A quiet day – Kate went off early for a long walk but the rest of us were lazy and had a leisurely breakfast with Lawrence, Nour and Omar. They brought some delicious French cheese and apricot biscuits. Tim and Nour had a great time playing together. Later we went back down to Old Damascus for the souvenir shopping and then had an Indian meal out in the early evening. We got to the flat and Kate got back from her walk; then Madeline popped in to say goodbye and present us with a book of old photos of Damascus. It was odd – we had only been there a few days but it felt like we had known some of these people for years. We took the last of our photos and gave Kate and Madeline our email addresses.
There was yet the adventure of the return home – the ridiculous bureaucracy of a Syrian airport and the extortionate tax for leaving the country (only payable in Syrian Pounds – and no cash machine in the airport so if - like us - you underestimated how much you need you are really stuffed!). There was the wonderful efficiency of Heathrow and the National Express bus service and the byzantine inefficiency of the Winchester bus services. There was the weather – cool, cloudy, damp air but wonderfully clean to the taste. There was the joy of getting back to trees unfurling leaves and flowers unfurling petals. We will miss Matthew and our new found friends but I hope we will carry something of the hospitality of the people and the richness of the heritage into our own futures.
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