Japan is a totally unique country and despite being in Asia it is like no other Asian country. It has many western attributes – a fabulously efficient public transport system, a clean, safe environment in which to live and a very low unemployment rate but it is like no other western country. It is an enigma and it is one of THE places to be right now for some reason. Every man and his dog has either been or is planning a trip to visit in the near future. Its uniqueness is its greatest charm. The mix of old and new, conservative and crazy, ancient culture and modern anime, old fashioned yet cutting edge. Our trip was split between Kyoto and Tokyo, the fantastic bullet train whisking us between the two cities in less than 2 hours in comfort. Both cities have their plusses and minuses but our personal favourite was Kyoto. Smaller to navigate, plenty of things to see and do and we stayed in a very old narrow townhouse with rickety stairs, an outside bath overlooking the tiny garden and futons on the floor for sleeping. Alith the welcome addition of reverse cycle aircon which kept us toasty in the rather chilly weather.

We bought suica cards at the airport on arrival which made life so easy when catching the trains or buses and were easy to reload at the 711s found on every corner if necessary. These are like our Australian opal cards and made transitioning through stations much easier and on the buses (which charge a flat rate on any given route) where you just tap off when leaving. Google maps and Google translate were our friends and with the relatively cheap rates nowadays to use your phone overseas life was pretty easy. The camera function on the translate app was very handy for reading menus and signs and nowadays they even announce the stations in English as well as Japanese on the trains which was comforting! So despite a completely different language (no latin based easy peasy stuff here folks) alphabet and culture we somehow managed to navigate our way around the city. Our go to 1st day is always the HOHO bus to get our bearings and its often a pretty cheap way of seeing a few landmarks without having to worry too much about how you get from A to B. We stopped off at the beautiful Golden Pavilion which glowed in the afternoon sunshine amongst some beautiful gardens. A stop in Gion where we spotted a Geisha on the way to work and witnessed many couples dressed in traditional clothes. The girls look so gorgeous although those weird wooden sandals with socks look distinctly uncomfortable! Despite it being March there were tourists EVERYWHERE. Rivers of people from both overseas and from Japan all basically aiming for the same experience. Needless to say some of our best moments were when we went off the main track and could immerse ourselves in a more serene environment and get more of a feel for how the place would have been in the old days.

The next day we set off to explore the Fushimi Inari Shrine famous for its 10,000 torii gates and one of the “must do” things in Kyoto. We had a lovely day to slowly climb up the many many steps to the top of the mountain watching the locals praying and leaving charms and wishes as they went. It was quite fascinating despite not really understanding the whole dedication to Inari – the God of rice and foxes apparently! The crowds dwindled the higher up you went and we were rewarded with a wonderful view of Kyoto from the top.

After so much climbing we were happy to get home and soak in our lovely outdoor bath to soothe our aches and pains before venturing out into our local neighbourhood to suss out a venue for dinner. We found a great little corner bar that served warm sake and cold beer before heading to a restaurant that serves okonomiyaki – the famous Japanese pancakes that are cooked on a hotplate in front of you. Delicious and fun. We also discovered our first decent ramen – the MOTH was in heaven!

We love a good market and the following day we were excited to check out Nishiki market which takes up an entire block of the city and was conveniently located under a roof as it was raining. Hundreds of little stalls selling everything from jasmine tea to smoked eel to the reddest strawberries wrapped in white bean paste as well as vintage kimonos, sneakers, thousands of trinkets that they love to attach to their bags and a couple of shops selling amazing (very expensive) chefs knives. We tried the biggest oysters grilled by a blowtorch, huge battered prawns and smoked eel on skewers and fish tempura – all yummy and eaten as directed outside the shop where you buy it. No tables are provided and they urge you NOT to walk and eat as it’s considered very bad manners. No rubbish bins are provided either yet there is not one piece of litter anywhere!

We also came across our first animal cafe. These are extremely popular over here and can feature cats/dogs/guinea pigs/rabbits/owls/hedgehogs and in this instance micro pigs! They are insanely cute but we resisted the temptation to enter. Just another uniquely Japanese experience!

We had noticed that the Nijo-jo Castle was just a ten minute walk from our house so with pictures of tiny pigs dancing in our heads we decided it was time for a bit of history and a visit to the castle where the shoguns had lived while ruling from 1603-1868. The castle is still impressive and imposing although the interior is truly beautiful with painted screens of gilt depicting flowers, trees, birds and tigers and the grounds contain groves of plum and cherry trees that were just coming into bloom. We really got a feel for how they lived in simplicity despite their wealth.

Our last day took us way across town to The Bamboo Forest. We hadn’t really planned on going there but I had been told about the special tofu dish that is famous in Kyoto and a specialist restaurant serving tofu (yudofu) was a 20 minute walk from the Bamboo Grove so off we went! Despite another river of tourists the bamboo forest was rather special – tranquil and serene despite the crowds. The obligatory brides were dotted about taking their wedding photos (this happens ahead of the actual ceremony apparently) and I did rather admire them as it was muddy and puddly but I imagine that was all probably edited out of the final photos!!

Our tofu meal was probably one of the most memorable of our trip. We arrived at what we thought was the restaurant and met by a uniformed man who asked us several times if we knew it was a yudofu restaurant only serving tofu and when we agreed he led us through the original building to some gorgeous gardens and a big old house where we were shown a beautiful traditional room where we were to eat zashiki style – at low tables on tatami flooring. The MOTH had a look of dread at the prospect of having to sit cross legged on the ground and the lovely older Japanese lady looking after us came back with a couple of extra cushions for him to sit on! Apparently Kyoto has particularly lovely water and the tofu dish became famous in the area as a result of it being boiled in the special water! It bubbled away in front of us as we were served about 20 different little tiny accompaniments – all vegetarian – pickly things, chilli things, tiny omelettes, miso soup, kelp, steamed rice, veggie tempura and the chopped green spring onion tops that are synonymous with Kyoto. The tofu was soft, luscious and creamy and quite unlike the stuff we’ve previously had in Australia! The fact that this restaurant was tucked away from the surge of tourists in the town made it an even more special experience – a lovely last day in Kyoto.

Back to Tokyo and our nephew, wife and 2.5 year old son who live there. We stayed near them so we could catch up easily and it was great to be able to spend some time with them. They’ve been here about 18 months now and find they have mixed feelings about living in Tokyo. It’s hard living in an apartment with a 2 year old and with no outside space. I think this is the thing I would find the hardest too. They take him to a nearby playground for a couple of hours every afternoon and he happily rode his balance bike to meet us at various local coffee shops but after living in Australia and Switzerland with their beautiful outdoor lifestyles it does make them yearn for space! They get away from Tokyo at least once a month which helps. For me Tokyo is a HUGE sprawling concrete jungle. No wonder they go ape over the cherry trees when they blossom – they are a welcome splash of pink in an otherwise grey landscape especially coming off a winter of bare trees and cold wet weather. It makes the gardens an extra special place to meet and for the little children to run around.

