Ciao, Roma

YOU’d think it would be easier.

Having planned and taken a three-and-a-half-month trip to Europe only last year, a six-week return visit should be a piece of cake.

Wrong. And I’ve been stressing for six months as a result.

Italy, Athens and some Greek Islands, Spain, Portugal and London were all on my radar.

While the where to visit and what to do have been relatively simple to compile, the how and the when have been the stuff of my nightmares.

The reason? We have doubled and in some cases trebled in numbers.

When planning for myself and my husband, I could make all the decisions and he was happy to simply tag along with minimal input.

But taking two 20-somethings for the entire trip, and adding another two 20-somethings for the northern Spain section has meant apartments rather than hotel rooms, mini-vans rather than compact and economical sedans, different group saver train passes, packing advice and cheaper ticket purchases to account for all budgets.

And what was I thinking working right up to the day before blast-off?

Getting out of the housework in the lead-up, obviously.

But finally, after hassle-free and, dare I say it, enjoyable Thai Airways flights to Bangkok and on to Rome, we have arrived.

We're now safe and sound in a quaint family home on the second-floor of a 16th century building right next to Dolce Vita Restaurant on Piazza Navona. And the toilets don't flush.

Let the games begin!