Catching up by the Thames on Friday

After being stranded in Greece by the flight restrictions imposed in northern European airspace after the volcanic eruptions in Iceland last week, my son and his group finally arrived home at 4am Friday morning. Over a two and a half day period they travelled by bus from Athens to Patmos, by boat from Patmos to Ancona in Italy and then onward by bus to Calais in France. They then got a ferry to Dover and a bus back home to Berkshire.

After he got some much needed rest, we went for a walk in the countryside and he told me about his trip. It was a gorgeous day, hot and sunny with a light breeze and it was beautiful down by the river.





It was one of those times I will remember forever. The older our children get, the less time we get to spend with them - and long walks in the countryside with them are few and far between! Not only that, but despite all my worries, it seems that the experience of being stranded was a really good one. Not only did he get to see a lot more than they had planned to, but he grew as a person. And although I would never have admitted it, I think it was a good experience for me too - I certainly learned an important lesson in patience!