Way, way too long...........

Gosh how time flies.............

Since arriving back I seem to have been here there and everywhere.  My final visit to Italy to visit with Kate and Pat and the boys was lovely.  Pat was away racing/testing for most of it so Kate and I got to do lots of girly things like shopping and drinking prosecco in the evening and gossiping.  We had a lovely visit to Bologna which is such a beautiful town.  It boasts the oldest (1088) university in the world!

So we wandered the streets taking in the sights, did a little shopping for Kate at Furla then had lunch at a very nice tratttoria tucked down a narrow side street just off the Piazza Maggiore.

Bologna University

Fruit and vegetable shops

Cheese and parma hams

Piazza Maggiore

Then back to a very chilly UK to visit Ethan and Lachie.  

I helped Merian spring clean the house after the bathroom was renovated and move back in.  Then on to three weeks of night duty.

In amongst all this Christchurch has been hit with a terrible earth quake which has caused untold damage.  The city I grew up is no longer there and it will take a long time and lots of hard work to get it back up and running.  We were fortunate and suffered no damage or injuries but so many haven't been so lucky and the worst of all is the death toll.

Geoff is slowing recovering from his COP but has managed to get shingles so he is feeling a bit miserable.

So as you can imagine I am looking forward to going home.  Ten days and counting..........

I'm going over to Henley for my last visit with Tim, Merian and the boys tomorrow before I head home.