The year that was

In the early days of January I was still dreaming (and posting) about old world Vienna that we'd visited in the days before Christmas ...

In February there was a trip to iced-up but warm-hearted royal Copenhagen for a shot of schnapps and cool Danish design ...

March in London was weather suited only to grumpies in greatcoats ...

(though the Thames, Turner-esque, mustered a brave showing of early spring)

... and so we escaped to sunny Cape Town in April for a fix of African warmth and bounty ...

May brought a working trip to Mitteleuropa for a Prague Spring in the city of saints and angels ...

and June a jubilee weekend jaunt to Venice where high tides flooded San Marco square

Back in England the villages of the Cotswolds in June offered cowslips, roses and cream teas ...

and there was a summer opera in the rain ...

July in Paris was joyeuse around the fountains and gardens and cafés of Luxembourg and Palais Royal

de rive droite à rive gauche dans tous les décors 

while in the Dordogne, a short drive away, a chateau life was all too briefly mine.

and back home, London pulled off a spectacular Olympic show ...

In August there was the creative madness of the Fringe festival in Edinburgh

and back to work, September had in store a trip to Berlin, weighed down with history.

A mild October brought rambles in the English countryside ...

and November spectacular late autumn displays ...

Edinburgh in early December was freezing and festive with Christmas lights and colour ...

but the close of the year has been at home, which is sometimes best of all ...

celebrating out (20th birthday dinner at the top of the Heron Tower with London shining brightly far below) and in (New Year's Eve fireworks on telly) ...

There have been some big downs along with the many ups, and personally I'm hoping for a year of change and new opportunities, and of course more travel. I wish all who pass by here a peaceful and happy 2013 in which hopes become reality