After a long flight we touched down in Auckland at about 12h30. A winter’s day, with a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius. A fairly dramatic change from the European summer and humidity of Hong Kong. It was so great to walk out into arrivals and see the kids and Pieter and Meiza. The kids had “Welcome home Mum and Dad” embroided on their shirts. For a brief moment they were a little apprehensive about the moment, which is understandable after a month away. The hugs then flowed and we were all overjoyed to be together again. That afternoon we shared some of our stories and in the evening the kids opened the presents we had collected on our travels.
What a tremendous and memorable holiday. The emotions of being away from and with family and so many priceless experiences that we had realised can only best be seen in person, rather than in a book or some documentary. Things like – Rome traffic; beautiful, beautiful buildings; so much history; Limonella; croissants; a smiling old farmer in a Tuscan field; left-hand car driving; scooter escapades on Capri; the debauchery of Amsterdam’s red light district; the tragic plight of Anne Frank; spring hayfever again; French public swimming pools; Italian beaches; the gentle beauty and mysteries of the Saône river, the historic and character filled villages that straddle the banks and the intricacies of negotiating the locks built on her; the challenges of operating the Magnifique’s toilets; frogs legs and pigs ears; the warm romance of a summer evening in Venice; breathtaking Paris – to mention but a few.
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