vacation: the end

Saturday, August 13

My general lack of desire to face the reality of Switzerland was compounded by my definite lack of desire to face the trip home - a train strike had turned my efficient rail plans into a half-day bus odyssey. The three-hour ride from Bristol into London Victoria was pleasant enough; the hour-and-some-long one back out to Heathrow was hot and excruciatingly slow. But we were back in our own cozy apartment before midnight, tired but none the worse for wear. 

It was a good trip. Good to get some days away from my mommy role, good to get a break from the heat, good for the four of us to spend some time in close quarters, good to meet new and old friends, good to play tourist, good to have a clear break between the old school year and the new one. More than a month on, we're up to our ears in everyday stuff: cooking and cleaning and gymansium-exam prep and vocabulary words...and I'm supposed to write a baby blessing this week?! And we're less than two weeks from the next school break, which is going to be a whole 'nother can of worms. 

Thanks Scotland, England, and nearly-Wales for the memories, I hope we'll be back soon.

I made the kids get up early to see the balloons again. They weren't as impressed as I was.

But still, balloons! This is as good as my phone camera gets.

Farewell, hotel ice cream vending machine, you were awesome.

This picture is actually from a Tesco store Glasgow but I'm adding it here because it's why the UK has a special place in my heart. This is just so...kind. And also funny because any given Swiss grocery store on a Saturday between 9 am and 10 am is pretty much the polar opposite of "a calmer environment."

and off we go