Season's greetings to all our friends and family.

It's been a pretty wild year for everyone, what with Brexit, the American election, the crackdown in Turkey and so many other crazy things going on .

So here's hoping everyone has the fortitude to face the New Year with a smile on our faces - and firm in the knowledge that we have such wonderful friends and family to help us all do just that.

Counting our blessings! 

This Christmas letter / greeting format is a bit of an experiment this year so we'll see how it works. 

Many of you have been receiving the travel blogs so I won't go on at length about the past year except to list a few highlights.


January -- Christmas and New Year's spent cat sitting in Leiden with days out exploring on the wonderful Dutch train network with plenty of walking. Grey and flat but excitingly buzzy.

February -- Looking after gentle pointer Mabel and experimenting with an Aga in Haslemere, and caring for Gervase de Peyer in London .

March -- Enjoying the snowbells, jonquils and primroses on Cotswolds walks and Osterley Park, visiting Bristol (SS Great Britain).

April -- Visits to Upton House, Sudely Castle in Winchcombe, Croft Castle and looking after Pip the miniature schnauzer in Dorstone near Hay on Wye.
 
May -- A very busy month. Lots of trips to our local town, Stratford upon Avon, walking in the Slaughters, Illmington VA Day at Upton House, the Chipping Campden Literature Festival and attending the St George's School reunion. Became a British citizen. 

Farewelled wonderful Chipping Campden. 

What a super little town to spend a year! 

We'll miss looking out at each morning at the apple orchard and the sheep, hearing the horses clopping by, and watching those huge hollyhocks sprout out of unlikely nooks and crannies . 

Not to mention the best coffee (and homemade cakes) in the Cotswolds at the Campden Coffee Company.

June -- Dog sitting in Guildford, driving through Brittany, then dog sitting in Treignac and visiting the de Peyers in Castelljalloux.

July -- Driving from France to the south of Spain and dog and (MANY) cat sitting in Alhaurin el Grande.

August -- Dog sitting Archie in the most wonderful house in Driffield near Cirencester and then house-sitting in Winchester.

September -- Visiting family and friends in Pennsylvania, Washington area and Florida. R & R in a quiet, simple spot -- Megalochori -- watching the sunset over the caldera in Santorini.

October -- Cruising from Southampton via the Suez Canal to Thailand.

November -- Cruising from Thailand to Sydney -- and entering the harbour at dawn was incredible -- then starting the tedious work of getting our place back to normal. 

Son Andy arrived from Brisbane to help us and sister Heather and brother in law Glynn delivered our car they'd been carefully looking after.

December -- Catching up with everyone and enjoying Sydney's wonderful watery ways.
 

 Love and very best wishes to all,

 from Carol and Rick