This isn't a proper blog post as such and will not contain any of J-P's fabulous photography but I thought you might all want to know that we are back in the UK.

(At this point, J-P would write 'click below' to read more, but I think you're all bright enough to work this out for yourselves.)

After struggling for some time with J-P's ankle, we eventually realised that hoping to continue on his favoured surface (flat) wasn't really going to be doable. J-P can walk well enough at the moment but not with a heavy pack or for long periods and walking while he was almost continuously in pain did not seem pointful. We came home last Thursday having spent a few days on holiday in Merano and are now living in Norfolk again.

I can thoroughly recommend Merano as a holiday destination. The location is wonderful and there is an awful lot to do. The area (low and surrounded by hills) is good for walking and riding. There is a campsite in the middle of the city and bikes can be hired, free, from several locations. There are also the Merano Terme which I visited three times(!) and which are luxurious. The water in Merano is naturally rich in radon which is apparently very good for you. We had a wonderful time learning about the area and its ice creams. The title of this post did become our cry for a while. Alas, it was not to be but we will return.

Our plan is to stay here for a few weeks to allow J-P to recuperate and then return to our travels. The 'walking down Italy' plan is postponed to another year but we will be returning to Italy to start with. We will be doing 'workaways' for the rest of the year - see www.workaway.info. It involves volunteering for 5 hours, 5 days a week, doing whatever people require, be it babysitting, carpentry, teaching, gardening and more. In return, we will get food and board. We've arranged a placement in Tuscany for August, before which we hope to finally visit my family! We will then go to Greece in September to work in an animal sanctuary on one of the islands. I am still working out where we will go after that.

To all of you who have commented on the blog or emailed us on our travels, thank you. It's much appreciated. I hope we will have more exciting things to tell you about soon and in the meantime, don't forget that if you're looking for a wedding photographer, an excellent one has just re-entered the country! Find him at www.jptreen.com