The food was one of the things we were really looking forward to on our visit and it didn’t fail us! We LOVED the different ramen restaurants and sushi made freshly in front of us with soft, still warm rice which beats the cold hard offerings we often get in Oz. The Takoyaki made for a yummy afternoon treat on an afternoon where it snowed in Kyoto – they are balls of battered octopus shallow fried and served with different sauces and are on every street corner. We were tempted to go to a nearby teppanyaki restaurant but at $260 per head without drinks we decided it wasn’t worth it! Funnily enough they do great burgers in Japan and it doesn’t take long before you want to break up the traditional food with a bit of a western treat! Wagyu burgers win! They are also famous for their sandos – Japanese sandwiches. They mostly use fluffy white bread with the crusts off and are filled with the famous egg mayonnaise mix and katsu of either chicken or pork (they reminded me of the English style fish finger sandwiches which have become a bit of a thing again in cafes in Sydney). You don’t however have to go to a restaurant to get decent food as the local 711 and Lawson stores have a fresh daily supply of yummy options. Their packaging makes me slightly anxious with every little thing wrapped separately and then in a bigger plastic container but that is very typical of all of Asia. They have vending machines everywhere selling everything from sweets, rice crackers and water to hot coffee and alcohol. The family stores have shelves of their chilled sections that actually contain hot coffee in a takeaway bottle! Everyone was super helpful to us and their manners are out of this world. Lots of bowing from the taxi drivers when they say goodbye and from wait staff when they give you the change. No tipping in Japan makes everything easy and they are so honest that they will run after you with your 5 cents change thinking you’d forgotten it!

Our Tokyo experience was rounded off with a few different experiences. One was a visit to TeamLab Planets which is an immersive and interactive digital art museum which was very enjoyable as you become part of the art yourself! It is very playful in parts and challenges your idea of perspective. It was one of the few things we’d booked from Australia and we loved it – definitely brought out our inner child!

The second experience was over in a matter of seconds and was an earthquake. The epicentre was north of Tokyo so it was just a little shake and shudder but the fact that both of our phones started blaring out “earthquake earthquake find shelter” was more alarming! Our nephew assured us it was nothing to worry about as it happens all the time and we laughed and continued our day but a week later Taiwan was hit by a big one so I guess you never know when it’s going to be your turn. Another thing I love about Australia is we are not on any fault lines and our problems are mostly rain related – either too much or too little!

On our last night we had booked to go to Abbey Road with Jason and Leslie which is a club where tribute bands play Beatles covers. Our friends at home had recommended it and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They were accomplished and enthusiastic and a good time was had by all. Afterwards the MOTH finally got to go out and enjoy a local whisky bar with Jason, getting home in the wee small hours tired but happy!

All in all we enjoyed our trip. We spent more time than we care to mention in queues, which is par for the course with so many people I guess although an hour queuing to go up a tower for 10 minutes is a bit punishing! So many things stand out – the amazing toilets (if you know you know) deserve a mention, the Japanese themselves with their impeccable manners and adherence to the rules (no one would ever cross the road without permission from the green man) and the history, culture and sheer Japanese-ness of everything was wonderful. The downside of it being flavour of the month is that thousands of tourists had already booked ahead months in advance to some of the things we would have liked to do on the spur of the moment and our usual spontaneous style of travel backfired this time around because of it. I was interested in doing an ikebana class, Cam wanted to make ramen, we both fancied playing tourist at a tea ceremony dressed in kimonos all of which were unavailable for weeks or even months thanks to those over organised tourists! Well you live and learn I guess! Now we are home I find myself thinking back to various things and I think it is one of those countries that takes a bit of time to process. I would definitely go back and explore some places less well known now that we have dipped our toes into Japan and found it was a little easier than we had thought it might be to get around. Give it a whirl folks!

As I have written about previously (ad nauseum) the weather has been doing our heads in. So much rain and then lots of sun is just perfect conditions for GROWTH! One in every three people I talk to down here are looking for some help in their gardens and it’s only those who do manage to secure someone to help that have beautifully manicured grounds! At an average of $75+GST per hour for someone to basically weed that soon adds up. Most companies will only send a ute with equipment for a minimum of 2 men for 4 hours….that’s $660 and they sometimes insist on that being a fortnightly thing in summer at least. Luckily I didn’t have to win the lottery in order to renovate our very overgrown veggie patch because my Super Heroes arrived in the form of good friends from Forster – Baz and Kathy. They kick started us into transforming our patch from a wildflower meadow which successfully hid LOTS of weeds into a neat tidy and productive garden once more! We weeded, sprayed, mulched and laid metres and metres of weed mats on the pathways. Then my other Super Hero (Tom) arrived to help lay out pavers and truck loads of pebbles to hopefully keep the dreaded weeds at bay. Already I have hundreds of tiny tomato plants popping up as literally every seed in a fallen tomato grows a new plant but I am determined to keep on top of it from now on and as Autumn is here next week hopefully things will start to calm down. It is lovely to see everyone’s hard work pay off – thanks so much guys!

In between all the hard work we took our Forster friends to a few local places that have been on our to do list for a while. Baz is a great watercolour artist and we took a Sunday afternoon off to visit Bundanon, the estate of the late painter Arthur Boyd. It is quite an extraordinary place in a beautiful location. So peaceful, surrounded by a thousand hectares of bush and the magnificent Shoalhaven River. The old buildings sit alongside the new ‘Bridge’ which houses a creative learning centre and accommodation and has been awarded the Sulman Medal for Public architecture. It all works together despite the different eras and designs and we thoroughly enjoyed poking about in all the buildings young and old!

Bundanon is many things. An art museum embedded in the landscape. A wildlife sanctuary set on 1000 hectares. A gift to the Australian people. Arthur and Yvonne Boyd’s gift of Bundanon has given Australia a unique cultural and environmental asset. It was born out of Boyd’s wish that others might also draw inspiration from this remarkable place. The nineteenth century Homestead, twentieth century farm workers cottages, and world-renowned contemporary buildings are great examples of Australian architecture. His personal studio and house is located 20 minutes further downstream and is quite remarkable as it is on display exactly as he left it with paints, brushes and various tools and artworks in various stages of completion – a real lens into the way he painted.

The Art Museum itself was a wonderful space and we enjoyed the current exhibition featuring the work Miwatj Yolŋu – Sunrise People from Arnhem Land and I loved some of the modern colours being used in a traditional way which gave them a completely new feel. Apparently a rubbish pile of old printer cartridges were used to give the pink tones – fantastic!

Another place we have been wanting to visit for ages is Jim Wilds oyster shack at Greenwell Point. It’s a little gem of a place right on the river and selling the yummiest oysters done a few ways alongside fresh prawn rolls. All washed down with a nice bottle of wine swilled out of plastic cups. The ground is strewn with crushed oyster shells giving it a unique and cheap landscaping style! We pondered life on the river as we sat enjoying the sunshine and a brisk breeze off the water – a well earned break from all that hard yakka!

