Peterboro: Episode III - The Return of Matteo

In this third and final instalment of the United Kingdom trilogy, Matteo, an expert globetrotter, once again takes to European skies to visit his Uncle Vincenzo. Spring, Summer, Winter; only Autumn is missing to say he has seen the United Kingdom in every season. We keep to the habit of booking the RyanAir flight to London Stansted. As an absolute first, we travel without hold luggage and above all without a stroller! Three backpacks for three, boarding passes in one pocket and passports in the other! No queue at check-in (done online), no queue at boarding (we have the priority Q) and no waiting at the baggage carousels. In other words, a JOY we had been waiting for a long time..! Good little Matteo is by now used to travelling, this lets us eliminate as much as possible all those items that usually make travelling with a small child less tiring.

Here we could open a whole Italian parenthesis on travelling with small children; we won't go into this subject of a thousand opinions, all controversial; let's just say that our personal experience has made us understand that the big limit of children is the parents themselves! For the first time in three instalments we travel without Grandma Anna, who left before us during the smoky days caused by the tantrums of the Icelandic volcano. The nephew's anxious wait is almost over, not long to go.

THANKS to Vincenzo for once again hosting us so splendidly.

New record for TEO: 50,706 km flown (11th flight in three years).

CIAMPINO AIRPORT: "Alta Quota" car park Via di Ciampino, 70. Tel: 06 79341545 Ciampino (RM)

WHERE TO EAT

THE WILLOW TREE

29 High Street, Bourn Cambridgeshire, CB23 2SQ

MILTON PARK THAI RESTAURANT

Ely Road, Milton Cambridge, Cb24 6DD