Happy New Year! 恭喜发财！

Well here we are at the first post of our blog! Here we hope to post pictures and news about our travels and adventures so that our friends and families can see them. We are currently in Maastricht enjoying the carnival that is taking place at the moment. Everyone converges on the centre of the city dressed in a variety of costumes and carrying all sorts of noise making instruments. Parades marching up and down every street and the atmosphere is wonderful. Streets have become a sea of humanity and the only way to make your way from one side to the other is to let yourself be carried by the current. There is little other choice since there is not even room to raise your hands from your sides. However perhaps more importantly it is Chinese Spring Festival and we are enjoying our time together as we welcome in the year of the pig. Getting together with friends and enjoying good food and having fun. More pictures of our time here to follow soon. I forgot the USB cable for my camera and so I have to wait until I get back home before I can upload them. So for the moment all I can say is 恭喜发财!