The day finally dawned for Myla to start school and she was so very excited. She loved the whole theatre of dressing in her new uniform with matching ribbons – even enduring the creation of her plaits (not easy when you have super curly hair!) She completely unpacked her HUGE schoolbag to show me all the treasures within – her lunchbox with all the little compartments, her library bag, sports bag and contents plus a little necklace she had made with India which she packed to remind her of her sister when she wasn’t there! I see that she was wearing it when she had her kindy photo taken – very cute! I guess they have been together pretty much every day of the last 2.5 years so it’s quite a change for them to be separated. She loves school so far and I love that they can just walk to school – no bus/train or car trips necessary! It gives them the perfect 10 minutes on the way home to debrief the day’s activities before she crashes on the lounge totally exhausted! Go Myla Moo!

So as the days start to shorten and the leaves start to change colour we look forward to Autumn when things slow down and our food changes from barbeques and colourful salads to slow cooked delights and plums and apples take over from mangoes and peaches. There is just enough time left to make a couple of yummy desserts/tarts/cakes before they disappear for another year and hopefully eat outside (if the mozzies allow) before those long winter nights arrive and it’s dark at 4pm! I am so glad we live in an area with four distinct seasons to enjoy, each with a little something to recommend it ❤️

The first part of the year is always spent in holiday mode. The days are long, usually sunny and warm and seem to stretch endlessly ahead until work and school beckons people back to reality. To us this means family and friends visiting and entertaining outdoors. One of the easiest and most sociable ways to entertain a crowd is Pizza Night!! We really haven’t used our oven as much as we thought we would so this summer we decided to go for it and it has been getting a bit of a workout at last! It’s very convivial to sit around the pizza oven chatting and creating whichever masterpiece you wish to eat whilst the sun goes down over the chook shed. Young or old, drinking wine or water, fancy toppings or just cheese, eating loads or just a slice – everyone is catered for on Pizza Night!

It has been the strangest of summers with everything from 18-40 degrees and LOADS of rain and I haven’t needed to water anything other than my pots since October! The combination of heat and rain has sent the garden into overdrive with the damned kikuyu grass ruining my flower beds and destroying my veggie patch! It would need a full time team of 2-4 men to keep it under control in these circumstances so we have just had to resign ourselves to the out of control nature of the property at the moment. It’s either been too hot, too wet or we’ve been too busy to do more than the basics so we will be playing catch up once Autumn arrives no doubt! The pool has been a godsend in the hot weather and the cows that have access to a river are equally grateful as there are never enough trees planted in the paddocks to cope with hot cows or horses. They huddle together in the tiny patches of shade, taking turns to get a reprieve from the scorching sun. Down at the beach everyone is happy – humans, dogs and horses all enjoying the cool water and this year’s generous wide sand.

The Berry Show is a much loved annual event and our visit to it made me remember how important these things are to a rural community. This year was the 136th show and the mere thought of this show happening in the late 1880’s where the ladies would have been in long dresses and the men in their suits made me feel a) hot and b) part of a long line of Berry and Shoalhaven residents who are grateful for this way of life. Over the past 20 years, new technology and changing trends have really impacted what it’s like to be a kid and we are forever hearing in the media about kids who don’t communicate through anything other than their devices and spend more time gaming in their rooms than playing outside with their friends. Nothing could be further from the truth with the kids here at The Show. They got dressed up in their RM’s and country shirts, their prize pet chicken tucked under their arms or their freshly washed and brushed pooch proudly displayed in the arena as he or she competed in “the dog with the waggiest tail” or in the doggy high jump. A little 2 year old girl stole the show with her 2 day old chick that she showed off proudly in her akubra hat! As for the horse competitions – they were fabulous! To see such confident young people jumping and showing their horses and being part of such a close and caring community was really heart warming and proof that country life still gives kids as much fun now as it ever did. Kids and adults alike displayed their art, photography, spinning and weaving of wool from their sheep, veggies, jams and cakes as well as some Lego creations and carpentry. There were bullock trains and a rodeo, stunts from Airtime FMX bikes and displays from working dogs, a poultry pavilion, sideshow alley, the ever popular woodchop and beautiful cattle of every colour and shape, all topped off with a fireworks display. Definitely something for everyone and a real pleasure to visit if only to see that the future is in good hands with these kids.

On a whim I decided to be brave and enter a couple of things in the open class for still life and modern art. As I’ve only just started painting I have been very reticent to show people my stuff and have been quite shy about it all. The thing I loved about The Show was the anonymity of it as your name was only on the back of the painting so I didn’t feel too ‘on show’ despite exhibiting! No one was more surprised than me when we went along on Friday to see I had received two 2nd place prizes!!! I was delighted despite my plan backfiring as my name was now on them both!! People have been so warm and encouraging and I’m glad to be ‘out and proud’ hahaha….

One morning I was up early and making my cuppa when I heard a lot of noise coming from the chook shed which is unusual early in the day so I casually looked over to their area to see a HUGE shape – wings outstretched on top of the chook house. It was like something from a Godzilla movie and I went running over shouting and clapping my hands to try and scare it away from my hens! Bailey went ahead barking and there was lots of noise and tension from all of us as I raced to let the chickens out. They rushed off across the garden to the safety of the bushes and the Wedge Tailed Eagle instead of flying off got spooked and jumped down into their yard. Poor thing was scared and kept lunging into the netting as it looked to escape. I finally flushed it out by coming around the back of the pen and it flew up to the roof once more before taking off into the nearby trees. No chicken breakfast for him this morning thank goodness. He stayed there for another hour or so either waiting to spot them in a clearing or perhaps just shaken up himself after his little morning adventure…..

There is one little person who is very excited that February has arrived. Little Myla is starting school on Feb 12th and has dressed up in her new uniform at least half a dozen times – even sleeping in her sports gear on the first night!! I love how huge the dress is on her and her school bag hangs so low it is in danger of knocking her over from behind! She’s loving the matching hair ribbons and bows and all the stationery and lunchbox items that are now going to be a regular part of her life for the next decade and is champing at the bit to get started. Little Indi thinks she is going too of course as she has never really been separated from Myla before. She loves being Myla’s wardrobe assistant and part time model and will no doubt be very bemused when she has to go back to daycare without her big sister! I can’t quite believe how quickly these last few years have gone to be honest but time waits for no man however much you’d like to hang on to the days of chubby hands and the pink cheeks of babyhood. Have the best time Myla Moo….

The year ended on a high with this year being our “on” Christmas with all the family and something I look forward to very much. Its noisy and chaotic and typically ‘us’ and getting more so with the addition of 4 kids under 5 in the mix but something I wouldn’t miss for quids! It takes a lot of planning and shopping and cooking and bed making but hopefully is something we will all remember in the years to come when we won’t have the room to host everyone for three or four days at a time and it becomes more of a day event. It was especially lovely and important for the little cousins to spend some time together as they rarely if ever see each other in between due to the Tassie situation. They all command adult fares now on the plane and that makes it quite expensive as well as the logistics of work (and from this year) school dates needing to be factored in. I can hardly believe Myla is off to school, even though in Tassie they only do a 5 day fortnight for the first year. She already has her uniform and her school bag and she is VERY excited – sleeping in her sports gear the first night she had it!! I just know it will be a blink of an eye before they are all at school so these times with them as toddlers is extra precious.

