The most important person in the world to us is Stefan and we are really glad we both have a great relationship with him and we all care for each other so much. So when we saw him at the arrivals hall at Heathrow with a sign saying Welcome Mum and Dad I promptly burst into tears and grabbed my boy. It was also very useful to have an extra pair of hands to help with the four suitcases (one of which was filed with Stefan’s tramping gear and the other filled with stuff for the caravan. He negotiated our way from Heathrow via the more comfortable Elizabeth line to his flat in West Hampstead, where we could catch up and sort things out before going out for a really lovely dinner.

It was so great to be the three musketeers back together again. It was a really long day and we chatted well into the night but it was such a great feeling.

Next day we met up again and went off to see ABBA Voyage. Wow, this really is what the future is like. The 3D projections of the band looking as they did when they were young were amazing and truly tricked your mind into thinking you were seeing the real thing. Add the aerial lighting experience and a live band and it was pure joy on a stage. You don’t have to be an ABBA fan to love it so if you ever get the opportunity to go, do it. You won’t regret it.

The rest of our five days in London was spent going to some of Stefan’s favourite places to drink craft beer and chat and catch up. We also managed a fairly spectacular prank on one of Stefan’s friend’s Sophie who was out on a date. Long story short I “surprised” Sophie, who we’d never met before with her long lost auntie from NZ who she’d never met but seemed to know a lot about her. I’ve never seen anyone so confused. We laughed, she laughed the date she was with was just confused.

Nigel and I went to Greenwich to see the meridian line one day which was really interesting and we spent every waking moment we could with Stefan. Grabbing lunch while he was working playing trivial pursuit and watching football in bars at night. Meeting his flatmates and using his flat to do washing before we headed out to the airport. See you soon, we said as we left him in London and we did.

Another great family connection we have in Europe is Nigel’s cousin Chris from NZ who has lived in Vienna for 30 years with his Austrian wife Ulla. They have two girls who are similar in age to Stefan so there has always been a connection for them as well.

We have always kept contact over the years and visited with each other often in Austria and New Zealand. They also came to Sweden to stay when we were there and we have lovely videos of the three kids all dancing to the Wiggles in our lounge.

So we arrived at the airport and Chris was there to take us to their lovely home and promptly welcome us with a very large schnapps! We had arrived the weekend before their daughter’s graduation and so we had a party every night. We met her friends at a Viennese summer house party and met the extended family at her graduation party. We met the boyfriends and the aunts and the grandparents and everyone was just lovely. We learned some Viennese sayings and saw squirrels in the garden and swam in the pool.

Oh yes, we went sightseeing one day and got to see Schönbrunn Palace for the first time (despite having been to Vienna many times). We also got to catch up for brunch with Stefan who happened to be at a music festival in Vienna at the same time. It was lovely to see him again, he was having quite a different Vienna experience at the music festival. And as we left we said “Love you, see you soon” and we will… tomorrow!