Back home

I need to wrap up this latest adventure with an update of events since our return home from Europe. Our daughter met us at the airport, looking very pregnant but radiant, and it was so lovely to hold her in our arms. It was a Friday and her due date was the following Monday. Monday came and went without incident. The irony that we could’ve stayed those few extra days in Budapest crossed our minds for a nanosecond, but we’d been away for five weeks and were ready to come home. We desperately missed our daughter.

Little Lucy Kate arrived the following weekend, and announced her entry into the world with a healthy set of lungs, a pair of sparkling dark eyes and a beautiful crop of black hair. All fingers and toes were accounted for, and we welcomed this new human being into the world with adoration and wonderment. It was really just a continuation of the amazing journey that we’d set out on earlier in the year. We were still learning about the world around us and gaining unforgettable memories along the way.

 

Welcome to the world, Lucy Kate.

Since being home, we’ve seen some recent news items from places that we fondly remember. Angela Merkel won the German election that was raging when we were there, but she had to enter negotiations with minor parties to form a government. Many Germans I spoke to were not fans of Mrs Merkel. In Austria, we saw billboards and election placards everywhere, and the most striking ones pictured a handsome young guy called Sebastian Kurz, leader of the Austrian Peoples Party and only 31 years of age. He eventually won the election after again forming a coalition with other parties. There seems to be political upheaval all over the world.

We experienced seven European countries on this journey, each one had a cultural individuality. We only had pleasant exchanges with everyone we met while in these countries, and we never met anyone who was nasty or hostile. No matter what political unrest or religious trouble exists in the world, the vast majority of people just want to enjoy their life, look after their families and live their lives in peace.

Where to next? This is a big country, and it’s in a big world. There are no plans yet but there are still dreams. If Cruise Director Werney were here, he’d still be saying “It’s showtime”.