They arrived on Christmas Eve with so much excitement for Santa and all the fun things that go with his arrival. We had a Xmas cookie decorating session in the afternoon which went down a treat – the little ones more keen on eating them than decorating them but the older two filled every tiny space on their cookies with icing. I was thrilled to read them ‘The Night Before Xmas’ and after a few Xmas songs around the Christmas tree we tucked them into bed with high hopes that the big guy in red was going to visit and fill their stockings! We were then free to have our grown up Xmas dinner in the dining room – one of the few times per year that it is used for it’s original purpose! We always have our hot meal on Xmas Eve and it gives me much pleasure to decorate the room and use all our nice china and glasses.

We awoke to excited squeals as they discovered the bulging stockings at the bottom of their beds and ripped the paper off to divulge the little gifts inside. The big day was off and running and we basically never drew breath for the rest of the day!! Food was prepared (special thanks to my ham chef) and margheritas were whipped up (thanks to my barman) presents were exchanged, Uncle Tom read books and inserted batteries into what seemed like nearly every gift! Sam assembled Lego and robots and Loz and I endured many incarnations of being “made-up” with Myla’s new make up kit (yellow eyeshadow is SO fetching!) Indi had a doll tucked under her arm at all times whilst keeping an eye out for the scary T-Rex that Ollie loved! You get the picture. I was so engrossed I nearly forgot I was meant to be cooking so we had a rather late lunch and after a boisterous pool session the kids were asleep early and we all collapsed and had an early night after all the excitement!

Boxing Day was more relaxed and we had the obligatory biennial Cameron Family Cricket Match – Bailey as per usual was by far the best fielder! Tom had bought the older kids a fishing rod each for Xmas and the menfolk decided to take them to Shoalhaven Heads river to show them how it’s done. They all had a lovely time and Cooper caught his very first fish. From that moment on he and Myla really bonded over their grown up adventure!

The day was going well until I had a labrador inflicted knee injury where I genuinely thought I’d torn my ligament and when I was just starting to be able to put some weight on it a few days later I made a stupid decision to show Myla my handstand ability which sadly after years of being able to walk on my hands as a youngster was completely inept and I collapsed due to my lack of upper body strength and tore my ankle ligament too!! Great start to 2024 but also a wake up call for me to start a strengthening program….use it or lose it as they say!!

Everyone left on the 27th except the two little girls who we were minding while Mum and Dad went to a wedding up the coast. We had such fun with them – they love being our chicken helpers and collecting the eggs and adore doing craft so it was easy to keep them entertained. We took them into Berry for a special morning tea of scones and jam and milkshakes which they LOVED! Wearing their matching dresses that I bought them in Greece and wearing some of my necklaces (which they had trialled on the ever patient Bailey) they attracted quite a few comments from our fellow diners – very sweet! A trip to the amazing toyshop in Berry had them buying stick on earrings, bubbles and stick on nails which provided an afternoon’s entertainment (we are still finding little rainbow and unicorn nails 4 weeks later) and a visit to the Fairy Tree always goes down a treat. They had a wonderful time playing with their new dance ribbons from Santa and insisted on showing Pap as he was watching the cricket – very relaxing!!

It seemed pretty quiet when we were just down to 4 adults and 2 kids and the rest of the holiday was spent doing the simple things that make kids happy. On their last day the boys played golf and us girls ventured to Huskisson for a fish and chips lunch followed by caramel milkshakes – does life get any better? A lot of kisses, waving and honking of horns as they set off the next morning on their road trip back to Geelong to catch the ferry back to Tassie and we weren’t too sad as we already have our flights booked for April to visit them in Hobart!

It was a great way to finish off what had been a good year for us. The retired one has met a great bunch of blokes who he enjoys golfing with and who share the same weird sense of humour as him and it has really helped him settle into enjoying retirement instead of being a bit lost. You can live in the nicest place in the world but you always need some friends to share things with or it is just an empty shell. Let’s see what 2024 has to offer – so far it has given us a lot of rain followed by a lot of sunshine and you never know which one you’re going to get. As a result the garden has gone into overdrive and we are gradually trying to rein it into submission but we are mostly failing! We refuse to be ruled by the proliferation of weeds and overactive grass runners that thread their way through everything and just do a bit every day whilst trying not to feel overwhelmed although if I won the lottery tomorrow the first thing I would do is employ a gardener for all the yukky jobs and I would just enjoy my flowers!! So let’s go 2024 – do your best and let’s remember that there are always beautiful simple things that can give us pleasure no matter what….

Is there a better word in the world? Home…. one of the top three words along with love and family. It is great to go away and experience new things, find inspiration to do things differently or finally start that hobby you’ve been thinking about for years but it’s also wonderful to come home to the familiar, your family and animals, your own bed and your favourite coffee. In fact if I didn’t travel I don’t think I would appreciate my home as much as I do. You see it through fresh eyes and your heart swells when you turn into the driveway, knowing all is as it should be. What was becoming slightly boring before your trip now  brings you joy in the everyday familiarity and security of being back in your own place once more.

Unfortunately along with those feelings of comfort came feelings of being unwell and within 36 hours we were down with Covid – a parting gift from either the plane trip or maybe someone in the 86,000 crowd at our last night’s game in Paris. We were literally like a river of people as we left the stadium so no real surprises if that’s where we got it! Luckily it was a relatively mild case and we were feeling considerably better after a week which was lucky as I had a couple of things in the diary for the following few weeks. First stop was a girls weekend in Callala Bay. We were celebrating 25 years of our bookclub which is no mean feat. A few people have come and gone, through relocation and sadly a death but most of us are still here and look forward to our monthly meetings. What was a respite in the past from parenting and husbands and work is now a celebration of friendship and growing families and therapy in this new stage of our lives and is as precious as ever. It’s a rare meeting that we are all together especially now travel is back on the cards but its always lovely and we are grateful to have it and each other. The weather was a bit grey so apart from a daily walk on the beach we were happy to stay inside the rather gorgeous house we’d rented and as we had all bought food and wine we didn’t even need to go out! MUCH chatting, laughing, face and foot masks, swapping of stories and relaxation was had and the consensus was we should do it again sooner rather than later!

Luckily the weather changed just in time for a beautiful lunch in Kangaroo Valley. Held on Melbourne Cup Day but renamed ‘Fill My Cup’ my lovely friend Leigh opens up her gorgeous house every year for a girl’s lunch to celebrate friendship and support for each other. Everyone brings yummy food and drinks and it was terrific to meet some really interesting local ladies with many different stories. Landscapers, Designers, Chefs, a film maker, a myriad of skilled women enjoying each other’s company over a delicious lunch – thanks Leigh!

The following day we left for a few days down at Potato Point, a few hours drive south of us and a place introduced to us by our daughter and husband who took us there after Covid to thank us for housing them during the lockdown. We fell in love with its pristine location and simple old school holiday vibe. Four couples got together for a few days of old fashioned fun – barbies, swims and walks, card games and drinks listening to the waves crash while old memories were rehashed and tall stories told! A nice surprise was a visit from our lovely friend Duncan – a Canadian who has lived in Switzerland for most of his life and made friends with our very own young MOTH when he did a stint working in the ski fields back in the day. They have remained friends ever since and we catch up whenever we can. He fitted in well with the crew and enjoyed meeting our eclectic little bunch! On our last day we had a nice outing to Narooma for a long lunch at beautiful Quarterdeck with its gorgeous view over the water and the food didn’t let us down – delicious as always. We left full and happy and ready for an afternoon snooze! We hope to repeat the trip away at a different beach location later this year.

