After 9 weeks back home in Perth, Julie and I spent 28 hours traveling by plane, train and automobile back to our second home in Lucca Italy to find a country that was nothing like we had left. With good rains and sun in the later part of winter and the beginning of spring, everything is green and growing, all the trees now have leaves again and the grasses are two feet tall, and the air is cleaner with little to no burning off happening and the need for heating...

We have been here in Lucca for a while now. We fill in our days meditating, exercising, reading, writing our journal and going for walks. We are at the foot of some mountains, so there is ample opportunity to go bush walking, but most days we just walk the local streets. Most days are clear with blue skies, but daytime temperatures are usually between 9 and 13, but some days it doesn't get above 7. Most nights are around minus 2, but we have had as low as minu...

We're back in Lucca now after having a wonderful English Christmas with my sister and her family and my auntie, cousin and his family, I think that is right, it all gets complicated. There were seventeen for Christmas lunch, we had it in a marquee in my cousin's backyard, fortunately it was heated. The spread of food he and his wife put on was amazing and we had all the trimmings with Christmas tree, lights, drinks, Christmas music and we all even received a pres...