Tuesday 30 August 2011

Return from the Great Adventure

Last weekend, my son Sam and I had the lucky chance to have a share in my daughter's Great Adventure. The girls were ending their European Tour at a friends' house in Britany, so we all crammed into Terri and Robert's car and met them there for a few days.


Sitting round the breakfast table, they started to tell us their stories. Out poured a jumble of tales. As they talked, interrupting each other and often collapsing with laughter, the girls' vivacity and sense of friendship gave us a hint of the fun and excitement of their last few weeks.

I knew that Emily's adventures had been varied- my favourite text messege from her reads-

'Drank Absinthe, went to a Goth bar, was asked out by a sea captain and arrived back at our hostel at 6 in the morning. I like Berlin. xXx'

The mind boggles!
There were gentle moments too. Emily told of a happy hour spent in an English bookshop in the Jewish quarter of Budapest, drinking coffee and eating biscuits bought from a local market.

Becky reading
Some places moved them

Looking down into The White Room, Berlin
Others uplifted-
The John Lennon Wall,  Prague
They loved the sense of fun in Amsterdam-



And the famous Bolognese sauce in Bologna


They even made time for their music!

Rosa on the Ukulele

Emily busking in Lucca

So.... we're all back home and together again for a short while and then...
watch out world because they're on to

The Next Great Adventure!



 With thanks to photographs from the albums-
Rosa " When our time was spent on Trains"
Clare " Messy hair, dirty clothes"
Emily " A Very Big Adventure"

And to Terri and Robert for lifts, cocktails and hospitality...

16 comments:

  1. The text message just about says it all, doesn't it? Fun post. Diane

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  2. Hi Diane,
    It makes me smile each time I read it. I think I shall keep it and show it to her again when she's at her most grown up and sensible... some distant time in the future! Jane x

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  3. Hello Jane:
    How wonderful that everyone is home safely and that a good time was had by all. A great adventure indeed and, of course, we can picture exactly the bookshop in Budapest which is shown here.

    It seems to us the perfect combination of sights that dazzle, quiet corners and strange experiences. These are the days of their lives!!!

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  4. I think it is such fun that your daughter lets you share her adventures here :)

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  5. Hello Jane and Lance,
    I felt sure that you would both know the bookshop as soon as Emily spoke of it! Jane x

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  6. That sounds a wonderful adventure! I remember my son and friends coming home from their Inter Rail travels years ago. Their excitement lit up the room!

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  7. Hello LindyLouMac and Dartford Warbler,
    It's been such fun hearing all their adventures- well, some of the more repeatable ones anyway! Jane x

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  8. Always good to hear of the young enjoying themselves despite troubled world which the older generation have prepared for them. Long may the fun continue.

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  9. Hi John, Thanks for your comment, the more teenagers I meet, the more I love this next generation! Jane x

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  10. Hello Jane, my son has just returned from holiday with friends and I have loved hearing about their fun filled days (not sure I wanted to hear on the nights activities though!). It was lovely to read your post, although the pictures say it all!
    Abby x

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  11. Hello Abby,
    I love the fact that my daughter is doing the mad things I did (a long time ago!), it brings back such happy memories. And I agree, there are probably many things I hope never to hear of...Jane x

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  12. Hello Jane
    It is so joyful to see your daughter living life as she should and "leaving no stone unturned". What wonderful places they visited.
    A great, cheerful post.
    Helen xx

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  13. Hello Helen,
    I'm glad you enjoyed this post. The girls' sense of fun and happiness seems to have spread far and wide!
    Jane x

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  14. What a fantastic adventure the girls had, it makes me wish I was their age again so I could go travelling. I did go to Belfast for a long weekend when I was a student nurse and if texting had been around then it would have been very similar to your daughters text message to you....memories!! Thank you for your lovely comments you leave on my blog.
    Jo xx

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  15. Thank you Jo, Isn't blogging great? The messages left and the posts read can cheer the bleakest day.
    Jane x

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  16. Hi Jane, it will be really lovely to meet you tomorrow, I feel our paths have nearly crossed a few times! Love the name of your stall it's great.

    P.s the girls look like they had an amazing time, good memories to cherish xx
    Must sort out stock now, hope it's going to be a good day....see you there!!
    Sophie

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