Cartoons and witterings from wherever I happen to be this month.
We went to Europe. We didn't get Covid. We saw friends and family for the first time in years. Molly was fine. Thank goodness we're back.
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We've been back from Europe for a couple of weeks, and I'm just about over the jetlag. Apparently, it is common for it to be a lot worse coming this way, but I managed to forget that in the five years since I last flew that far. It took over a week for me to stop waking up at stupid o'clock or feel completely wiped out by early evening.
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But now we're back into the routine, and I've had time to reflect on the trip.
I used to relish escaping from my little part of the world to explore the wider one, but more and more, I am enjoying having little adventures in my own backyard. I'm not quite at the level of Beau Miles (my current YouTube addiction: hat tip to my friend, Leona, the Blue House Baker), but I can see the appeal of making the most of the area in which you live. I'm trying to get into the best shape I can for upcoming surgery on wonky toes, so I've been walking up to the crater rim of the Port Hills in all kinds of weather. It’s been fantastic, even in driving cold rain or when coming down in the dark.
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Covid and Brexit have had a terrible effect on the UK. Lots of businesses went under, prices are through the roof (even more so than here in New Zealand), and yet you have to queue for anything that's worth doing. The traffic is insane.
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Driving down to Dorset at the end of June was like it used to be in the middle of the August school holidays. Beaches that used to be quiet were overrun with tourists swarming down the many steps that used to put people off. I wonder whether these tourists come back a second time or whether they are only there for the Instagram photos.
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Spain was more of a stay-in-one-place relaxing holiday. We had incredible seafood (New Zealand exports most of its good seafood, so you have to collect it yourself if you want the good stuff) and cheap glasses of fabulous wine. We caught up with friends, practiced our Spanish and went for some beautiful wild swims (just me: the water around Europe is crazy warm right now, but not warm enough for the boyf). It was a very enjoyable part of the trip. Unfortunately, it was marred by a horrendous journey back with Eurostar from Paris to London. Brexit has made traveling between the UK and Europe a nightmare when it used to be a delight. We were shoved into the basement, and our train was delayed by an hour simply because they couldn't process the passengers fast enough.
And nobody else complained because everyone is used to everything being rubbish. Unbelievable. The British used to be better at complaining than anyone!
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We were glad to get home, despite the cooler weather. The little luxuries (homegrown food, decent, affordable coffee & bread), not having to deal with crowds to have fun; being surrounded by stunning scenery: we really do live in one of the best parts of the world.
Back to the drawing board.
TTFN
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PS. Molly was very happy to see us. She did a double take when she saw us walking up the driveway (she stayed with her boyfriend, Jack the Russ, whilst we were gone) and then went bananas with excitement.
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