Since our last blog post about five weeks ago, Mel has finished work, and we flew back to the UK on Independence Day (probably not a bad day to retreat to the UK) for a month of quality family time, catching up with friends, and Ben managed a 4-day music festival.
Despite all of Ben’s cycling without any severe aches and pains, he threw his back out, cleaning the van a couple of days before we flew to Europe. Somehow, British Airways must have known, as he got upgraded to Business with a lie-flat bed on the way to London, leaving Mel in the rear of the plane. (Mel's take: No offer to swap, and he left me in Portland airport while he went to find the business lounge. No chivalry there!)
Most of our four weeks in Europe were spent catching up with family and friends in the UK, mainly in the Southwest of England and around London. We're at the stage in our lives where our friends are having or have had kids, and it's great to catch up with everyone and see how much the little ones have grown!
The first weekend in the UK was jam-packed. Mel became godmother to our little nephew Mikey, who is now eight months old - going on 18 months! We also spent a day at the Bischler’s, seeing our two nieces, Bella and Brooke, and the rest of the family.
We spent a week in Ericeira, Portugal, with Mel’s Mum, Sisters, and their husbands in the middle of the trip. The Conlans have visited this place regularly for many years, so it was nice to be there for our nephew Mikey's first trip, spend some time on the beach, explore, and chill by a pool. While in Portugal, Mikey learned to crawl and happily woke the entire house up at 6:45 a.m. daily.
When we were around London, we made a couple of trips to see Ben’s 99-year-old Gran, who, believe it or not, is still living on her own! She even emailed us back on her iPad in 8 minutes. Here's hoping Ben has a few of her longevity genes! She is a hugely inspirational woman - there aren't many people left who can talk about their roles in WW2.
For our last weekend, Ben went to the WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) Festival, which takes place only a few miles from Mel’s Mum's house with most of the Conlans and his parents. This allowed Mel to use it as a weekend to continue catching up with her girlfriends while Ben enjoyed copious amounts of great music and food.
What’s Next: After a whirlwind month in Europe, we're excited to return to Dora (our Campervan) and explore the beauty of North Cascades National Park in Washington State. Stay tuned for more adventures from the BischCons!
What a dream holiday!