TUESDAY 12 APRIL. - Return to Earth

On the day that marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight and the historic mission of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961, it seems a good day to re-enter the blogosphere and report safe landing back to earth after my three week sabbatical trip to Australia and New Zealand and a wonderful two week road trip holiday in California with Anne on the way home.

We actually got back last week on 4th April but it has taken a few days of catching up with all that has been going on while I was away and for my head to catch up with my body before I have started to feel in one piece again after my round the world adventure. It certainly was a memorable experience and probably a once in a lifetime journey. So many sights and sounds and happy memories. The holiday was fantastic. We rented a great convertible...


...and enjoyed a wonderful journey from San Diego in the south, inland to the Borrego Desert and north via Pasadena, LA and Santa Barbara and up the spectacular Route 1 along the Californian coast. Our progress was only interrupted by a road closure on Route 1 where there had been two dramatic landslides a few days previously that closed the road, trapping many travellers between the two slides for several days. This forced us to make a long detour inland, but again through spectacular landscapes.


We visited Hearst Castle, went whale watching at Monterey and ended our holiday with two wonderful days in the great city of San Fancisco.


A fantastic time away but it was good to get home and to stop moving for a while. My journey was somewhat longer than Yuri Gagarin's circumnavigation and every day was filled with interest and enjoyment. A great adventure and I am extremely grateful to Somerset Care for sparing me to take the trip and to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for the funding that made my study tours possible. Now I need to let it all settle and write my report.

Location:Taunton