Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you!!!

Sitting here feeling quite sad at the moment.

We are at Changi airport waiting to be called for our plane, to journey home once more.

The last month has flown, as wonderful holidays away/abroad always do and I am left with the fleeting impressions and emotions I have experienced over this last month.

I have been joyous, teary, tired, alert, happy, content, hungry, concerned and pleased.

I have had days where I have not felt 100%. I managed to catch a cold flying over here so had the inevitable cough, sore throat and runny nose for a few days, but that passed. I managed to damage my right large toe and consequently had an infection there but with the help of antibiotics it is slowly healing.

I have been hungry, over full, thirsty and sated. I have drunk tea, coffee, lemonade, beer, wine, cider, water, ouzo (and liked it). I have eaten rice, noodles, sausages a la German style with sauerkraut and mustard, apple strudel with vanilla sauce (aka custard), Weiner schnitzel, potatoes, salads and any number of German sweets. I have developed a love for German chocolate (schokolade), and their German pastries both sweet and sour, not to mention dinky di pretzels....the big ones!

I have learnt to say "Ja" spontaneously and "Danke Schoen" as required, not to mention Gutentag, Gutenmorgen and Gutenaben.

People in Germany smile when you attempt these few words. They are pleasant and polite and smile all the time, especially when they realise you are a tourist come to visit their fair country.

When shopping in Düsseldorf, the women and men behind the register would ask where we came from and when told then ask why on earth would we come to Düsseldorf for a holiday.

I was always quick to explain our daughter lives and works there, and they would then nod their heads understanding our need to see her and her partner in their home habitat.

I do believe Merryn and Kieran have enjoyed having us experience their lives if only for a brief period of time. We have shared meals at their place, eaten out with them, had a beer or two, not to mention numerous cups of various tea flavours and coffee à la Kieran. We have slept there, played 'Cards against humanity', 'Bullshit' (incidentally a great game needing 4 people at least.... The more the merrier with THAT one). We have washed clothes together and rotated them on the clothes horse until dry.

We have ridden numerous trams and trains and walked and laughed and shopped. Both Merryn and I have a love of supermarkets in different countries, so Santorini and Athens were both fun to explore.

I have watched whilst my husband has befriended numerous people...he (and I) have spoken to other travellers from Italy, U.S.A., Canada, Northern Europeans and fellow Australians. We have made good impressions (I hope) on those working where we have travelled to, such as in Greece, and Italians working in pizza shops in German towns (Regensberg) who have travelled to our fair country and reminisced with us about their fruit picking experiences and their friends they have left behind.

All in all, our experience over here has been a wonderful one. Our joy at seeing our daughter and her partner has been paramount and it has been consequently a fantastic opportunity to experience yet again European culture at its best.

Thank you Germany and Greece... We will return one day I am sure.

Well it's now 3:10 am. 

I am sitting in very close proximity to my husband, and both the woman in front of me and the person behind.

You guessed it.... I am flying high in the sky. I just peaked outside and I can see stars above me and clouds beneath. Lucky me, I got the window seat unfortunately for my husband. He at least has the aisle seat. The woman in front has her seat right back but I have mine upright as I type my story.

The glory of the moment though is that I am revisiting my youth listening to Eric Clapton...the COMPLETE album, so right here and right now Sunshine Of Your Love is playing full blast and no one else can hear.  I feel like singing but it might not go down too well on here!. I loved Cream when I was young... They always seemed to be one of the extreme bands in my mind back then...not so much the hippy scene but more the left of centre and when I really wanted to 'be wild' they were it, along with The Band, Led Zeppelin and so forth.

Chicago were always my favourite though, I loved them especially in their early years especially when Terry Kath was still alive. Family and nursing friends can attest to my dogmatic playing of their music incessantly, especially after work!

Ah, those WERE the days weren't they.

We can all identify our lives with the music of our times and when I expire, right here and now I do believe I want a late '60's early '70's medley thank you very much.

You can throw in Black Dog (Led Zep), Sunshine of your love (Cream) but especially Ballet For A Girl From Buchanon and um....I'm A Man (Chicago). Do yourself a favour and check them out... You'll see what I mean!

Sorry guys, I think I'm rambling a bit. Have yet to sleep and am pretty sure I won't get any on this flight. These packed planes are certainly not conducive to sleeping, especially when you're not a small and/or petite person. I envy those than can curl up on nothing and sit with crossed legs on a plane and sleep. It'll take me a day or so to stretch my spine out again I reckon.

Shall have to take the dogs for a big walk when we get home after a sleep I am thinking.

Anyway, will finally sign off now. Eric continues to sing so I shall close my eyes and groove along for a bit.

Bye for now.