The Douglas Report: Summer time - vacations - we’re back

Ah! What a day! Saturday, 16th April 2011 - a day when we were all still young!!!

And also the date of the last post to the Douglas Report.

I was thinking that it deserved “The Last Post”, but some of you surprised me recently by noticing a suspension in posts. No surprise that most said keep it long on photos and short on wordage.

Budapest, Hungary

But I have to explain the delay - the lost months of summer. At the end of April, Friday 29th, we drove north for a touring holiday with Pierre the Peugeot, dodging the crowds in Rome for the beatification of the former Pope John Paul II and the labour day holiday - Festa del Lavoro.

We went first to Ravenna in north-eastern Italy (famous for its mosaics), then to Slovenia (with its beautiful forests and where Labour Day caught up with us by the town band playing before dawn outside our window), for 45 minutes through a part of Croatia (only because Tom Tom thought it a good idea without telling us - four border-crossings within the hour), Hungary (Budapest), Slovakia (Bratislava where coincidentally the World Ice Hockey championships were taking place), Austria (Vienna), the Czech Republic (Prague), Tübingen in Germany, Dijon to Lyon in France's Bourgogne (via the Grand Cru), across (or under the Alps back into Italy and thence via Asti and Lucca home - 15 days later.

Wow!

A lot of kilometres you say!

True, but a great time of year to travel, excellent roads (mostly) and, well, we returned safely.

Then May, June and July saw a number of visitors and a little tripping for work - Uganda. Some tricky dealing with a broken molar that required a crown.

Thence a period of uncertainty about what the future held, a hastily organised leave back in Brisbane, a return to Rome and recovery. Actually, we’ve been very busy.

So, we’re back.

And so is autumn and delightfully temperate weather.... and the starlings. They’re back ... we saw our first flocks last weekend. These astonishing (and at least to the locals, annoying) birds mass in huge swirling flocks here in autumn/winter and create fascinating patterns in the evening skies of Rome. They also make sure that cars get washed regularly!!! Enjoy the pictures! We’re back!!!