Merry Christmas

I have just returned from Johanna's where I met other Kowalke Gang members. We met up for our traditional Christmas Breakfast. Delicious as usual. Normally Jutta and Gerald host the event but this year Gerald was in hospital so Johanna offered her home. Fortunately, Gerald is out of hospital so could join us.

Lots of interesting discussions and a telephone call we were all waiting for. It was from Colin in Australia. Really nice to catch up on news and we are all looking forward to welcoming him to Berlin next summer. It was evening there and only 26°C, but then he told us it had been 35°C in the morning! We all said we were in the wrong country.

I got some nice presents earlier in the week, as you can see from this photo. I shall open them tomorrow along with my cards. Yes, I am traditional and only open things on Christmas Day. Jutta gave me some decorations and I wondered how to use them. She added thin ribbons and put them on my ears. She said that I had to stand-in for a tree which we did not have. Here is a photo of me deputizing for a Christmas Tree :-))

I'm going to a Beethoven concert at the Philharmonie tomorrow evening with Johanna. That will be the high point of the Christmas period. Meanwhile, BBC Radio 3 is broadcasting a lot of music by J.S.Bach in what they call the 'Spirit of Bach' season. Well worth a listen and you can always catch up for one week after if you miss anything live. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH AND ALL!