Last hurrah

Our final day abroad was bittersweet. Bitter because our journey was coming to an end, but sweet because we got to go nuts at the breakfast buffet one last time.

Full of waffles, pancakes, omelettes and coco pops, we needed to check out one or two landmarks in Doha before leaving. We headed out into the mid-morning sun. By 10am it was 30 degrees, set to get close to 40 by the time we got back.

We walked past the souk and down to the water’s edge. Near the old Harbour where traditional boats take tourists on trips around the bay, is a giant pearl in an oyster, a nod to the country’s pre-oil days when it was a small pearling and fishing outpost in the Persian Gulf. I don’t know if there’s a Big Pearl anywhere in Australia, but perhaps Broome can make an offer to the Qartaris.

The temperature was rising, but there was one last thing we wanted to check out. A few hundred meters further along the Corniche (the kilometers long grass lawn along the waterfront of the Harbour), stands a flag monument, a piazza containing a flagpole for almost every flag in the world. The boys have taken a particular interest in countries and flags over the past few months. Jack in particular has a keen memory for such. In fact, one of the regular phrases we found ourselves calling out over the past month as we passed embassies, travel shops or restaurants, was “hey Jack, what flag is that?” Like we were asking Siri or Alexa.

Jack and the boys enjoyed finding different countries and comparing the similarities and differences. Eventually though, the heat won out and we made our way back towards home, via a servo to top up on water and Powerade.

Our last stop before we made it to the hotel was the Souk, for one last poke around. The boys must have scrounged a few final Qatar Riyals from their pockets and the three young ones managed to find a bargain on their favourite soccer kits - Campbell with a Barcelona kit, Jack with a Real Madrid and Fred with Paris st Germain. I think their birthday presents this year might be a little light on… I was also keen to see one more thing at the souk - the falcon hospital. We wound our way through the lanes and came across the Falcon Souk, where you can buy a falcon or accessories. We opened the door and saw half a dozen kites looking at us, tied to their perches. The gentleman acknowledged us and nodded his approval to enter and look further within the store. Around the corner we found 5 beautiful falcons, each sitting quietly on their perches, rope tied to their leg. They were amazing specimens, with razor sharp talons and beaks and eyes that really looked at you. They were pretty cool.

Once home, Sarah snoozed while the boys took one last swim in the pool. It was good to again have not much to do for a few hours. We packed our bags and left them at reception while we ate lunch in the hotel restaurant. It was then time to update journals and reflect as we waited for our car to arrive.

Our flight departed at 6pm. We had 13 hours ahead, and I think Fred had his head on my lap for 9 of those. Oh to be young, flexible and be able to sleep anywhere.

We touched down at Sydney airport in good time, around 4:30pm on Sunday May 30. While we had planned to stay in Sydney that evening, thinking we were to land a few hours later, the lure of our own bed was too much and we decided to grab a quick bite and jump straight on the train.

Outside, Sydney rushed by through the window of the train, and eventually the Central Coast. We neared Cardiff station after nightfall. Grandma Julie was there to greet us, a friendly face after a long trip.

It wasn’t long after a cup of tea at the kitchen table before we were all pushing out zzzzz’s, not sure what timezone we were in, but sure that we had made it home after a mighty adventure.Read more