Christmas in W1

This is by far my favourite time of year in the West End. The weather adds a crispness to the air which shrouds all of the streetlights with glittering stars and flaring haze. The coldness outside makes the contrast inside our homes and pubs that much more inviting and comforting, and the people become infected with a good humour and mirth that seems out of place in our beloved metropolis. The slightest hint of snow seems to silence the usual din of the city and as a committed NoHo-per, I can enjoy all of this without relying on a public transport system which normally fails at the first sign of stress.

You may ask then, dear reader, with so much to love about W1 at the moment, why the hell am I in Egypt? More specifically, Why am I lounging by the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea in the tropical beach resort of Dahab? An excellent question and unfortunately one I cannot answer. For enlightenment you must turn to my girlfriend, Claire (not her real name), who has somehow taken me on holiday against my will. For more information check out her new blog at OldDogNewTricks.com.

Our Egyptian hosts have been most welcoming and, much like their range of white wines, I have found them to be sweet and warm. We are staying in the Hilton in an attempt to support the antics of the beleaguered pink clad hotel heiress rather than prop up the ailing British economy.  It feels like the chain is suffering.  I left a bath running earlier and returned to find it dark brown.  If anything the addition of my dehydrated micturant only served to lighten its tone.  At dinner I ordered a glass of rosé.  It's colour, temperature, taste and muscle relaxing abilities exactly matched my bath water.  I'm trying my hand at windsurfing tomorrow in an attempt to get in some clean water.

Claire (not her real name) asked me earlier if I had thought about what it would be like if she died.  Possibly mistakenly, I answered honestly and said that I had.  Definitely mistakenly, I showed her some of the sketches I had made of the actual event.  She doesn't seem very happy.  I suspect she might try chumming the water around my first windsurfing attempt.

Wish me luck...

James

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Location:Sharm Al Sheikh - Newabaa,,Egypt