We went to make the food shopping for NYE yesterday and Alex studied me while I was picking up things for the soup that I was planning to concoct. Langoustine, spider crab, fresh salmon fillet, swordfish, prawns, clams etc.. and he said with a sceptic look: "Are you really going to spoil these beautiful fishes and seafood into a soup?" Soupe de poissons for him and for many other French people is a (sometimes) clear soup containing a couple of (or many) different types of bony fishes, garlic croutons, cheese, wine, tomatoes and spices and most of the times not much more ingredients into it, although it is very tasty. So he almost got upset realizing that I was actually going to spoil and destroy such delicious things into a watery mix. That was only until he tasted my soup though. He had a spoon, then another and he went from a long delighted mmmmm to an ecstatic aaaah and kept on like that for a good fifteen minutes or so and I think he refilled the plate at least two times before he fell down in the cockpit couch with a satisfied grin. A proper food orgasm was delivered and he admitted that it was something of the best he had ever eaten. My soup, FYI, is made of a base made of shallots, garlic, persil, mushrooms, oil and white wine. Gently mixed with a couple of different spices, liquid cream, lemon juice and added are several types of seafood and fish. It is a true masterpiece and I still haven't encountered anyone who doesn't love it. Saffron can occasionally be added but this specific version I prefer without. 

We enjoyed the dinner just the two of us and after the dessert we left into town and found ourselves a perfect spot by the beach just before they shot off the fireworks at 12:00. Prepared with a delicious rose champagne, which we got from our friends Thierry and Nat when leaving Barcelona for two months ago, and the 12 traditional Spanish grapes (which are supposed to bring luck when you eat twelve of them just after midnight) and we wished each other and ourselves the best of luck for the future and the upcoming year under the sparkling sky full of colorful flashes and explosions. Afterwards we had a walk back home - a walk which took over two hours along the beachside as we got lost by the narrow cobbled streets. A beautiful night was spent and we crashed in bed around 3 am, tired, happy and excited for what the new decennium will have in store for us. All was perfect, only some of our dear people from home were missing and thank god I drank enough champagne that I barely felt the ache from my new shoes after all that walking. Feels good to know that I will not be in need of wearing high heels for, at least, the next four weeks or so.