Greyland

We landed at Manchester, the big bird had been surfing the jet stream for eight hours, dragging us, kicking and screaming, from our tropical island before dumping us in a grey land. Not only is it grey, its raining, and after a month of 28 degrees it's cold, it's 6am, we're tired, jet lagged and the taxi driver wants to talk to us. I mean why don't they understand that if you've got passengers coming from west to east, especially overnight they won't want to enter into a dialogue about clutches. My fault, I shouldn't have mentioned my clutch going the day before we left to go on holiday, I don't know why I did, but I did.

It's now been five days since we arrived in Greyland, and for all that time we haven't even caught a glimpse of the sun. It's been blowing a gale most days, they even had to evacuate workers from a rig, its been that windy. On top of that it has done nothing but rain. It's as if someone's taken a giant vacuum cleaner and sucked all the colour from out of the world and it turns umbrellas inside out at the same time. No-ones got a smile on their face, they're screwed up and downcast towards the pavements as they battle against the elements eager to get home and cosy up around the fire.

Welcome home, friends all say, but they seem to have a certain smugness that says, serves you right. We've had to put up with this greyland whilst you've been sunning yourselves on some Caribbean beach. I can't blame them, I do the same.

Mind you it wasn't all beaches, we did quite a bit of that but we also had adventures. We hired a 4x4 and did some rough back road stuff which meant crossing rivers, exciting stuff crossing rivers. I mean your never sure that you'll make it even though there's a track on the other side. But with no other vehicles around it's a bit touch and go.

We hear lots of tales from people who have been to the Dominican republic, mainly to all inclusives, who tell tales of a lawless land where they have to be escorted beyond the perimeter by armed security guards. This is a complete nonsense, we have found nothing but helpful happy people everywhere we go, especially off the beaten track. Of course there's going to be bad apples everywhere, and it pays to be careful, but that goes just as much for Greyland as it does on our tropical island.

Yes, it's always hard to get back into the swing of things, but slowly we are slipping back into life back here. I just wish the sun would shine. The cold I can just about cope with when it's sparkling bright but this blanket of grey just sends me scurrying to my holiday snap shots, conjuring up those memories of clear blue skys, tourquoise oceans, exquisite flowers and the fragrance of tropical nights.

Ah well, there's snowdrops out and the crocus are pushing their violet petals skyward so it can't be long till it's spring. So at least there's a silver cloud, it's just that right now the clouds are stretched from horizon to horizon with no hint of that silver lining. Still it's cosy here by the fireside, but I can't wait to board that big bird that deposits me back into the technicolour world where I'm inspired to get out my water colours, and explore the whole pallet, where I'm not restricted to Paynes grey and Greyland.