The next few weeks were a flurry of activity as we got stuck into preparing the house and garden for Christmas and finally started our little conversion project of the old chook pen. The builders didn’t mess around and within 2 days everything was stripped out, insulated and new windows and doors installed! Two days later the walls were up, electrics and plumbing roughed in and we could see the studio taking shape. The trickiest part of the whole job ended up being the polishing of the concrete which proved challenging mainly because there was a 2 inch difference of the floor levels where the old laying boxes had been taken out. This involved a LOT of grinding down of the old concrete before we could even start the polishing. We guess that the floor was at least 40 years old and had no idea how it would come up and it didn’t behave as we had envisaged unfortunately. The middle of the floor looked great with a nice terrazzo effect but all around the edges it was a sludgy brown and it just looked wrong. The only option was for another layer of sealer which made it look more unified but sadly in the brown colour instead of the grey and white. The poor bloke was here every day in the boiling heat trying to make it behave but in the end I was happy to accept it the way it was – that is after all the story of the old coop and once the furniture was in it didn’t look too bad. The painters took over and miraculously just a few days before Xmas we had a finished studio!! Perfect timing for Tom to christen it whilst simultaneously evading the chaos of the main house with his 4 Nieces and Nephews under 5 years of age!

After a couple of nights in Athens we headed for Nice and our Rugby and Wine Tour. We were slightly trepidacious as neither of us had ever been on a tour as adults before and weren’t quite sure what to expect. We had a day to ourselves to explore Nice before meeting the others and starting on the itinerary and what a day it was. Beautiful sunshine, gorgeous colourful architecture and it was market day! What more could we ask. We lunched overlooking the flower markets, tucking into mussels, niçoise salad and chilled local wine listening to our favourite language – French – being spoken all around us. We decided to be brave this trip and use as much of our French as we could as we hardly get any opportunity to use it at home. They were so lovely and always appreciated us trying and when asked prompted us how we could have said it better!! Afterwards we ambled along the Promenade des Anglais enjoying one of the most famous beaches of the Cote d’Azur. They shipped in tons of golden sand to put over the pebbles during summer and despite it being nearly the middle of October there was still lots of beautiful people soaking up the sun!

Day 1 had us on the bus with a lovely tour guide who filled us in on life in the south of France and on the local history. We stopped off in Cannes and breakfasted in the market. Our trip up into the hills behind Nice to St Paul de Vence was perfect. We played petanque and drank aperol in the square outside the town, explored the tiny little cobbled laneways which were home to artists and teeny tiny shops selling Provençal specialties. A wine tasting at a 14th century cellar accompanied by charcuterie boards was fun and we quickly started to get to know our fellow companions – a great bunch of people with a good sense of humour and we started to relax – all was going to be well!

Day 2 saw us off to Cassis, a Mediterranean fishing port famous for its pastel coloured buildings, street cafes and it’s calanques. This is where the steep limestone cliffs plunge into the azure blue water of the mediterranean creating little sheltered coves which harbor many fish and make it a great place to dive or snorkel. We were happy to once again be there on market day and we had a lovely time wandering around and enjoying watching the passing parade as we lunched outdoors. We started to notice lots of rugby supporters from many nations and famous retired players too, we weren’t too far from Marseille and tomorrow night’s first quarter final match and we were starting to feel pleased we had signed up for the whole experience!

We arrived in Aix-en-Provence, a charming colourful city in Provence which was made famous by local artist Paul Cezanne who popularized the landscapes of Provence around the world (his little atelier is still here and open to visitors). Aix is a beautiful town which we quickly got to know. Everything revolved around the huge fountain in the main square and the whole place was heaving with rugby tourists! We could hear the Brits and the Welsh singing in the pubs and every restaurant was booked out. Luckily together with a group of our newfound friends we found somewhere to eat at about 9pm and enjoyed the local steak frites and red wine before heading back to the hotel eager to explore more the next day. Market Day!! (Do I sense a theme here??) and I finally got to buy some gifts and also my traditional French gift to myself – local Provençale fabric which I make into a tablecloth! I have already got yellow, red and blue themed ones and this time I found a beautiful green one to take home.

By 2pm we were all in the foyer awaiting our coach transfer to Marseille and our first rugby match between Wales and Argentina. As we arrived in Marseille it was hard not to get swept up in the carnival atmosphere with everyone wearing their country colours and singing and dancing. Everyone was happy and we didn’t see any trouble despite most people drinking. A fabulous atmosphere and as we entered the stadium we could only imagine how the players were feeling.

The next day we piled into the bus to discover Avignon, the City of the Popes where we immersed ourselves in the thousand year old history of the city and marvelled at the largest gothic palace in Europe. Back in the 1300s Avignion was the centre of the Roman Catholic world and though it’s stint as the seat of papal power only lasted about 7 years it has been left with an impressive legacy of ecclesiastical architecture, most notably the soaring fortress cum palace known as the Palais des Papes. Avignon is also more commonly known for its famous bridge. We grew up singing “sur le pont d’avignon” in French classes and here I was seeing it in real life!!

This afternoon the MOTH fell in love with Provence. We had a few hours in Isle sur la Sorge, an enchanting little town in the heart of Provence. Sitting upon the River Sorgue it is a mecca for people looking for French antiques and artisan products of the region. The brocante is famous and utterly charming, individual stores set up in the Autumn sunshine and I so wished I could take some of the beautiful pieces home to Australia but it was totally impractical of course. We treated ourselves to lunch instead, set amidst the bustling market (you knew it!) with smells to die for and beautiful colourful fabrics blowing in the breeze I felt like I was in a Willy Wonka movie with a total overload of the senses. Cam was captivated and has since said to me at least a dozen times that he wants to return there before he dies (slightly dramatic) and live like a local for a few months. I would definitely enjoy that too so you never know! We were feeling very relaxed and happy when we boarded the bus for quarter final number 2 – we could only hope that it would be as good as game 1. Tonight it was England and Fiji battling it out and once again we were not disappointed!

We left beautiful Aix and headed to Toulouse – a city neither of us had visited before. We had a full day, stopping en route for a three course lunch at Fontfroide Abbey which was just what we needed to prepare ourselves physically for a long tour of Carcassonne. We had THE most passionate guide I think we’ve ever met. She knew EVERYTHING about every part of the history of Carcassonne and much more to boot and didn’t hesitate to share it ALL with us. It took 2.5 hours and I think we were all rather relieved when we got back on the bus! Don’t get me wrong it was interesting and Carcassonne is beautiful – it is the best restored medieval citadel in France and is steeped in history and medieval charm. The imposing crenellated walls bear witness to centuries of struggle and defensive strategies. The thing I found most fascinating that there was an entire town within those walls – like a giant ancient dolls house with gargoyles posted as sentinels!

