When I Was Up In Italy.

I'm currently in Garmisch PartenKirchen, Germany, somewhere near the Austrian border with limited internet access and limited ability to upload pictures. It's been snowing gently since before I arrived and the place looks and feels absolutely amazing. In some ways it's quite difficult to get my head around the fact that I'm here in Europe. So far everyone we've met has been incredibly friendly and helpful and everywhere we've visited has been incredibly picturesque.

Yesterday we went to Oberammergauer, and every single photo I took looks like a postcard - and I took lots, believe me.

But Italy is where we flew into. We arrived in Rome and headed straight up to Lucca. Even the train trip was amazing. And then Lucca surpassed all expectations.  What a beautiful city.

And don't even mention the food.  We found two fantastic restaurants where the food was incredible - perhaps the best meal I have ever eaten.  Stunning in simplicity, but flavours like you wouldn't believe. Our hotel was down a small laneway, and directly opposite to the birthplace of Puccini. The place has so much history and culture to offer.  Unfortunately I only was able to spend two days there.

Anyway, I'm running out of time on this beast of a machine and need to get moving. But I have been getting some ideas for stories.

More from Scotland, after I leave Germany.

Pasta, Wine, Schnitzel, Beer, Haggis, Whisky, Christmas Pudding And More Beer.

Congratulations to the Q3 winners of Writers of the Future. In particular, Brad R. Torgersen and Adam Colston, as they are both regulars over at the WOTF forums.

Brad has some excellent advice over on his website about writing, and what it takes to become a finalist at WOTF.  He should know, this was his second time in the finalist circle. Perseverance is one thing Brad has in abundance.

I have no hopes for my Q4 story. That was just an old one I posted off in order to ensure I submit every quarter. And it's certainly not the type of story the judges are looking for. The story I'd planned to send wasn't ready in time, so I decided to hold it over until I could spend more time on it.  But now I have to get myself into gear and finish it off.  I only have three weeks to get it polished and mailed.

Three weeks, I hear you ask. Surely the quarter finishes on the 31st December?

Well, yes.  But I won't be around.  My wife and I head off in three weeks time to Italy, Germany, Scotland and England for a bit of a holiday. Italy, just because my wife loves it and I've always wanted to go, Germany because she used to live there and wants to show me her old stomping ground, Scotland to spend time with her best friend and some of my family (I'm actually Scottish born!) and then England for Christmas with my in-laws.

We've organised sitters to look after the house and the dogs, and I'm currently mentally preparing myself for the gruelling task of eating and drinking my way across Europe.  It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. As for exact details of where we go and what we do?  I hope to keep this blog updated with all our travels as we go.

And Brad, since you won't be needing your Q4 story anymore, you can throw it my way and I'll re-badge it and submit it as mine.

p.s. Woah, Judge-type people.  I'm only kidding.