Happy New Year Dans Le Italian Style ..... Woooo Hooooo C'est 2014!

We LOVE a party and were all therefore most honoured and tres excited to be invited to Luci, from works, Italian New Year Soiree.

OMD, the food was magnifique…..  though we were a little embarrassed to admit that we are strangers to cuisine of a particularly Italian type nature, except for the occasional tin of spaghetti hoops or a cheese and pineapple pizza ….. so antiseptic antiplaster antipasti was a most wonderful revelation, and we all tucked in and nommed with great robustity, vigour and gusto ……. well,  it would have been rude not to!

…… however, I did have to remind Darrell and Nigel several times that the breadsticks were NOT for the jousting with, what are they like?

The table was laid beautifully and at each setting there was a pot of amazing New Year treasure for us….

……. Nigel emptied his out there and then, which I am not sure is entirely de rigueur at a sophisticated Italian do …..

However, nobody seemed to notice, though we did have to tell him to rein in some of his natural exuberance and not to yell out every time he found yet another wondrous thing, like a chocolate reindeer and coins, candles, a hanging decoration, a candy cane and some Hershey thingies, with his voice getting higher and higher!

There was also a Secret Auld Langs Syne….. and I “won” some mini chocolate covered gingerbread men ….. nom, nom, nom. Darrell “won” a spotty, plastic rain hat, a most useful gift for when it is raining and he has just had his hair done, and Nigel “won” a bath bomb ….. heaven help us!  He was very excited as he thought he would be enjoying an explosive bath time of volcanic proportions, until we told him that his bath water would probably just fizz a little for a few minutes and nothing more!

Anyway, we had a most brilliant time embracing the customs and culture of an Italian New Year, ending with a most rousing and emotional rendition of Old Langs Syne dans Italian, we were a little worried about the words but as the Italian for "auld lang syne" is the same as in English we were able to bellow out the key words with great gusto and feeling  …..

Se auld conoscente essere dimenticato,

E mai portato alla mente?

Se auld conoscente essere dimenticato,

E Auld Lang Syne!

Per Auld Lang Syne, mia cara,

Per Auld Lang Syne.

Prenderemo una tazza o 'gentilezza ancora,

Per Auld Lang Syne.

We came home feeling very full, a little weary, very happy and remarkably speaking almost fluent Italian   ….. and vouchsafed that from now on French sticks dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar will be a staple food at Castle Greysquirrell ……. no one can ever accuse us of not being totally cosmopolitan, metropolitan Neapolitan!!