Godspeed the luggage
The luggage is not the only thing overweight about us - we haven't stopped eating since we got here, and now we've just finished stuffing our bags. Should anything get lost in transit, I think one of us is going to sulk for a very long time.
I bought faaaar less than the Aa, but the spoils include an original french press poster of Nightmare Before Christmas, DVDs (that's $150 worth of dvds - but only at $10 or so each), die-cast dragon sculptures, old books, vintage cameras, paintings (which MUST survive the trip home, they must), a smallish pile of sale clothes, jackets, too much snacks, our maxed out capacity of wine and the perfect chess set - which we found hiding in one corner of the glass cabinet. I think we've spent the best (gulp) thousands in the past 10 days.
(it is entirely possible to find 13 nicely articulated starwars figurines at the shell station while topping up petrol as well)
I'm not sure what bits I liked best though - hunting for antiques in dusty rooms and finding a smoky topaz ring, marvelling at molten sunlight spilling across the valley, the constellation of glow worms that illuminated those giant ferns or running along the freezing, windy road at apollo bay, belly-warmed with gnocchi, De Bortoli's Noble One (the BEST tawny port) and laughing with hurting lungs- hearing Geri mumbling that the cold will help her to burn fat and watching the boys chase down their $2 gumball. Some things stick, that way.
Okay hooray for internet check-ins, am off to finish up the ice cream downstairs and round up my weight!