October 2019 (sans Espagne)

October climes cool down for two thirds of the AtoTurnbull clan (with Nick & Elena in Italy, James and Keno in Oxford, and STephen and Paulie in France) whilst Olivia is greeted with sunshine and rising temperatures. This page shows October activities except for Stephen and Paulie's trip with Yolande to Spain. Given their birthdays are a week apart, Stephen and Paulie's treat to themselves was a trip to Oxford to spend time with the lads. Both had lovely birthdays (you'll have to see the November content for Paulie's treat). As the month wound up, it was time to gear up for a return to Australia for a wee while.

1 Oct 1 - Lunch break after doing some work around Michael's	2 Oct 2 - An unwinding pedal	3 4th - James seems to be poster boy for the successful campaign against BP sponsorship of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Nick spots the story in Italy	4 And the FT!
5 Oct 7 - Whilst the guys escape the rain in Spain, Olivia falls gently on the (beach) plain at Burleigh.	6 .	7 And enjoys the beach lifestyle on rare days off.	8 Oct 17 - Back from Spain helping Michael & Storm doesn't mean we can't stop for a break
9 Things are quieter and cool down in the village	10 Guests gone from La Cachette means tidy up time	11 And then exercise time	12 Stephen has been helping at Yolande's farm. A wee run in with a tree branch looks worse than it is
13 25th - Yolande joins as at the Montauban Prefecture to chase up Stephen's delayed visa extension (approved over a month prior) and we visit one of her pieces commissioned by the city	14 .	15 It's Rugby World Cup time (in Japan) and Paulie is psyching up.	16 An outing to the Beaulieu-en-Rouergue Abbey a 20 minute drive from the village
17 Back at home in Brisbane, Olivia and Rosie have some time out	18 It's a former Cistercian monastery founded in 1144 and now houses a museum of contemporary art	19	20 .
21 .	22 .	23	24 .
25 .	26 En route home the guys stop for a picnic at an old outdoor laundry	27 .	28 Meanwhile in Italy, Nick walks the family dog
29 Gets out and about with Elena and mother-in-law Lucia	30 Where things cool down...	31 In the beauty of the notrthen alps	32 Oct 29th - Paulie and Stephen are joined by Michael for a break in England. Michael (despite having a Brit passport) hasn't been in England since Stephen visited him at Cambridge Uni 20+ years prior.
33 Keno's generosity (and his access to the St John's college cellar) present some delightful wine	34 Time to show Michael around Oxford before he heads to London for a few days	35 St Mary of the the Virgin tower	36 .
37 Cornish health food for lunch	38 and an afternoon rosé	39 Oct 31 - It's Stephen's birthday. Was James suggesting there is an aging issue by offering a seaweed eye treatment?	40 He joins the guys so clearly it's for all ages!
41 Back in town. Youthful & refreshed. Stephen is off gathering ingredients for dinner	42 Time to start the birthday dinner. Stephen is head chef - Som Tam (green papaya salad), Mushroom Larb, and a green vegan curry.	43 .	44 Michael also assists with ingredient prep
45 Whilst James whips up a yummy vegan cake	46 And the dynamic duo manage front-of-house	47 What a team. In 7 days it's Paulie's turn for a birthday dinner. At the high table of Oxford's St Johns College!	48 Keno does it again! The College cellar suppplies Stephen's 60th gifts - two lovely bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape
49 Not a bad meal eaither!	50 .	51 .	52 The cake
53 And James - taken by Stephen's "Nature Boy" status (as farmboy and as Sally Swift carer) - gifts him with a cool telescope as well as a flint for starting campfires!	54 The scope has a mobile attachment. Cool!