New Year's Eve

 Australians dressed in appropriate winter gear for Walking the Loop and visiting the new calf

Catch up time

Such a long time since I last wrote anything here that I'm going to post some representative photos of the months since Italy.
The first one is of Aberaeron where we spent a week in November, with its Tobermory-type houses, and the one underneath is of Cork city and the flats where the older Irish 'grandchildren' live.

Treviso

 After Venice we spent a day in Treviso which we really recommend. Probably many only make it to the airport but the town with its waterways and public sculpture is delightful.

 Even some Buddhist monks thought so!

Venice

 We went to Italy at the end of October. And spent a day in Venice. This is the second time we'd been; the first was years ago on a very hot day. This time we profited from that experience, had advice on where to park from our hotel, and just wandered the watery maze by ourselves, preferring the lanes less travelled.

 HoF in his red jumper.Since we've been home he has thrown out four old jumpers and bought four new ones; quite unprecedented in history. Below, an apparently deserted and decrepit building, someone's opportunity.

Named at last

 This is my great-uncle Charlie, whom I never met, but whose sword and medals are still in the family. I have seen his name on the Thiepval Memorial, commemorating those who died but whose bodies were never found, but it was never put on the war memorial in his native village of Whittington, Staffordshire. Now, with cost shared with Big Sister, that has changed. One of these days I'll go and see.

The point of no return

So here we go, well almost, leaving a phase of life that we'd semi-vacated, quite behind. Regrets? We've had a few, but then again....................
The Kate's Cottage phase had it's good times. We had good neighbours, enjoyed proximity to hospital, buses, and the ability to walk into the city centre. We improved the house with a sun room/conservatory, downstairs loo and upstairs 'studio' and the gardens front and back drew satisfying gasps.
We thought in our older years we'd move back; it seemed sensible; but it's not happening. Friends still live nearby, but relatives, no. And Miss P has no interest in returning.
Perhaps that's sensible, they say going back is not a good idea.
Unless like me you skip a couple of generations and go back to where your grandmother was born. But even she didn't stay, so who knows where we'll be in ten years time.
Meanwhile we are glad that we seem to have managed to find new inhabitants of Kate's who will appreciate it and be an asset to the street.

Time to say goodbye