Althea Halliday What a grand finale to a Grand Tour! It has been a real pleasure reading about your adventures and looking at your thoughtfully composed images. Now for the long stretch home.

Althea Halliday Your father read this to me while we were enjoying refreshments at 'Uprising' yesterday. It is another excellent account. Your experiences on various stairs gave me a bit of a thrill! I really like the notion of storytelling being perpetuated. Where would we be without our stories?

Althea Halliday As I so often say, the historical detail in these blogs is outstanding. For some reason, I found the information about the Estonian experience particularly moving. I think it was that utterly compelling excerpt from the president's speech that struck such a deep note. Thank you for giving us such a rich overview of your journeys. It's only a few more days until you are home, and my hugs are ready already.

Althea Halliday What a delight for you to be in this beautiful place, so traveller-friendly in every way: culinary delights, autumnal beauty, history. The story of the fortress was fascinating, and I was not surprised by your intrepid exploration by torchlight. Seeing Edith on the swing, giggling and hanging on, with her Uncle David flying far and high beside her was extra special.

Althea Halliday We have to hand it to the Fins! Not only are they at the cutting edge in education, but here they are with a waste-free restaurant that is right up there with the best of the best. And how good is it that Edith is eating anything that is set before her. Happy exploring!

Bev Looking forward to it. Sounds great

Bev Sounds great.

Bev Thankfully I have transfers booked!

Bev Oh dear! How will I go when I am on my own?

Althea Halliday Brilliant! Some fascinating observations and some wonderfully humorous (after the event) yarns. My chest tightened a little while reading the toilet episodes (as you would no doubt understand), and I couldn't help thinking that it was lucky that Gemma recognised a set of shoes, and very fortunate that James Bond came in handy. These are the sorts of stories that can be told and retold, and we will laugh every time. Are you playing Scrabble on the train? If you are, look out for words that start with 'w'!

Althea Halliday Once again, this is a fascinating and comprehensive representation of a significant day for all of you in St Petersburg: a melding of what was seen and what you experienced as you jostled the tourists en masse. Now you set out on the last leg of your journey. It is such a wonderful thing to be 'with you', and somehow 'see' the summer park and the crowds and the metro and the palaces, and be unsurprised by the bite in the wind!

Althea Halliday I think I should add something specific about the 'Amber Room'. What commitment to restoration is embodied in this place, and what ambience (not a deliberate pun!) is created with the interplay of shape and colour and light. Magnificent, as in truly magnificent!

Althea Halliday If we think of adventure as an 'unusual and exciting or daring experience', you are certainly enjoying a most energising and unforgettable excursion abroad. The photos are always such a delight to study: such genuine pleasure against a backdrop of beauty and history. The ones featuring a solitary edifice against a magnificent sky are some of my favourites. Again, the detail of the places you visit is so interesting, and for me, the representation of perspectives in history was particularly fascinating. And what about a piano recital with Rachmaninov and Beethoven on the program, and the Russian Ballet to top it all off! I wonder what the Russian equivalent is for 'Bravo'?

Althea Halliday This is a brilliant blog! So rich in detail, and breath stopping in its account of the Segway excursion. My word! Darting and weaving and mounting the kerb is not for the faint hearted. I am glad that Gemma, Gareth and Edith enjoyed a gentle meander along the canals, and the photos are magnificent.

Althea Halliday Extraordinary in every way! What a spectacular country with its vast space and surprises at every turn.