Feliz Navidad, Bonne Fiesta!

Wishing all fellow bloggers and followers a Merry Christmas. Our first Christmas in Spain has come round already and the sun continues to shine with temperatures pushing 20 degrees. There is little sign of the blatant commercialism of the UK High Streets, it's quite refreshing. Yesterday we drove down to Benissia near Calpe to visit the International Supermarket that stocks UK imported foods which it sells at very inflated prices. On our list were mince pies, a Christmas pudding, brandy butter and a joint of British beef, things we have not been able to find up in Gandia, and it was a real culture shock to walk in and find the place full of Brits! We became aware of just how 'Spanish' our diet has become as we now tend to eat what we find in the local Supermercado in Villalonga, fresh fish, meat fruit and vegetables, none of the processed food of UK supermarkets, no rows of crisps and snacks or sweets. We were actually pleased to get out of there and get back to Villalonga and our Spanish neighbours.

Well it is Christmas so got to have a few little extras!

We received a lovely big bag of freshly picked oranges from one of our neighbours as a seasonal gift, the economy of this area of Valencia is very much built upon oranges and the groves are still being intensively picked with seemingly no end to the crop, the factories are in full swing with lorry loads of the fruit being shipped out daily to all over Europe. Today Shaz is going to make some of her lemon cheesecakes as gifts, such is our new life in Spain.

Hobby plans for 2019.
I will continue to expand the figures per block C&C project, I'd like to do the Prussians next. I decided to remove the figures from the flocked bases, they just looked to messy to me and I wanted to return to the cleaner single bases with as much flock removed as I could and repainted. I like the individually based figures and the Blue Moons are robust enough - and heavily varnished - so that I can just scoop them up by the handful! I have now decided to keep all line infantry at 8 figures for more visual impact on the C&C board. This weeks output has been 8 British Grenadiers/Guards with a sergeant to mark them as elites, 4 French 4th Hussars and another 4 French voltiguers.

Job done I'd say! This is just what I envisaged when I started. Still plenty more figures to paint before I start on the Prussians.

The 8 figure infantry units give a better sense of mass.

French Dragoons on the left flank.

British Guards & RHA battery.

Highlanders with Light infantry to front interspersed with rifles. The British lights are powerful 5 block units and throw an additional dice when standing and firing. The rifles are 3 blocks and have increased mobility and range.

The French infantry with skirmish thrown out in front.

French light cavalry about to cross the stream, Hussars, Chasseurs & line lancers.

It's been a pleasure following all of your blogs this year and I look forward to reading more next year, it really is a great source of inspiration and helps keep me painting.