We eventually arrived home last night, very tired and in some senses not pleased to be home at all – we had an incredible experience. However, one cannot ever over rate the experience of sleeping in ones own bed. It was really good to see Jacey as well, and she even made the effort to pick us up from the train station. The dogs seemed happy to see us as well. Dane, unfortunately, is away with his work so we don't see him until Friday.
But all good things must come to an end and this journey has certainly ended.
The top ten –
10 - Two and a bit days in Rome with the “inlaws”
9 - The orchids of Singapore.
8 - The ruins in Italia and Greece, with a special mention for Pompeii
7 - Michelangelo’s David – no photo or replica is able to reflect the amazing detail of this sculpture.
6 - The incredible city of Paris. Another city we will visit again, two days was not enough.
5 - Venezia, a place that cannot be described but has to be experienced.
4 - The remarkable and entertaining people of Roma – we now understand why Melanie loves the place so much. We are definitely going back….
3 - Spending 5 days with Melanie & Chelsea (and Andrew) in Roma, Napoli, Pompeii and Pisa.
2 - Cruising around the Greek isles with Michelle and Leigh.
and No 1 - The absolute highlight of the trip was seeing Melanie for the first time in nearly 9 months.
The bottom ten
10 - Alitalia – and not because they look like going bankrupt. The experience of flying with them is something I will not repeat. Perhaps that is why they are in trouble…….
9 - The smokers in France and to a lesser degree, Italia
8 - The bus system in Roma – it is impossible to work out and the bus route plans, which you have to purchase, are extraordinarily confusing.
7 - The arrogance of some of the French (although we did encounter some very nice French people)
6 - The lack of public toilets in Roma and the consequential stench of urine.
5 - The prices in London, Paris, Roma and particularly Venezia.
4 - The price of a cup of coffee in Singapore at $6 or $7 and it wasn’t good coffee either.
3 - The lack of Italian food on the bus tour.
2 - The lack of internet cafes throughout the countries we visited – they either didn’t exist or were exorbitantly expensive.
1 - The shoving, pushing and rudeness of the Greeks in Athena (not to be confused with the fantastic staff aboard the ship on our Greek isles cruise)
And special, positive mentions to
The train system in Italy – it is the best way to travel
The food in Italy (when not on the bus tour) was just fantastic
The price of wine in Italy
Look out Europe, we are coming back........
