MEANTIME, BACK IN THE COUNTRYSIDE . . .

BACK in Bohemia, Den is working, Maggie goes to Czech lessons and there is work to be done around the property, fun to be had in visits around the district. Like, building a new path and planting flowers for the summer.

BIG WEEKEND COMING UP!

ITS a long weekend coming up - Labor Day, May 1 - and very wisely, Maggie and Den are taking the opportunity to visit us in Budapest.

What's more, Sunday they go home to Sudislav and take Fran with them for a week's visit to the Czech lands.

I will stay home and work.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

IT WAS a big one, this time around. Fran and I celebrated our 36th - that's right, 36th!!!! - anniversary, with a slap up meal at the Corinthia Grand Royal Hotel's fabulous Rickshaw Restaurant on Budapest's main drag, the Körút.

To make the experience even sweeter - HUF15.000 (around AUD100) was on the house, after my quick and winning reaction to a quiz in the hotel's newsletter.

A TASTE OF DOWN UNDER

LOOK at what we can now buy at our Budapest corner store!

NO MORE SEPARATION!

IT already seems a lifetime since last January 19, when Den and Maggie - finally! - arrived from Australia. They parted in Frankfurt, Den going straight on to Sudislav, while Maggie flew to Bratislava for a very special reunion with us.

Any time your child arrives, following a lengthy separation, it is a special occasion. However, what made this SUPER SPECIAL was the fact, that this time she wasn't coming for a visit, Fran and I did not have to start counting down the days - as we have for the past five long years - before she heads back to Sydney University again.

This time Maggie and Den came to stay!!!

This, without the slightest shadow of a doubt, was the greatest moment of our lives since settling in Europe five and a half years ago.

From now on, even when we are not together, we know that we are never far apart. Budapest to Sudislav is just a reasonable train ride, or drive apart. Even when the kids go to settle in London towards the end of summer - we know it won't take more than a 2 hour flight - tops! - and a €60 return ticket to go and spend time with them, or for them to come and spend time with us.

At those prices, we may even be able to scrape together the cost of tickets to a Chelsea game, or two, or three!

Life IS good!

I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW . . .

. . . I have been slack. VERY slack.

But, starting today, I promise to try and make up for it. Its just that these have been busy -and very happy - times.

More about all that over the next few posts!