Toulouse – often referred to as the pink city – was huge and vibrant. It is known as a centre for art, heritage and also the air and space industry. Its 2000 year history and beautiful mansion houses and manicured gardens call to mind the golden age of the renaissance and the pastel trade. We took our favourite little HOHO bus tour to acquaint ourselves with the city and noted there was a huge cycle path down near the Canal du Midi and later we rented a couple of bikes and did some much needed exercise for a couple of hours! It was so tranquil there considering we were in such a big city and reminded me again that we have always said we’d like to take a boat down that very same canal!

We did a spot of shopping with the MOTH needing a few more tee shirts (no laundry facilities on this stage of our trip) so we popped into ZARA and picked some up, dropping the receipt into a bin in the square. I happened to notice a hole in the shirt so we returned to the shop where Cam had to strip and wait 15 minutes for a member of staff to exchange it!! Lucky he’s not shy! Then of course our tour leader Matt Hodgson took a pic of us delving into the bin retrieving the receipt – we looked like a homeless couple!!

Toulouse provided one of the MOTH’s bucket list items – cassoulet!! We had been excited to visit Entrecote, a lovely restaurant where we had had some lovely meals in the past and which has a special association with our very missed BIL – JC. I was so looking forward to their amazing steak frites when Cam saw this other restaurant where they proudly proclaimed that cassoulet was their signature dish – and my steak frites were gone! To be fair he loved every mouthful and it was a lovely restaurant – 85% full of rugby mad men - so I never had a chance! The next day we checked out the huge covered market and ate upstairs in the restaurants that support the stalls downstairs, cooking the day’s produce in style. we had an awesome lunch that included duck and foie gras and walked around town enjoying the famous French carousels which were in every square and had coffee in little cafes watching the world go by.

We farewelled Toulouse and headed to Bordeaux. We had a lovely day trip organised by the tour and first stop was Agen Rugby Club in Lot-et-Garonne. ARC was founded in 1908 and has taken part in many prestigious competitions and has been part of the Top 14 – France’s elite championship. The club currently plays in the second tier of national rugby competitions in France – Pro D2. We had a tour of the club and the grounds, watching the Captains run for the team before we enjoyed a cocktail lunch. The MOTH was a little starstruck when Phillipe Sella (who has 111 caps for France) came to meet us and talk about the history of his club – he is now on the board. Cam remembers watching him play back in the day and he was very charming taking all our questions and speaking his best English! Ajen won their game the next day with us all cheering them on from a bar in Bordeaux!!

The afternoon took us to Eyran Chateau and their vineyard where we had a tour and a tasting. They use regenerative farming methods which was very interesting to learn about and even gave us a few ideas for our garden at home and made us feel better about our little family of microbats that cohabit with us! The vineyard brings them in especially to deal with the bad bugs and to keep the eco system happy! They make a range of red, white and rose wines in the Pessac Leognan and Bordeaux appellations and we enjoyed the tour very much. Our first night in Bordeaux saw our group wander down to the nearby square and have dinner listening to the obligatory guy playing the accordion – oh so French! Not the best meal of the trip but a nice atmosphere at least!

Our final day tour of the trip was fantastic. Quite a few people opted to stay and explore Bordeaux but we have been here before and opted to venture to new locations. our first stop was the Dune du Pilat – Europe’s highest sand dune! The dune is impressive not only for it’s size but for the breathtaking panorama it offers from the summit over the bay of Archachon as far as the Cap-Ferret lighthouse and the coastal forest as far as the eye can see. The lure of this view got me up the hill (my lungs really hate hills) and with a few rest stops to suck in some air I made it! A beautiful and unexpected natural delight and worth the climb.

We continued down into Arcachon, a popular seaside town on the Atlantic coast and famous for its oysters from the local oyster farming ports of the southern Arcachon basin. We played tourist on a little train that took us all around the town and up into the hills above where we saw the most beautiful houses all painted in different colours and with walled gardens all trying to out do each other!

A lovely walk along the promenade had us imagining how the beach would be full of people in the summer and the little town full of holiday makers. We enjoyed the most delicious lunch at Les Terrasses du Port, a lovely restaurant overlooking the ocean and the marina. As so many people had opted out of the tour we literally had dozens of oysters each and with the most delicious hand made local butter and bread (plus wine of course) we were as happy as Larry, but that was just the entree and after two more courses we were literally bursting at the seams by the time we stood up to leave. Back to Bordeaux and our first rain of the trip so we all did a mad dash to a fabulous pizza place next to the hotel and it was so cosy being inside as the rain lashed the windows and all we could hear was laughing and different languages and people enjoying themselves. You certainly don’t have to be in a gourmet restaurant to have fun!

Our last section of the trip and another experience as we caught the fast train from Bordeaux to Paris. Our luggage had been sent ahead the previous day so we had nothing to do but make ourselves comfy and enjoy the 2 hour trip. The train flew along at 300km per hour but was surprisingly smooth, not that you could discern too much out of the windows as we were going too fast. Luckily the trains all have good free wifi and we all caught up on our communications and our books! Pulling into Paris is always amazing. It doesn’t matter how many times you visit there is always a little frisson of excitement as you see the magnificent buildings and the corner bistros, the shutters and the avenues of trees. Our coach took us on a quick tour around the sights en route to our hotel which was a perfect way to get our bearings.

Our hotel was super, very well located just near the Gare de Lyon and within walking distance of everything we wanted to see. Our first stop was to Notre-Dame to see how the restoration was going. Last time we were here was just after the fire and Paris was still in mourning for its beloved Grande Dame, things were a lot more upbeat this trip and they really have done the most amazing job restoring it as authentically as possible and hopefully its re-opening date in 2024 will come to fruition.

That night was the first of the semi final matches and in traditional French style it started at 9pm! This meant the coaches had to be there by 6pm to get parking and then a 2km walk to The Stade de France. There were roadside stalls selling beer and merchandise stalls were teeming with tourists looking for souvenirs. There had been a few lone wolf terrorist attacks in France in the previous few days so everything was on heightened alert and there were Police everywhere both on foot and horseback but despite the huge presence they were not called upon thank goodness. Security was stringent with all of us receiving at least three different pat down searches on entering the stadium surrounds. With such a long wait before the game we ate, drank and shopped and the boys made use of the “outdoor” facilities which had us all crack up, having never seen anything like it before.

The other thing we had never seen at any big game was the lack of wine for sale. Only beer, soft drink and water was available and we were so bemused that the country most known for wine in the world wouldn’t have tapped in to what surely would have been a huge financial income for them. The answer was so obvious once we knew and so French – they simply refuse to drink wine out of plastic glasses which were compulsory at these huge games for obvious reasons. I both admire their dogged attachment to etiquette and despise their lack of commercialism as I hate beer! I tried one and it took me 2 hours to sip my way through it! The game wasn’t as exciting as the previous ones as Argentina seemed to have played their big game in the quarters and New Zealand sailed through to the finals. We arrived back at our hotel around midnight and luckily our beautiful hotel bar was shut and we had no choice than to go straight to sleep!

