Fly by Australia! With a short stop to validate Mike's Australian visa and see my family we spent a total of 5 days in Australia before flying back to the UK. True to form we managed to squeeze quite a lot in! It was great to see Michelle and Matt and their beutiful little girl Georgia. Fantastic to spend time with my awesome sister! Who we saw in both the brass band she plays percussion in and at gig in a cocktail bar where she plays acoustic guitar.


We managed to squeeze in some surfing however my board sustained an injury on the flight over and had to be sent for repairs so I didn't really get a look in! And just to prove he really can do it here he is!














I also had a quick trip down to London to visit Prue and celebrate her and Williams engagement! We spent a lovely afternoon sipping champagne by the Thames having a leasurley late lunch. As you do! After popping in to work for 2 hours to catch up on the gossip I headed back to Cheshire. We are packing again but this time just the back packs and fly out Sunday for Rio!

Back in Blighty

First part of the trip has now finished and we arrived back in the UK yesterday before jetting off to Oz this Sunday to validate my visa. The Euro-trip climaxed with an awesome 2 day trip to Barcelona where wannabe footballer here experienced the wonder that is the Nou Camp and then 5 days in Biarritz where wannabe surfer here got to dip his toes with his awesome surfer-girl wife.













Continuing to build more linguistic barriers than I have broken down I have now manged to fall foul of the Italians and the French. On the autostrada in Italy we learnt that the Italians really are more expressive. Having been harassed for the 27th time in 3 minutes I lost patience with one horn-blower and flipped the finger only to be met with more gesticulations than I could ever decipher. Pretty sure they weren't tokens of peace though. Then, in France I copped some flak in the water. I had ben told that the local surfers were cool just so long as you don't drop in on their wave. Fair enough. I didn't mean to, was actually looking closely to learn from him but somehow got in the way and then copped a right earful before foolishly trying to explain why I had stuffed up. In my non-existent French. C'est la vie.

But, all in all, an excellent end to the trip and some awesome memories. Highlights for me being the Swiss Alps, Florence, Barcelona and Biarritz. Hopefully Katherine will get some of her photos on the web soon which are fantastic - I think she should have her own website, really, they're great.

Big public shout of congrats to Prue Greentree soon-to-be-Blamey & William and to Jade and Simon on baby Fin.

Hope all are well

Mike & Kat

Italian Drivers and Gellati!
Well we have really got down to it in Italy!The last instalment was logged in Siena after having had a glorious time in the Swiss Alps only to embark on a mad adventure into Italy in the summer holidays. Crazy timing I know! We are now not sure if we love it or hate it! We love what we see and there is so much to see; Verona, Venice, Siena, Florence, Tuscany,the Amalfi! - but we hate getting there! Italian drivers are the pits! The further south you go the worse they get. There are no rules, no indicators, no signs, no courtesy and only one speed: fast! Italian drivers only think of number 1.They will go to extremes to get thqt one place further ahead in the cue; they do not wait their turnand their systems are ludicrous!! Ok rant over but just for the record I dont think that applies only to their driving!

We have seen some amazing sights.


We spent 3 days camping in a small town in Tuscany - Barbarina Val Delsa - a beautiful town with a great deal of atmosphere right in the heart of the hills. Strategically placed between Siena qnd Florence it madea great base and a relaxing and peaceful place to co,e back to. We managed to see Michealangelos David who lived up to expectation - an extraordinary artwork in any time period! Among other things we also managed to buy the biggest gellati in the world! in Florence. Tiring from all the walking we decided it was gellati time - my mum has a rule of a gellati a day when in Italy! - In most other places the price has gone on how many scoops so as usual we requested 2 each. To our surprise we were handed the most enormous cone of gellati we had ever seen! Only to be even more surprised when we got to the cash register thqt these gellati went on the size of the cone and cost E16 for the 2!! I dont know if Mike was more embarassed by the cost or by being seen in public with the biggest gellati ever! I was doubled over with laughter! Stung!

We have since been down to the Amalfi coast, Capri qnd driven up via Portofino; all stunning in their own right however Potofino a personal favourite! Now on our way to Spain and Barcelona. Glqd to be in France at the moment and away from the crazy Italians!