It’s 6 days, 34 minutes and 25 seconds til Grahame and I set off on our second “Grand Tour”, so it’s with a small amount of pre- travel panic, that we embark on the next few days of planning and preparation. 

Yes, we are getting excited. Yes, we will miss family and friends. Yes, we will catch up with new family, old friends and no doubt make many others along the way. Yes, we will have to adapt, quickly, to driving on the wrong side of the road and approximately one month later, unadapt! Yes, We need to be prepared to communicate in at least four different languages (five if you count Scottish) when we are only fluent in one!!

We need to negotiate travel by plane, car, train, ferry, canal boat and maybe even camper van and have all the relevant paperwork signed, sealed and delivered. (And hopefully at our fingertips when required) .

We need to be prepared for late summer in the south and early winter in the north.

We need to accept that for 2 months (give or take) we will go without a decent cup of coffee.

Yes, we still have work commitments, last minute farewells and appointments, house maintenance (cleaning!!) and lists of instructions to compile for the plant waterers, mail collectors, remote control users and emergency contactees. 

But, the most traumatic and stressful issue of all….? 

We still have to pack !!

Those who know me well would understand the immense pressure I am now under. I detest packing. I detest having to preplan suitable ensembles for opening locks on the Cheshire Ring, visiting as yet unmet distant relatives in Scotland, cycling the streets of Barcelona, lolling on the beaches in Portugal, hanging out with friends in France, sipping wine in Bordeaux, and drinking beer in Belgium (not necessarily in that order) . And while all this sounds pretty good, we have to take stuff with us. And I am renown for either taking too much stuff, not enough stuff, the wrong stuff or most importantly, forgetting the most important stuff.

Procrastination is my forte, packing my nemesis. If only I can get through the next six days, thirty four minutes and thirty five seconds!!! 

I hear you!! First world problems right??!!

Well, friendly word of advice: if this is all too self indulgent and self promoting for you, I suggest you delete us from your Facebook Friends’ list, delete my Instagram account and scrub us from your contacts list NOW! Because there’s going to be a whole lot of blogs, selfie pics and Instagram and Facebook posts coming you way over the next two months. There will be a plethora of amazing food pics, amazing scenery pics, amazing people pics, and my personal favourite when on tour, amazing stain glass window pics! You have been warned!!!

So your choice…… delete or come along for the ride.

Post Script: 5 days 8 hours 19 minutes and 32 seconds. ( Just sayin’! )