Our last day in Paris and of our trip dawned and we decided to stay local and book ourselves a fancy long lunch. We were overjoyed to book a table at the beautiful Train Bleu in the most unlikely location in the Gare de Lyon, it has often been described as the most beautiful restaurant in Paris and we were genuinely excited to experience it. We rocked up promptly at midday to find a brace of police surrounding the entrance as apparently someone had left a bag there and it was being treated as a potential bomb scare. The restaurant was now closed for the lunch service, and we were so disappointed. The staff offered us a table for the dinner service but of course we were going to be at the rugby and had to decline…pretty much our only disappointment of the trip. Here she is in all her glory….

So our last few hours in Paris we wandered the streets, down to Saint Germain and another market to buy some baguettes to eat at the rugby (footy food is no better in French stadiums than in Aussie ones!) and stumbled across a lovely old school bistro for lunch where we had a last delicious although much less salubrious lunch and cheered to our fantastic holiday that took us from the UK to Greece to France and we loved every bit!

Onto the coach for the last time and everyone was in good spirits to see the England v South Africa game and enjoy our last night together. Again the game wasn’t the best and the Brits on tour were very disappointed although South Africa were realistically the only team that could actually compete with the Kiwis in the final so maybe things worked out as they should. We said our goodbyes to everyone as we were leaving in the morning before the official end of tour lunch (I stuffed up the dates) and we felt like we’d made some good friends. We hope to do a road trip to Toowoomba to see two couples that we particularly got on well with later this year. Thus endeth our tour and we would definitely consider another one as long as it contained specific things we and therefore the others on the tour liked and in that way you are more guaranteed to enjoy each others company.

                     Le Fin…………

So we went from our simple little Cycladic apartment to the rather splendiferous Hotel Tagoo just outside of Mykonos Town. It was everything I could have asked of a hotel in Mykonos. It’s a small recently renovated multi-level hotel complex designed in traditional Mykonian architecture and decor and as such overlapped my sister-in-law’s desire for a hotel experience with my desire for something traditional and not too 5 star (which I hate) and it fit the bill beautifully. As you walked through the front door you were mesmerised by the billion dollar view from our roof top pool, with the Aegean Sea stretched out beneath you. Paradise with no infinity. The Pool Bar was the ideal place to unwind and enjoy cocktail after a refreshing swim (yes Sue-Ellen I’m looking at you!!) and breakfast was served here in the mornings too which was perfect. Our rooms were gorgeous. SO simple and serene and with a panoramic view of the ocean and the town. I was in heaven.

The next day once again grateful for our car we set off to explore the island. Our brother and sister duo are great lovers of swimming and they were keen as mustard to get some salt on their skin so we headed to one of the better beaches. As it was early October the beach clubs and restaurants were either closed or in the process of shutting down for the year so we pretty much had the whole beach to ourselves which was a bonus.

Having earned their lunch we headed inland to a little hill top town and had a delicious lunch under the shade of a bougainvillea. This time an octopus salad, grilled sardines, stuffed veggies and fritters followed by the thickest creamiest greek yoghurt topped with sweet syrupy carrots which was the most delicious thing I’ve eaten all trip! Sounds weird but trust me – it was GOOD!

Another day and another drive around the island – this time we found a fabulous little restaurant right on the waters edge near a popular beach. Being October there were no crowds, just enough people to give the place a little buzz and keep most of the restaurants open. They all loved us as we asked them for something they would eat with their families and that way we got to try things we would never have otherwise ordered! Despite being very traditional there is a huge range of different foods on offer and for the most part I think it is a very healthy cuisine and definitely tasty. Eating yet more seafood and slurping delicious French rose to the sound of water lapping has to be the most divine way to spend time and we loved it!

The next day we drew a deep breath and walked into Mykonos Town to explore the capital of the island. The reason for us girding our loins was that every morning when we drew our curtains there were at least 5 or 6 huge cruise ships “parked” outside. The little tenders were zipping madly back and forth between the ships and the town, heavily laden with cruise passengers eager to part with some cash and buy souvenirs galore from the myriad of shops lining the beach and in the laneways of Chora. The prices reflected this with a severe increase from similar things in Paros but YOLO and all that jazz so we joined the masses and with just a few deviations from the main laneways we found some lovely shops and a great restaurant tucked away in a little square, its brightly painted chairs and checked tablecloths drawing us in for an hour of relaxation and wonderful mezze until we felt suitably fuelled to go and “see/do” Mykonos.

Despite the tourist crowds (let’s face it we were tourists too!) it was worth it to see the famous windmills, the obligatory donkey and so many whitewashed houses and staircases each decorated in their bright colours with tumbling bougainvillea, all under that perfect Greek blue sky. A highly coveted seat by the water with a view of the windmills would cost you an expensive bottle of champagne but with our very own wonderful pool bar with its gorgeous view we decided to head home for our last afternoon of R&R and planned to walk back into town for our last dinner – why not go out with a bang eh?

The town is completely different at night as all the cruise people return to the ship after 6pm for their all inclusive dinners and entertainment leaving the township to the locals and tourists staying on the island. Lights twinkled and music and laughter permeated the winding lanes as we found a nice place for our last supper! Afterwards we sipped cocktails at a nearby bar and managed to keep Sue-Ellen from dragging us out to “dance” somewhere! She is a party girl that’s for sure! Some last shots of the fab 4 before we headed home to pack up for our trip to Kythira. What a lovely few days we had together in another beautiful island – Mykonos isn’t all bars and beach clubs, especially in October, and if you have a car you can easily get around the island and see the real Mykonian way of life. They must all breathe a sigh of relief when the tourists leave and they get their island back but without tourism they wouldn’t have an income, a dilemma common to many beloved places in Europe. I think the Mykonos we experienced was definitely different to that of the cruise ship passengers – they literally get a few hours in the major town and that’s it whereas we felt we got a real feel for the place. Our next destination couldn’t be more different as we head to Kythera….

Its 1979 and I’m living in Athens and working as a live in Au Pair for a Scottish-Greek family with two boys age 5 and 10. They are a busy family and as a result I spend a lot of the time with the boys moving them around between their (divorced) parents and in between their holiday houses on Patmos and Paros. I have MANY wonderful memories from those days. The houses were typically Cycladean – white with blue shutters and doors and very simple. Eating was mainly outdoors and with a very bohemian group of potters, artists and cheffy types. Long tables laden with large platters and bowls of local produce – the sweetest tomatoes, local lamb, lemons and figs from our trees and our neighbour’s olive oil. Nothing flash but eye opening for me and a lifestyle I fell in love with. For 40 years I was too scared to return to Greece and especially to the islands in fear that those memories would be tainted or spoilt but I decided I didn’t want to put it off any longer and I am SO happy I didn’t. Paros is busier and more populated than back then but it still carries the essence of all I remember, and life still revolves around friends, family and food – traditional and local for the most part and most definitely seasonal. I loved every minute of our time in Paros and many memories were unlocked from the recesses of my brain!

I managed to find an airbnb as close as possible to those simple houses we lived in and in the best position overlooking the ocean and the sunset. It was up a steep set of stairs but we found a back way to get to and from the local restaurants and cafes which saved us from a heart attack every night climbing up them! It was a simple little two bedroom apartment with a great balcony. We had a little restaurant right next door to us whose kitchen opened from 6.30 until midnight meaning there were often people there until 1 or 2 in the morning but mostly it wasn’t too intrusive although I’ve decided drunk women of a certain age are the absolute noisiest of all humans!!!

