Fattening of geese

I know that Christmas cards are a thing of the past. I know that they clutter up all the surfaces not occupied by the Laughing Santa and the Nativity Scene. I know that they are only read once - usually quickly - but I also know that they are homely and nice. A reminder that we still have some friends. Of course, it's a return on investment landscape. To receive cards you have to send cards. I didn't in 2018 and it didn't feel right. Where to get some for this year?

We had a bit of a look around locally. Not very seriously. Actually it was more like a virtual tour - we thought our way around possible local suppliers. We knew of places with hand crafted cards and obviously the Post Office would be selling the UNICEF ones but either option would be a bit pricey for a bulk mailing. If we'd thought harder or started earlier we'd have found somewhere but we didn't and we hadn't. I looked at Amazon but delivery dates were sometimes dodgy and it's difficult to tell how flimsy and even how big the cards are from the on screen photos.

So we drove the 60kms to San Fulgencio. Everyone calls the supermarket Iceland even though the sign outside says Overseas. They are scattered throughout Spain. The last time we shopped in one was probably in 2018 though it may have been 2017. Generally we pop in around this time of year with thoughts fixed on Christmas stuff. When I say Christmas stuff I actually mean Quality Street (or Roses or Celebrations or Heroes). "I'm only going to buy sweets, sauces and chutney, oh and maybe some Stilton, and Bombay Mix," I said, as we got out of the car. 

Hah! I've just finished off a pork pie and we have some Gregg's cheese and onion pasties warming in the oven. As always we fell prey to fondly remembered tastes even though we know that the memory nearly always tastes better.

It's an interesting place is the Overseas Supermarket. There is very little concession to the store being in Spain apart from the prices being in euros. The buyers and sellers are Britons, the music is British Christmas staple, the language is English and the products are "British" too. Usually there is a Spaniard who has learned to love Robertson's jam, Princes Corned Beef or Gray Dunn Caramel Wafers but today it was just us, just Britons. Even the public information announcements, which punctuated the in-store music, about wearing face coverings and keeping your distance, were from England.

Right then now for an Army & Navy sweet and maybe then I'll start writing cards.