White Christmas

How to sum up in 1 sentance so far. Fantastic sunny days, white christmas, magic Venice, lots of VERY old stuff in Roma, getting rich, becoming destitute.

But I am getting ahead of my self. What a fantastic Christmas we have had. Our trip almost didnt begin after our 4.30am wake up call did not happen. Luckily something told us to get the hell out of bed as we woke with a jolt at 5am. A quick dash for the airport to join a 5km snaking line of people escaping England for Christmas. With 2 minutes to spare we got to checkin before closing only then to almost miss the flight as we had to run to the other side of the airport to the boarding gate. But yes - we did make it, flying into Innsbruck on a glorious day.

The eavening we made our way to Mutters, a cute village covered by a light dusting of snow.The area was spectacular with magnificant mountains surrounding us, minus 5 deg but lovely and sunny. Christmas eve we caught the ski lift to Axamer Lizum at 2300m where the twins played in snow for the first time. After the snow fights, toboggan rides and building a very poor excuse of a snow man it was decided that tomorrow Santa would be letting us ski.

so up early, this time to Mutters and another crystal blue sky and pearly white mountains - no better place to spend Christmas Day. Droped the kids of with Hanz for ski lessons and - just liking riding a bike - Kathy and I dust of the cob webs and hit the slopes.

with the afternoon coming to an end and geting close to pick up the kids Kathy and i chose a different run only to get to the bottom of the mountain and find no lift back and in a town of Gotzner Berg 3 miles from the kids and no way back up the hill!!!! PANIC.

Luckily we dragged ourselves in to a local bus back to mutters and up the mountain just in time to meet the kids - now all skiing without falling over - well almost.

Finished the day with a traditional Christmas dinner of austrian sausages and zipfer (beer).

Next day we ventured in to Innsbruck to see the Christmas Markets with fairy lights every where, buildings adorned with christmas characters from fairy tales. A great end to Austria.

D DAY

After exactly 361 days (and a few less for the rest of the family) it has finally come to this. Our life is packed into 5 suitcases plus an assortment of hand luggage as we prepare to say goodbye for the last time to Weymouth. I hope you have all enjoyed my little rants and stories and got a sense of the fun, agony, excitement, challenges and life changing experiences we have all had.

There is only the final chapter to write as we head off for our last journey. It begins with an overnight stop in Gatwick before heading to Austria and the snow fields of Innsbruck for a white Christmas. Then a train trip over the mountains to Venice. From here we continue on the train to Rome to watch the New Year in. Then (don’t ask why) a flight backwards to Barcellona to visit Manuel’s relatives. From here back to Rome then straight on to Athens for a kebab. Finally on to the pyramids then a rest (!!!!) for 7 nights in Luxor. Finally BACK (again don’t ask why) to Heathrow for a night before our trip home.
(http://careysadventure.blogspot.com/2007/10/maps-of-our-travels.html).

For those that don’t know, Kathy is flying back with the kids on Virgin Atlantic and I am flying 5 minutes later on Singapore Airlines - yes I can hear you all screaming “YOU BASTARD HOW COULD YOU!” Now I could spend the entire rest of this blog giving you the very legitimate reasons why, but like a pig going to the slaughterhouse squealing all the way, I know I don’t have a chance. Lets just say I now have an entire life time to repay my debts.

With 31 days of either amazing experiences or psychotic hell ahead of us we should both be arriving back in Sydney on the 24th January at 7am in the morning. It is likely that either the kids have driven us to check in at the nearest rehab centre or we are just having a great time so it may not be possible to make time to get to an internet café to keep you posted with what is going on.

“So as they set of into the sunset, what lay ahead of them was unknown. Will Luxor be a translation for laxative as one of us succumbs to a rapid loss of bodily fluids in Egypt? Will our Italian translation of ‘cheap accommodation’ in Rome turn out to be ‘Bordello’? Will our luggage enjoy a great holiday – IN BARBADOS!?

to be continued..............................

Centre Stage

And in great ozi tradition there was no better way to say goodbye to work than on centre stage with a beer in hand saying thanks to all the pommie bastards for a good time and inviting them over for a barbie. The work end of year pantomime (only something that I have recently realised is a British tradition) was the 'Wizard from Oz' so who better to enter the stage to the shouts of “HE’s BEHIND YOU” than a real Oz.

I still have one more encore with drinks tomorrow night. With all this going on it is difficult to comprehend that we still have not packed and we leave in a couple of days. It is not that we don’t want to leave but more a denial that we will be able to actually pack all our crap into the same cases we came over here with. It looks like I will be wearing 2 pairs of pants, 4 pairs socks, 3 jumpers and 2 jackets on the plane. Ok – need to go and sit on a suitcase………

winter

With a week to go before we leave winter returns bringing to end the full cycle of spring, summer and spring since I have arrived. The winters in Weymouth are not usually severe. While the rest of the country comes to a stand still at the first sign of snow, it is the early morning frosts that mark winter here. In the morning as you step out side your senses know straight away it is winter. The feel of the crisp frosty air on your face; your breath visible in front of you; the sound of ice crunching under your feet; and the smell of wood smoke from the nearby hamlet. Gloves are a must as a strong northerly wind cuts through 4 layers of clothing.

Different seasons each have their own unique light and winter is no different as the sun hovers on the horizon, trying unsuccessfully to get itself in to the air. As a result, the light is muted and subdued. The sky is a light pastel of blues with sunrise and sunsets being infused with streaks of pale pinks and yellow. With the sun struggling to get up in the morning the daylight hours are restricted to just a few hours which you manage to see outside your window during lunchtime.

