The Fat Lady has Sung

It's all over.   Got home to face a mountain of washing and ironing as usual. 
My phone died of fatigue poor thing. While Paul was coming home from the phone shop for repairs, he was sideswiped by a truck.  His drivers side mirror flew off into the distance and the side of the car is gouged.  Truck didn't stop. He's ok thankfully that's the main thing.  What a welcome home! Oh well...much better than last year's drama ey?
It's absolutely freezing to boot! Our first night home was less than 2 degrees in Mounty. Brhhh.
Another brilliant holiday is over,  well planned by the Badger as usual and we have enjoyed every single minute of it. 
So 7 weeks away almost and it is hard to think of any one highlight.  We enjoyed the laughs and memories of a lifetime with great friends the Petleys on the cruise...and being with the Family in Yorkshire and Eastbourne was priceless.  As was finally meeting my cousin Valerie and family.  Like the rest of my family, wonderful people.  Loving, generous in every way, brilliant sense of humour and a total pleasure to be with. Just so sad we live so very far away.
But here we are back home safe, sporting a tan and have our little Manu back. Although we miss the UK family, we are back with family and friends back here.
I must say that sunrise from the aircraft window was a brilliant welcome back to Australia.  That vivid colour and that one single star... perfection and a reminder just how beautiful this wide brown land is.
Big thank you to Joy and Mark for looking after our little White Menace,  so grateful as always.
Big thanks to Steve and Bev and Jamie for all you did for us. Loved being back in Sheffield and seeing another side of a great city.  Eastbourne was incredible and thanks you so much for arranging to meet Valerie.
Thank you to Peter and Shirley for arranging the cruise. We had a hoot didn't we!!! So many laughs.  So many great memories.
Thanks to the Badger for yet again planning a great holiday.  We have stayed at some amazing places and experienced so much!
Thanks to Mark Dean for being our technical guru as usual.
Thanks to Tristan for checking on 142.
Thanks to all of you who have followed the blog and shared the journey with us.
The photos below...just a few extra memories.  Not in order of appearance... Sorry but for some reason they rearrange themselves...
*The captain of the ship...'captain oh captain... Please put your pants back on, you are scaring the passengers ' ...
*So that's where you launder money?
*Funny hat brigade
*'smart parking'?
*that dog looks 'tired'.
*that epic meal by chefs Peter and Paul.
*Paul with his 'bucket o'  beer'.  
*Paul cracks a glass...pretty good job...he also has Italian Hands it seems???

Until next time.....

We're in 'Nam' man

Looks, feels, smells and tastes like just about everywhere else we've been in Asia.
It's blinking hot and humid, I can tell you that for nothing.
I have spent a very quiet day.  Paul did 'the tour', including war museum and market etc.  I did the tour De Bath and Bedkins...in the aircons.  
Apparently I chose well...very well. If you want to know anymore about that...you'll have to ask him.
And so, as this day and holiday slowly draws to a close...all I can say is roll out that plane, get me to sleep and I only wish the photo I took of that little lady on her push bike on the runway had been clear! Yikes! Say a prayer... For her ... and us!
See you on the flip side...well some of you...and....
We'll meet again,  to everyone else...(mmmwharrr we know where you live!) 😁
So it's... Goodnight from me and Goodnight from him...
Stay tuned for the final wrap up....hopefully tomorrow... God willing. 

Hop skip and a jump...

Arrived Vietnam early this morning.
Short stop then home!

Until we meet again...

At Heathrow having a bite of breakfast in the lounge before shopping.   Not as glamorous as it sounds.  Daft Bat needs a new shirt for the flight.  Probably all the sobbing yesterday has dumbed the mouth as I seem to have had trouble finding it with the folk today.  Dirty dirty Bat. Hehehe
So yeah, although the call of home is gaining momentum... Felt happy and sad yesterday.
We met cousin Valerie and family yesterday for the first time.   I have such a wonderful, warm and welcoming family. I'm truly blessed ...sniff sniff.  All too little time to spend with them.  We met them at their gorgeous cottage. Soooo lovely and treated to a very nice morning tea indeed in their garden.  Then a brilliant lunch at a Thai restaurant yum yum yum. But as said, all too short a time before we had to say good bye to them all including Steve and Bev. 
Again we can't thank them enough for all they have done for us and the time they have spent with us. Hugs and more than a few tears were shed I can tell you.  I swear I was almost dehydrated in the car and in desperate need of rehydration and comfort by the time we reach our last hotel in England. Sob sob sob. 😢
Pleasant enough evening in Ealing at the Drayton but the sky was also leaking and the atmosphere was murky indeed as it is at Heathrow right now.
Still...chin up...next and final stop in Vietnam for a short break before that last flight and Terra Firma in Melbourne and back home to the family and friends there.   Just wish we were all closer.
X

Is that vulture following me?

Hehehe.
Anyway just a bit more....
I forgot to mention the fort, the circular structure.
We also started our day with a tour by the landlord here of the cellar and crypt. Circa 1180...interesting and just a bit spooky.
Note the lovely chalk cliff face and the chalets... Wouldn't that be nice!
The bandstand was pretty spectacular too.  It looked like they had some good entertainment going on.