We're Back!

Wherever you may travel
By plane or ship or train
The nicest part of any journey
Is when the trip is over
And you are
Home again!

Not sure the quote is exact--it's from one of the Madeline books, we think Madeline in London. Anyway, it's true.

There is a lot to write about--I will start just with the return. The cats have come home from the luxury hotel and after a bit of skittishness are happily roaming the house. They really are treated very well there; when her cage was opened Catembe jumped out into the hotel-keepers arms (usually being taken out meant time in the "playroom") and when she saw us she jumped back in again, presumably because she knew we meant more time in the carry box and more travel. Both were most unhappy on the way home but are now cheerfully helping us with unpacking by getting into suitcases and plastic bags.

The trip was long--Roger came through Amsterdam and I through Philadelphia because we had booked through different business travel agents. The biggest disaster was the result of obsessive American security. We ate very well in Spain, especially on the Costa Brava (more on that in another post) and were inspired to bring olive oil and vinegar home. When opened, my suitcase had one of the usual notices indicating that it had been opened and inspected--but a more careful look at the situation revealed that "inspecting" involved opening the olive oil and failing to reseal it carefully--as pictured here we lost a bit which I wouldn't really mind except that much of it ended up on a silk/cotton turtleneck of which I am fond and it is not clear the stain will come out.

Details will follow in another post or three but I will begin with a few pictures from the Costa Brava--the ones showing the ocean are from Empuries, which was first a Greek and then a Roman city--the ruins are remarkable as is the setting. The gentleman in Greek costume was guiding tourists. The riverfront is in Girona (a fascinating city where it is VERY hard to park); all the red and yellow things hanging out of windows are Catalan flags.