In the winter months, when the leaves have fallen, the landscape takes on a strange sleepy state with the bare silhouettes of the beech trees against a grey sky. The light gleaming from thousands of frozen drops on all the branches gives the countryside its own Christmas decorations. Hunting season is has started and the faint sounds of gun shots echo out across the valley.

Walking around the villages, towns and along the many paths there is no sign of the thousands of tourists and visitors that have descended on the place in summer. The peace and tranquillity encourages you to linger longer and explore but the cold pushes you to the nearest pub, preferably one with an open fire.

It has been a great experience being able to see England in all its seasons. But, like the many birds that have decided to migrate for the winter, it is our time to join the flying birds on a path to warmer lands. I wonder if they have a nice cold beer waiting for them at the end of their journey?

10 DAYS

Confirm taxi – check
Book accommodation – check
Take out extremely large bank loan – check
Prepare for kids farewell party – check
Re-paint entire house – check
Panic – check
Pack bags – bugger
Get ready to leave – SH*$!!!

It is hard to believe that the number on the blog has rolled over to 10. Not 10 months but 10 DAYS! Looking around you would not think that our little adventure is coming to an end. My last week at work is not much different to any other. There is the usual meetings, Council reports to prepare, staff to chastise, and Councillors to ignore.

There is a hint that something is different with the corridor chat about what warm weather will be like, some staff asking me how many people can fit into a suitcase and for some reason a cheer every time I see the IT Manager. There is also something strange in that all the staff have been very nice to me, especially saying some complimentary words at our last Unit meeting. This is either a sign that I have actually managed to make a small difference or that a year of ozi hell is over for them and they can finally return to serious, tie wearing normality.

Little do they realise that they have not seen the back of me yet. Next week the staff are holding an end of year pantomime and have decided to call it the Wizard of OZ. Based on the script my last impression may be a memorable one for all the wrong reasons. I think I am glad that I am leaving the country but there is a good chance that I will never be allowed back in again.

Home is likewise its normal chaotic self with the kids still at school and Kathy trying to get organised for our one last hurrah. We need to constantly remind ourselves that in 2 weeks time the idea of going to ASDA to do the shopping, saying hi to Lello and Carrots (our horse and donkey neighbour) or scraping the ice of the car windscreen will be a thing of the past.

And so as we soon enter the world of single digits, it time to continue with the final list

Get cleaners in – check
Pick up travel tickets – check
Organise travellers cheques – check

Say good bye…………….

20 DAYS

The countdown continues and it is hard to believe it is all coming to an end. Looking back we are amazed at what we have managed to achieve, see and do. With 20 Days to go I thought I would look back at my early blogs and give a summary of some of the highlights:

January: First Day on the job; Ozis win the Ashes; Sun set over Corfe Castle; Australia Day and a surprise at work; gale force winds; preoccupation with Australia/Weymouth connections; its COLD.

February: 5000 year old barrows; Ireland-England Rugby game; weird village names; Roman baths in Bath; holding the Council Mace; A ramble around Portesham; my first soccer (oops football) game; Snowdrops.

March: Getting drunk at Worth Matravis; The family finally arrives; Lulwoth cove in the sun; Spring at Kingston Maurwood; my impressions of the English;

April: Anzac day ceremony; Kathy gets a job; a love of Paris; A cuppa with the Queen in London; Easter at Lulworth Castle; Jean comes for a visit; the mystery of Stonehenge; Steam train ride to Swanage; Sherborne Castle; some cheese at Cheddar George; Glastonbery

May: Gardens on steroids as the Chelsea flower show; Stratford and the home of Shakespeare; baby swans; FA Cup final; Montacute House with Sam and Jem; A celtic journey to Wales; mists of Snowdonia; Slate mines.

June: Nottingham and Robin Hood; A vomit scene from the exorcist; Cambridge and a catch up with Lucy and family; Windsor Castle; Legoland with the kids; Dorchester Carnival; my obsession with roundabouts; A story about beer; A week in France; Resort in Cote d’azure; The glamour of Cannes; the glitz of Monaco; hill top villages; beautiful French food

July: Hawks in Hampshire; Greta and Phil visit; museums and plastic dummys in London; Summer has gone missing; Cornwell sunsets and the wild Cornish coast; Eden domes; St Michaels Mount; Brussels chocolate and beer; Cobbled streets of the old town

August: Jean visits again; A big Homer Simpson, Yorkshire Dales and a warm pudding; St Andrews golf; Edinburgh; Kathy turns 39; Campervaning around Scotland; rain on the Isle of Mull; Sunsets over Arisaig Beach; Else of Skye; The majesty of Ben Nevis; Lockness hunting; Eilean Donan Castle; Castle Urquhart; A highland fling at the highland games; Beatrix Potter; Lakes District; Castlerigg stone circle

September: Twins first day at school; mist over Dartmoor; Chalet on the Cornish coast; Canterbury Cathedral; red wide with Sam and Jem; White Cliffs of Dover; Dover Castle

October: Oxford; Blenheim Palace; Cotswold countryside; Guinness; Dublin; dinner and a pint in Dingle; Rock of Cashel; camping at Kinsale; Killarney; Ring of Kerry; Kathy goes to Paris with Trudie; Ozi’s lose the world cup;

November: Prague and the old town; Prague Castle; Russian history; Autumn sets in; The end is close

In addition to all of this I have (hopefully) contributed significantly to W&PBC as part of my work, Kathy has brought in some greatly needed ‘pounds’ and developed her skills further and we have somehow managed to prevent the kids from getting completely out of control.

I am exhausted just looking at all this. Would I do it all again – you bet!!!!