your family and friends, best wishes john&annie

and from Basil Hylton in the Caribbean:

Dear Simon. Thank you very much. Hope you and family have a wonderful time. Still see u on Skype occasionally. Speak in 2011? Best wishes. Basil (& Barbara)

and Jim Potts posted, on his blog Corfu Blues, an invitation to my favourite carol - both the music and the words, In the Bleak Midwinter. Lin dislikes it; finds it depressing. Before Christmas lunch prepared by Lin and my mother-in-law, Dorothy, later in the-afternoon I walked with Amy and Guy and Matt and Liz and our three dogs to Handsworth Park. It was officially closed but we went through the one gate that was open and had the place almost to ourselves under a clear blue sky, walking over the railway and beyond the bandstand to a smooth sled run next to Hinstock Road.