What is it about travelling that always make you glad you’re home….or does it. I have a strange mix of feelings after this trip. I described it to my friends as a bucket handle….not a list but a handle. Not quite ready for the list yet. Paris….ah Paree….Sacre Cur, The Eiffel tower(after a 2 hour queue), Monte Matre and the artists….fab as usual!! Not sure if I need to visit it again tho. Venice….2 days is enough however if you havent been there before, then it’s a must on the handle list!! Tuscany….loved Italy…loved the village life..the early short walk to get pastries for breakfast….the cheap food and the cheap wine!!!. Rome…well once you’ve seen the Collusium and the Vatican what else is there??? Shop assistants are rude so spend your money in Venice. Crete….wonderful….great people, never a cloud in the sky, beautiful water…and as far as Singapore and Japan are concerned….too dear. There is now no price advantage in going to singapore at all…in fact some of the electronics are cheaper here than there. Over all a wonderful trip…I have however returned with the question “how can food be so much cheaper in Europe” Cheese, a 3rd of the price(and thats after conversion), meat cheaper….veges…cheaper…water under 1 Euro instead of the $2.50 to $4.00 a litre that we pay here. Today in the paper came the news that petrol has hit a new high in Italy…$2 Euro a litre…it then went on to convert it to NZ dollars. I think its time we stopped this practise. It doesnt work…A dollar is a dollar is a Euro…..if you do convert it, then petrol is the only thing dearer…so dont bother!! We have also come home to 13 degrees and rain on the 3rd day of Spring…..still..it’s always good to be sleeping in your own bed. As to my bucket handle?….not sure the next place to add….I will however continue the blog…I’ll just pretend I’m somewhere exciting!!