The Three Kings asked us to come home earlier

During our last days in Cambodia, Pierre's work asked him to get in a few days earlier. When work calls, there's no escape to it. There was an important meeting on the 7th of January, which was the day we where supposed to fly from Bangkok to Dubai (and friends in Abu Dhabi) so even calling in for a telemeeting wasn't an option. After checking our options, we decided to go back home a few days earlier, so that Pierre could assist to that meeting. To tell the kids about our change of program, we made a drawing of the 3 Kings in their travel booklets and told them we should be home a bit earlier so not to miss the arrival of the Kings to town (by the way a beautiful parade every year on the 5th of January!). They where a bit upset about missing out on their birthday in Abu Dhabi (we had been brainwashing them: Julie & Gregory have 3 kids - that is the place where you'll turn 3). Luckily the kings came by 3 as well!  Plus they brought a little plane, symbolising their 'present': a trip to Belgium.*

* we got away quiet well with that symbolic gift, until school started and the kids were allowed to bring a toy from the kings every day of that first week. Those are 5 days of comparing the nicest Frozen Barbie, the most agressive Ninja turtle (yes, they seem to be still alive) etc. Our kids where so lost after the first day with their little plane, that the following days they grabbed anything they could find in the house (they do have toys) but I got to explain that really, bringing our Scrabble game is not the idea of the 3 Kings week. Anyway... Consumption consumption consumption... It didn't take long before that reality hit!

Anyways, so we had to cut short on Bangkok, which was more than anything a shame cause we wouldn't see our friends there anymore, and the kids who had been looking forward to see the little boy and the baby dog where a bit sad. And so where we, about Bangkok and Abu Dhabi and our friends over there. We now have even more excuses to make new travel plans (as if more where needed!)

Pierre did take us on a one-day tour to Bangkok. Now, as usual, we leave at the best moment of the day. That is, when it's starting to get hot, kids tired and mum hangry. Almost noon? great! Let's go! So we took a cab to an upper part of the river, where we took one of those public transport boats. You navigate along the river, and seeing the life and the houses changing as you get closer to the city centre. You also have more and more people (and tourist) getting on to the boat. And more. And more. A Thai lady with a very cutting voice is screaming things, that I understand must be 'get more to the front' 'there is still place' 'more to the front of the boat'. I get even more nervous as she seams to be. I have rarely been quiet so relieved as when the screamed "stop - next boat - no more place" and people stopped adding up! 

And so that's when we got off ;-) 

We tried to get into the Royal Palace, but seen  the huuuuge amount of people, our perfect timing and state of mind, we only walked around its premises for a while. Then we did enter to pay a visit to the lying statue of Buddha in Wat Po and finally had a walk along the river before heading back to our (invisible) hosts. With the other family squatting Manu & Amélie's place, we went to a fancy rooftop bar, to enjoy a view and a cocktail, and we left just before they put us and our kids out I think ;-) Rooftopbars and 5 kids, it's just not a very long-lasting match I think.

After those 2 days in Bangkok, we took off and got ready for our flights back. They went amazingly well. Seven hours or something to Dubai, 2 hours of transit , and another seven or eight hours to Barcelona. On the 4th of January we came home.

I quickly found the (very) positive side to it; kids would be out of jet lag by the time school starts, we would have some time to settle back before starting "normal" live again, but above all ! I convinced Pierre to go to Belgium for the weekend, and that was a jackpot of great encounters and family& very good friends - moments! The boys had their birthday amidst all their godparents and aunties they adore, we got to be spoiled by the grandparents, we invited friends over in our ex-garden for a real spanish winter-paella, and of course, I got to escape to Brussels and Holland to catch up with some precious friends! The 3 Kings really had a great idea bringing us that trip to Belgium as a gift. 

As I write this, we have been back home in Barcelona since 3 weeks already. Coming home felt good.

Kids ran to their toys and rooms, we rushed to the beach, we had an intense week of catching up - diners, had a picnic in the labyrinth park of Horta (now see, we still are tourists here as well ... we got some really strange looks and not the friendliest comments, in Spanish, 'cause of course we look so blond we couldn't possibly understand spanish). We barely had the time to look back on our Grand Voyage! The bags are (finally!!) unpacked, I uploaded the 45Gb of pictures (oops), kids are back to school, our first friends and family came for a visit (and took me out to visit the beautiful Hospital de Sant Pau!), and already left and Pierre got back to work. We changed their Keen sandals for some decent winter shoes, put our jackets on and got back on our bike! 

Everything is a bit back as usual, the difference being that our eyes have seen so much more the last 3 months, our little family lived so many good moments (and others ;-) , our kids learned so much (Amélie's teacher is not having an easy time now ...) 

Maybe we should get some holidays just to reflect a bit better on that Grand Voyage!Or maybe Barcelona is just the good spot to softly land after a great trip...