We're back in the UK - Glasgow to be exact. We now have regular access to Internet so hopefully the blogging will become more regular. One of the largest frustrations in Italy was the lack of Internet access, closely followed by printer issues.
There is too much to catch up in any detail, so I hope you have all read J's blog to get an idea of what we've been up to. I have to say we had two very different holidays: mine was running around all day every day looking for matches, while J's (and Mum's) was more like a real holiday - shopping, pottering, exploring, swimming, etc. While I enjoyed mine very much, I don't think I'd do it again this way as there just wasn't enough together time.
Research-wise wise it has been productive but unfinished. I had a
good look around the Sangro/Orsogna battlefield and have a much better feel for it, but there is more exploring to do there. The time at Cassino seemed to evaporate (printer problems used up a few days on their own), so I didn't accomplish what I hoped for there. I did manage to get inside the Convent where it was clarified that the 'Crypt' was no longer in existence, it having been infilled with the rubble from the church itself. I also found Hove Dump, the Kiwi's (and in fact the Allies') largest supply dump in the vicinity of Cassino, got some matches in the Abbey, and various along Route 
6. Finally the other coast provided many matches, but again there is lots more to do. We had a shortage of photos to match for this area, so I got a large percentage of a lesser number. I found most of the bridge and crossing points, except the largest pontoon bridge, and that's a start.
Another success of a sort was our presentation of a New Zealand flag to the Historiale (Multimedia Museum) in Cassino. This Museum cost the city E15m and
they neglected to get a New Zealand flag! The are flying a Belgian flag when that country only supplied a small commando contingent, and an Austrian flag even though that country had been annexed by Germany so didn't technically exist. I have to say the management response was completely underwhelming, and we never managed to meet or even talk to the director. Furthermore I had to climb on to the roof and raise the bloody thing myself! (We replaced the Austrian flag, so we may have raised an international incident.) Sadly our contribution wasn't as big as all the others 
so there may be a few eyebrows raised by visitors. Still, better a little flag-envy than no flag at all. I've asked friends there to make sure it is kept flying, as I suspect there will be a temptation to sneak it down after we've left.
Anyway, it's all over now, baby blue. There are some immediately noticeable differences. The cars all travel within the lanes, and don't consider the center line to be a secret extra lane. Drivers don't actually wait until a blind corner before overtaking. People don't stop in the middle of the road to have conversations or indeed to park. Small things really... Oh, and it is no longer sunny and 36+ degrees. Try grey and 13. We still need a phrase book though...
There is too much to catch up in any detail, so I hope you have all read J's blog to get an idea of what we've been up to. I have to say we had two very different holidays: mine was running around all day every day looking for matches, while J's (and Mum's) was more like a real holiday - shopping, pottering, exploring, swimming, etc. While I enjoyed mine very much, I don't think I'd do it again this way as there just wasn't enough together time.Research-wise wise it has been productive but unfinished. I had a
good look around the Sangro/Orsogna battlefield and have a much better feel for it, but there is more exploring to do there. The time at Cassino seemed to evaporate (printer problems used up a few days on their own), so I didn't accomplish what I hoped for there. I did manage to get inside the Convent where it was clarified that the 'Crypt' was no longer in existence, it having been infilled with the rubble from the church itself. I also found Hove Dump, the Kiwi's (and in fact the Allies') largest supply dump in the vicinity of Cassino, got some matches in the Abbey, and various along Route 
6. Finally the other coast provided many matches, but again there is lots more to do. We had a shortage of photos to match for this area, so I got a large percentage of a lesser number. I found most of the bridge and crossing points, except the largest pontoon bridge, and that's a start.Another success of a sort was our presentation of a New Zealand flag to the Historiale (Multimedia Museum) in Cassino. This Museum cost the city E15m and
they neglected to get a New Zealand flag! The are flying a Belgian flag when that country only supplied a small commando contingent, and an Austrian flag even though that country had been annexed by Germany so didn't technically exist. I have to say the management response was completely underwhelming, and we never managed to meet or even talk to the director. Furthermore I had to climb on to the roof and raise the bloody thing myself! (We replaced the Austrian flag, so we may have raised an international incident.) Sadly our contribution wasn't as big as all the others 
so there may be a few eyebrows raised by visitors. Still, better a little flag-envy than no flag at all. I've asked friends there to make sure it is kept flying, as I suspect there will be a temptation to sneak it down after we've left.Anyway, it's all over now, baby blue. There are some immediately noticeable differences. The cars all travel within the lanes, and don't consider the center line to be a secret extra lane. Drivers don't actually wait until a blind corner before overtaking. People don't stop in the middle of the road to have conversations or indeed to park. Small things really... Oh, and it is no longer sunny and 36+ degrees. Try grey and 13. We still need a phrase book though...
