Ah, Easter weekend, where we drive through thunderstorms to eat gourmet food, enjoy wonderful company, and generally exhale in a huge tension release. Naps all round! CBC on the television! Evil delicious snacks on the counter!

(Seriously. There’s a pound of butter in the Tupperware container of brownies alone.)

Liam has enjoyed osso bucco and polenta with everyone else our first night here. He was asleep by the time we got to the spaghetti bolognese last night, though, and thank goodness for that because he was so off his schedule on Thursday that he didn’t go to bed until nine, and woke up at 1.30 to play and didn’t go back to sleep till 4.45. Argh. But he travelled in the car wonderfully, and the only real dent in the plan was that he refused to eat the beef stew I’d made him for lunch, so all he had was lots and lots of fruit for lunch and his snack, along with some water and rice rusks.

On yesterday’s walk we saw a rabbit, and Liam is fascinated by the three big Maine Coon cats here (or rather, by the two who will stay in the room if he’s there; Cordelia’s playing the prima donna and not showing her pretty little face during the day). The stairs interest him, but he hasn’t taken a shot at them yet.

Today we’re going to a local farm to look at animals! It was misty and drizzly yesterday, but today is gloriously sunny, so we’re looking forward to that.

It feels good to be here. Even though Liam’s thrown off for a whole day after travelling, it’s worth it. I hope everyone else is having as enjoyable an Easter weekend as we are.