Nik sets off

We had a good day together. With Nik's airport taxi booked for 4 p.m., there was time for Jack, Ruth, Josh and the kids to come over for lunch and some time together (Marianna had had a sleepless night and took the opportunity to get some rest). 
I grabbed an opportunity to take some photos of Nik while he was playing one of Richard's guitars; one of the many pleasures of his visit has been the chance to hear him play.  Then later, Jack quickly took one of N, Richard, Simone and me; we'd planned to do this while S was napping but we missed the boat on that (extra).
The house, now, is oddly quiet.  Nik was ready to go home - and NZ really is home for him now.  But having had some pay rises recently, he's hoping that he'll be able to afford to come back in 18 months or so.  The visit's been intense for him, reconnecting with family and friends he hasn't seen face to face since 2013 (or earlier, in some cases).   We'll go back to our routine of weekly videocalls, and hope that the plan for another visit within the next two years comes together.