It’s been ten days of witnessing heroic stoicism in my fellow humans. It all started with the Edinburgh Tattoo. It was supposed to be a treat for John’s birthday and we had seen a show, ate fish and chips on the pavement amongst the throngs, drank beer in a pub and then … the heavens opened BIG TIME.

We were herded like cattle in a queue that went on for a mile, and not allowed to put our umbrellas up until the brigadier said so.

Then we eventually sat up in the gods and the show began. Horizontal rain lashed the pipers, the tubas, the Bollywood dancers in their pretty saris and the Swiss drummers. Uniforms were drenched, the Highland dancers splashed in puddles, but so gracefully. We got home soaked to the skin at 1 in the morning. I have never been so pleased to see a hot bath in my life.

Then on to Munich, where the sun shone, and we wandered through a fairy tale city of geraniums and colour and happy people.

We watched the famous glockenspiel (a memento of the plague that kept everyone drinking indoors for fear of passing on the disease), and then ate in the beer gardens and swigged a large glass or two. We even did some shopping. John was intrigued at the array of lederhosen.

The following day we took the train to the concentration camp known as Dachau.

Our guide was amazing, and gave us such a grounding in the history of those terrible years leading up to the war and of course during. We were with him for four and a half hours, together with a couple who were on their honeymoon. They were from Portugal, and both suffered from MS. They met during their treatment and decided to fall in love and marry. They told me all this as we sat in the torture room, where previously 50 men at a time were hung with their arms tied behind and suspended from a pole. The arms were wrenched out of their shoulders, as dogs bit their legs. I listened to the couple’s unusual love story. It was good to hear of love and courage in such a place.

We saw where people were shot randomly for looking different, standing out from the crowd, daring to be an individual. The statue outside the gas chamber depicts a man with his head up, kicking the ground, doing everything the Nazis would have hated. The individual had survived.

We saw the photos, the pictures of piled up bones, and the sculpture that was erected outside the administration building. It is controversial, some people like it, and others don’t. I did. It showed men throwing themselves on to the electric fence, defying the soldiers, and denying them the chance to kill them.

We left Munich and drove down to Austria to the pretty town of Zell am See where the World Championship of the Half Iron Man was to take place and James, John’s son, was taking part.

He and his girlfriend flew over from Hong Kong, his other son Matt and girlfriend came from Worthing and another couple with two small kids came from Antwerp. We were the official support team.

Austria was beautiful, first time for me, and it was just everything and more. I have never been a groupie before, so all this bike technology was quite amazing, and everyone was just so INTENSE. Anyway we hung about amidst the throngs of competitors and looked at the lake and took a day off and got the chairlift up to the top of the world and ooohed and aaaahed, then walked down to the next cable car stop and I just felt I WAS Maria!

The competition was on Sunday and James completed the course, (swimming 1.9 km, cycling 90.1 km and the run was 21.1 km) in four and half hours of baking sun. I was worn out watching it all, they were all so fit and lean and good.

I befriended a nice American family and sat on the pavement and played with three year old Jackson as the runners ran past. Also practised my granny skills with Laura’s little Ike and three year old Vivien.

It was quite an amazing day, so much lycra, expensive bikes, and I take off my hat to all that human endeavour.

On the last day we drove up to a wild life park, and relaxed amidst perfect green grass, neat and tidy chalets, soaring mountains, and were served fresh river trout by dirndl skirts and lederhosen.

I was amazed to see a massive bison, first time ever (I thought they just lived on the American prairies). There were a couple of brown bears, a lynx and a wolf. I looked at the heavily wooded forest behind the national park, and was quite glad of the fencing. I don’t think I would like to venture forth on a walk on these Alps.

John is off down south for a week to help with his daughter’s house, and polish James’s medal. I shall be alone, and already I have twitchy fingers. The sewing machine is beckoning. I can make all the mess I want!

So let it rain or snow or whatever, here’s to those with the stamina to dream and hope and achieve. Slainte!