We’re back to reality after a glorious holiday where we’ve been totally pampered and spoilt and now, I feel strangely sad about it all. I feel as though time must have sped up during that short exciting time while we were in Europe. Everyday normality and daily routine have faithfully returned and all that’s left are the rich and colourful memories.

Do you ever feel like this too when you return from a wonderful holiday?

It was brought home to me yet again, after our recent four-and-a-half week sojourn through Europe.

Having never been lucky enough to visit the northern countries before, the pre-trip waiting period had seemed rather dismal and eternal. You know the feeling and the extremely repetitive kitchen-table conversations…”You know we leave in just six months”; “It will go quickly”; “It’s now only five months and twenty days until we fly out”; and “We’ll be leaving in just five more months and ten days and four hours” and so the count down goes on and on.

In the lead up to our departure, the week days actually seemed somehow longer. The weekends also felt less interesting than they had previously and all because we were in what I call “the waiting period“: that eternal period of time when you’re just hanging around and  longing to embark on what you believe is going to be, the trip of a life time.

Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary were all on our bucket list for, what would be, our very first sightseeing adventures through Europe. Three glorious weeks of doing our own thing and two action packed weeks of being totally spoiled by the wonderful Viking Crew on their fifteen day river cruise that would take us all the way from Amsterdam to Budapest across five countries and down three rivers.

And now what?

Well you see…We’re back!

It’s all behind us now and “Yes”…we’re firmly back in Terra Australis, Queensland already, with all of our grand memories and increased knowledge of Europe’s wonderful geography, modern history and cultural delights. We’re back with our 3000 odd photos and our trunk full of souvenirs.

We’re back already on the Gold Coast to be precise and really, isn’t our own country, Australia, supposed to be “God’s Own Country” with its modern high-rise cities, its pristine beaches, its folkloric outback wilderness regions and it’s absolutely glittering coastal resorts?

If, indeed,  this is “God’s Own Country” we’re living in, then why is it that I long for the excitement of planning yet another journey to exotic far off lands. And…. how did it all happen so quickly? Four and a half weeks was supposed to be a long time, or so I thought. But truly it just flew past so very fast. Time, I think, must surely speed up as soon as you board a plane. I’m convinced of it. Time just seems to fly when you’re being spoiled and having so much fun! Why won’t the good times just slow down a little?

If I sort through some of the memories, highlights and photos perhaps I can at least relive some of it for a while. This is my first blog and it’s written to share with you (if you’re interested) the fun times and the highlights of our recent European Sojourn.