Christmas Day

Sarah's indomitable mincemeat pies

Brunch at 1015 at my daughter's so my constitutional run had to be before this. I ran along what we call Goat man's lane via Johnstown, turning right onto the Wicklow Gap to Holywood road, up over the hill, then right again, over a fence into and returning via Holywood woods, then joining the Tulfarris loop, making a detour down to the lake to wash the mud off the dog. These Irish back roads are a bit hard under barefoot: the forest tracks are surprisingly easier going.

11 miles

Christmas is all about eating and we did all of that. What better than mincemeat pies and ginger wine? Christmas is all about family: apart from my older daughter mine has been cast to the uttermost parts of the world. The rest of the community is almost family, but I still felt a bit isolated without Ali.