Did you miss me?

I'm back! What do you mean, you didn't know I was away? Did I not mention that Husband and I were off to Prague for a wee trip sans children? Whoops, sorry. And then we got back and there was stuff to do, hospital appointments, last week of school..........

So! Husband and I were in Prague a couple of weekends ago! Husband's annual Czech-based judgely huddle was taking place on a Friday so we decided to extend the trip a little and leave the children to look after Granny and Grandad for a few days. Last time we went to Prague we flew out on a Monday and back on a Thursday and I have to say that is preferable by far to the arrangement this time whereby we flew out on Thursday and back on Sunday. Why is that, you may ask?

Two words: stag weekends. We found ourselves sitting on a plane in the middle of a group of very loud Scottish blokes wearing wigs. And one of them (the groom, presumably) was also wearing a dress. And a string of orange wooden beads. The sight of anyone's cleavage looming over one is a bit hard to take first thing on a Thursday morning. When that cleavage is pasty white and hairy to boot, off-putting doesn't begin to describe it.

Prague was lovely as ever. We stay in an absolutely wonderful hotel - this one - which is located right in the centre of the city, a couple of minutes on foot from the Charles Bridge. Our room this time had two huge windows which opened out onto a view of the river, the Bridge, Prague Castle and a row of yellow light-up penguins. I would show you all a photograph but we didn't bother to take the camera with us, a decision whichwas curiously liberating - there is something rather nice about just enjoying a scene rather than fretting about trying to capture the perfect photo of it.

We did take one photo. I insisted that Husband take a snap on his phone of one of the many market stalls selling Prague ham - huge lumps of pig roasting over open wood fires. I suspected that First Born, the World's Greatest Carnivore, would be drooling at the sight and I was right.

Prague is a carnivore's playground. In addition to the aforementioned Prague ham, in the course of 4 days Husband and I also managed to consume duck (and duck liver), venison, smoked pork knuckle, smoked pork sausage and wild boar. And dumplings. Lots of dumplings. Which aren't technically meat but since they are often served with a gravy boat full of the roasting juices from the accompanying meat to pour over, they soon become pretty meat-ish. I am getting hungry just writing this.

So Prague was great and we enjoyed the child-less nature of the days, being able to wander down a street because we felt like it without a chorus of "Where are we going? Why are we going down here? What's down this street? What are we going to do when we get down this street? I'm hungry/thirsty/bored" Not that we don't love our children, but it is nice to behave in an unadulteratedly adult manner once in a while.

And since we got back we have had the usual whirl of work, school run and so on. The Easter holidays began on 2 April so we have the pleasure of the boys' company for more of the time. As I type, Husband is upstairs completing the putting-to-bed ritual, which in his case seems to involve a lot of prodding, tickling, screaming and general mayhem. The kids are almost as bad.

I will try to do a little more updating soon. Promise.