We stayed in Parikia which is the main port of the island and where I lived all those years ago. The old town is a labyrinth of alleyways with crazy paving and whitewashed buildings swathed in vibrant pinks and reds of bougainvillea and little shops and cafes were wedged into the smallest of spaces with brightly painted tables and chairs spilling onto the pavement – a perfect spot to watch the world go by. Church bells pealed and people chattered in many different languages and we enjoyed that special holiday feeling you get in a beautiful and unique setting.

We ventured out to Naoussa – the other main town of the island – to enjoy a day at the beach and lunch next to the ocean. Literally by the ocean! Eating octopus and drinking chilled wine next to the blue sea lapping the shore is a memory for the ages. We caught a boat to a nearby beach where we swam in the crystal clear water and sunbaked on warm rocks. A local ‘entrepreneur’ was asking $50 an hour to rent a sunbed and a brolly so we did what we did all those years ago as backpackers and went au naturel! The land surrounding the coast was as dry as I remember with only a little greenery around the houses and with rather barren land in between. The wind plays havoc on these islands and nothing seems to grow over 5 feet and everything has a bit of a jaunty lean!

Another day trip was spent in Antiparos, a 20 minute boat trip away, a smaller quieter but equally pretty version of Paros. It was like going back 50 years and very relaxing (maybe why Tom Hanks has a holiday house here) – you truly feel displaced from real life! For us that meant walking around the island and eating and drinking yet again before braving the boat back to Paros in a very high wind on a choppy sea. I was a bit scared that our little wooden ferry wouldn’t make it but apart from getting drenched we all survived to tell the tale! If the winds had become any stronger they would have cancelled the boat apparently and then goodness knows what we would have done!

The food we had on Paros was amazing – loads of fish and seafood for me and the MOTH enjoyed his favourite moussaka and gyros, all pretty reasonably priced and eating outside at a taverna full of families and tourists alike under the stars on a balmy evening was all we could have wished for. Our location right on the water meant we were spoilt for sunsets which were spectacular.

We also caught a bus to the other side of the island, venturing inland to a hilltop town called Lefkes which is authentically Greek, quiet and charming. It was nice to see a few trees and meander through the narrow alleyways until we reached a lovely shady square and enjoyed a delicious lunch, zucchini fritters, souvlaki and greek salad followed by portokalopita – the famous orange cake of Greece. Delicious and addictive!

As our time in Paros came to an end I was grateful that my memories had not only NOT been ruined, they had been enhanced. We both thoroughly enjoyed our time here and our fitness improved with all the hills and stairs we climbed! A little balance to all the yummy food consumed hopefully. Our next stop was Mykonos where we were meeting up with the MOTH’s sister and hubby and treating ourselves to a hotel stay. We caught the fast boat which only took us about an hour and powered through the choppy waves like a hot knife through butter! On to the next stage of our Greek Island Odyssey…..

After the usual flurry of “to do” lists and packing/repacking (as one of our legs demanded a maximum of 15kg of check in luggage – no easy feat when you are away for 7 weeks!!) the day finally arrived when I was to fly solo to the UK to meet up with my family. Being knackered helped me sleep on the overnight flight to Dubai and by the time I arrived in London I felt quite human! I caught a train down to Hampshire where my Mum met me and I pondered how much easier travelling was nowadays with credit cards easily used to tap for tickets and free wifi on trains and stations making communication easy plus the luckiest thing of all is that we are English speaking – the most commonly used language in the world just happens to be our native tongue! It does have the tendency to make us a bit lazy though and you have to make a real effort to try and speak French, Greek or Italian when you know they can speak excellent English!
I spent a couple of days with Mum in the area I grew up in England and we revisited some of our favourite haunts and met up with old family friends which made me feel like I’d gone into a parallel universe where hardly any time had gone by rather than the 40 odd years since I’d left! It was lovely to stay at Mums and meet her friends and see in person all her pots and hanging baskets that she lovingly plans and nurtures each season – one of the many things that help keep her busy and stay young! We packed up the car and she drove us to Wales for our reunion with the other half of the family and before we knew it we were all chatting and clinking glasses and enjoying being back together. As I get older I get more and more nostalgic for these moments of reconnection and appreciation for our family so in that vein we planned an overnight stay at my cousin’s house in Warwickshire. Here our octogenarian parents could also easily get together and enjoy reminiscing about times past and Celia seamlessly managed to whip up a magnificent beef roast in her huge Aga which we enjoyed with copious quantities of lovely wines and lots of laughs were shared around the table. Thanks to Roger and Celia for hosting another wonderful family reunion….

After many years of our cousins living in New York and Sweden whilst we lived in Wales and Australia we were finally all in the UK at the same time and we arranged to meet in one of my very favourite cities – Bath. As its about halfway between Mum and Sandy we have often overnighted here and it never ceases to hit the spot. Built for pleasure and relaxation, beautiful Bath has been a wellbeing destination since Roman times. The waters are still a big draw today, both at the ancient Roman Baths and the thoroughly modern Thermae Bath Spa, which houses the only natural thermal hot springs in Britain you can bathe in. It has much to offer the visitor, once the home of Jane Austen there is now a museum dedicated to her, beautiful Pulteney Bridge that shares a similarity with the Rialto bridge with its built in shops, Bath Abbey and the grand curve of The Royal Crescent built in the late 1700s – there is much to see and admire.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch and a few hours of chatting and catching up with my beautiful cousins before we headed back to our hotel to rest up ahead of our Michelin starred restaurant dinner – no rest for the wicked!! Menu Gordon Jones was a set menu, very creatively put together and most delicious. I love that these great chefs are more and more concentrating on small restaurants with maybe 30 covers and doing what they love most – their passion shines through. Cocktails and girly chats rounded off our day and we retired to our hotel full and happy!

The next morning we had a final breakfast together at The Ivy and headed back to Wales on the train to spend our last few days together – walking along the beach with the sunshine warming our backs, shopping in Cardiff, a movie and an Indian meal out and lots of lovely home cooked food and wine with enthusiastic participation in board games – simple stuff but absolutely what I miss the most! We laughed at how we had different words for the same things despite speaking the same language (courgette/zuccini, aubergine/eggplant, peppers/capsicum) and how our lives differ mostly because of our different climates. Theirs is more indoors with long cosy months of cold weather and ours is based more outdoors as we can confidently organise a bbq or a walk along the beach or a play date at the park without fear of rain.

On my last day they drove me to Bristol from where I was flying to Athens to meet up with the MOTH and we enjoyed that other great British tradition – a pub lunch! The perfect full stop to my trip home. Saying goodbye never gets any easier but we have been lucky over the past 2 years with more frequent get togethers post covid but as nothing has been actually planned for our next meeting this goodbye felt harder. We are thinking of renting a cottage in the Lake District for a week or two next year perhaps which will keep us from being too sad!! Farewell for now lovely family…..