The Final Chapters

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I'm BACK! So this is my final blog (at least for this journey). I've been appaulling over the last 3 weeks about updating the blog. I actually wrote something when I was in Paris, but never got around to publishing it. Then got caught up in family and friends and never seemed to have the time or the inclination. So this final blog includes the entry I wrote in Paris, plus my final words written from good old Melbourne.

The Bit I Wrote from Paris.....

Ahhh Paris in the Springtime

I have completely fallen for Paris. It's so grand, beautiful and cosmopolitan.

The first thing that struck me when we arrived two days ago was how muti-cultural the place is, particularly in comparison to Italy. Not sure if it's a reflection of Italy's immigration policy or simply that no one wants to migrate to Italy, but it is a very homogeneous place. Paris, on the other hand, offers every colour of skin, every cuisine, even every language (which seems very unusual for the French). It's magnificently vibrant and colourful and yet still oh so French.

We arrived on Saturday and had a happy reunion with my sister Julie and her other half Chris. Our visit with them was brief as they took the Eurostar back to London on Sunday afternoon, but it was great to see them.

Paris has been about walking and eating (yes, eating again). We haven't spent much time IN the museums and monuments, but have walked past just about everything...and probably had coffee, lunch or a beer in front of most. I love this city's wide boulevards, the cafes on every corner with the chairs all facing out to the streets for people watching, the amazing monuments and statues you've never heard of that are hidden behind every corner...it's magic.

And the food is amazing. We went to a small French restaurant last night for what has been voted 'best meal on tour'. Italy retains the medals for coffee and ice cream...but the French have captured the crown for beautiful food.

Tomorrow I fly to London (where I will again be reunited with Julie and Chris) and Dennis flies home to Melbourne. This 'Dennis and Stephanie in Europe' chapter of my trip has been wonderful - a real holiday and a treat to share it with the love of my life (yes Dennis, that's you).

Next chapter involves a little bit of exploring possible next career moves and a lot of family and old friends....so different again and with new joys (and no doubt new frustrations).


The Last Chapter.....

So now here I sit at my desk in Melbourne having spent the final two plus weeks of this trip reconnecting with family and friends in England, Canada and the US.

As mentioned above, I did do a bit of exploring a possible new business venture when I was in England (and in Canada). Far too early to talk about anything, but I can report that it was very strange to put the business brain back into gear. To be honest early retirement seemed increasingly attractive as the meeting progressed!!

It was good to be with family and friends at the end of this journey. There is something about people who have known you all your life (or at least most of it) that makes you feel grounded. Somehow "going home" helped to bring me back to earth without the landing being too jarring. It was also a timely reminder of what's really important in life.

"What next?", you may well ask. I really don't know. In fact, I find that I am far less certain now than I was before I left. But I'm still in enough of a relaxed space to be OK with not knowing.

Those of you who know Dennis will know that he likes to give awards for everything - so it's become a bit of a tradition in our household to vote for "the best of" on each trip. So I thought that I would finish this blog by nominating my TOP 10 experiences:

# TEN: SOMEWHERE IN BHUTAN
Unzipping the tent on a cold, clear, blue morning and seeing a 7,000+ snow covered mountain towering above you.

# NINE: ROAD TO AGRA, INDIA
Laughing for hours with Jolanda at all the driving mishaps and unbelievably “Indian” sights on the road to Agra.

# EIGHT: TUSCANY, ITALY
Shopping at the local “alimentari” in little town of Baccaiano and then enjoying antipasto and wine for dinner with Dennis in our apartment at Castle Montegufoni.

# SEVEN: SOMEWHERE IN BHUTAN
Watching our herd of yaks come stampeding past us at lunchtime every day in Bhutan. Each yak dressed in a colourful harness and carrying a perilously balanced load of our gear.

# SIX: TORONTO, CANADA
Holding Nico’s hand (my 4-year old nephew) when I walked him to school and feeling the sense of trust that seems to radiate from his fingers.

# FIVE: LADAKH, INDIA
Flying into Leh (3500M) and feeling like you could reach out from the plane window and touch the mountains.

# FOUR: UDAIPUR, INDIA
Being in the middle of the Gangaur festival in Udaipur with all the colour, dancing and laughter.

# THREE: LADAKH, INDIA
Having breakfast in my favourite little “German Bakery” in Leh and chatting with fellow travelers and locals. It’s amazing the people that you meet when you stop to listen.

# TWO: ROME, ITALY
Seeing the look of surprise and sheer joy on Dennis’ face when I ran into the lobby of our hotel in Rome to greet him after 6 weeks apart.

# ONE: SOMEWHERE IN BHUTAN
Reaching the top of a high mountain pass in Bhutan. Seeing the prayer flags waving madly, feeling the wind whipping against my face bringing tears to my eyes and looking ahead toward a whole new glorious vista of snow covered peaks.

There was also the great sex in Paris, but I thought that might shock my readers and have left it out. Needless to say this would be highly ranked had it been included!

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