Bye Bye Blightie

Finally, the time has come to start our assisted passage to Van Diemen's land.   No more familiar food and intelligible language ... and a test to see if our studying of Russian (Karen) and Chinese (me) will ease our communications or just confuse the locals.

After 2 weeks of meeting, greeting, eating and drinking across Europe, those first 5 days locked inside the Trans Siberian railway carriage will be a welcome period of solitude.  Much sleeping will be done.  Lots of contemplation and gormless gazing ... all without a glass of wine in sight.  Perhaps I can make a good start into the 700-page history of Australia that I have been lugging around Europe.

It was only appropriate that Avgi took us to a pub in St Albans that is reputed to be the oldest in England ...

Oliver Cromwell stayed here one night ... cos he was exhausted from killing ...

De Goin' home after 14 years

before doing battle with the labrynth of the London Underground ...

Lugging bags around the Tube was never easy

De Goin' home after 14 years

A big thank you to all of our English friends ... firstly for putting us up with great hospitality ... and secondly for being such fun.    The fond farewells have left us with fond memories ... but of course we expect to see you all again somewhere sometime ... not too far in the future.