The Final Countdown

Ann shared with us her “String of Bad Luck”, “A Change of Fortune”, “Holiday on Hold”, “Trials of Technology”, “Learning the Language”, and “Winter Work” article series over the last few weeks. 

Dad’s on his feet, with the aid of a walking frame, in the transitional care unit of the hospital. He’s on a twelve-week rehab program that hopefully will get him back to the stage of being able to return to his low-care hostel accommodation.

It’s seven weeks since the prostate operation. Complications afterwards gave him a horrible time that he almost didn’t survive but thankfully, he’s definitely on the road to recovery now. Hat’s off to all the wonderful nurses, support staff and doctors out there. The care has been wonderful and I am so grateful for the public health system here in Australia. Stretched it may be but the people do a wonderful job and it takes a very special kind if person to do it professionally yet with such care and compassion.

So, our travel planning went into over-drive as we realised we really are going on this amazing holiday. With all the drama and uncertainty, Leon and I had delayed booking the rest of the trip. We had previously organised London and France but now we have rail passes for Spain, hotels in Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Cordoba, San Sebastián and Bilbao and a flight from Bilbao back to Paris for our final week there. Along the way, we’ve got afternoon tea (15 courses!) in the Skybar in the Burj Al Arab hotel, Dubai – that’s the one that looks like a huge sail, apparently it featured on Master Chef one time. We’ll see some play’s in London, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, drink champagne in Champagne,France, watch Barcelona play Seville, at their home ground in Spain, have dinner in the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. And much, much more!

image: andreyutzu