Express By Holiday Inn Stafford M6, Jct 13

... further south to start the journey in the light of the advancing winter - but as a man once said, "Go big, or Go home!" (I make no judgement as to whether he was a wise man). Starting in Amsterdam is more memorable and allows me to pass through three more countries (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) for the sake of an additional day or two on the road.<br><br>The countdown is at 15 days and 21 hours...

... managed to get all loose ends sorted and even probably did over and above what was expected - ok nothing new there either. Had a massive stack of discharges to do (over 30) and halfed that today so well on the way to getting out the door of work on Friday with it all done - its all positive thinking at present as I am all to familiar with the spanner that can be thrown in at the last minute ...

Ten more sleeps - yippee.<br>Woke this am not to the sound of rain as in the previous how ever many mornings but to the sound of the shop across the road opening up - ok it was 9.30am, and I had a lovely little lie in.<br>Weather actually ok - didn't rain for the first time in over a week, and the sun actually shone today. I'm getting sick of getting soaked wherever I go and hanging for some warmth from sunshine - an alien concept ...

An early start from London and back in Crewe by 9.15, shortly thereafter I had the slightly surreal experience of helping someone move into my flat. Many hands made light work and we had all of the stuff moved into the flat within 30 minutes.<br><br>After a fantastic lunch I went back and removed the very last of the stuff, including the bike and the backpack; and now I am staying at Steve's ...

Finally worked out my route.<br><br>Fly to Armenia, travel through Georgia to Turkey and fly from Istanbul to Mumbai. Work my way across to Calcutta and fly to Bangkok. Through Thailand and Cambodia to Vietnam, then onto China.<br><br>I am setting off early September 2010 and aim to be in China early December, maybe.<br><br>And then I have to get back...

... br><br>Much to the amusement of some people, I have planned my entire trip by the week! Yeah, yeah, I know it is likely to change in the first week, but without preparation I might miss out on something I wanted to do, so it's good to have a skeleton plan.<br><br>Only 16 days to go and counting ... I wish I was going tomorrow, having said ...

... essay about the life and times of Anthea and Dan circa July-October. <br>The next few months are going to be exciting as we have got more Aussies rocking up on our doorstep and we will hopefully be visiting some more nice places. <br>Can't wait to hear back from everyone, let us know what you're up to, but please no bragging about how the weather is getting better. We don't need to know!!<br><br>Signing out. <br>Dan. (&amp; Anthea, she's at work though)<br>

Afte a lazy start to the day we headed out to go see some locals of the New Forest starting first with the donkeys then the ponies, cows, pigs, squirrels, ducks and geese - oh and manybe some sheep too! <br><br>We headed up around Frogham, over the High Corner Inn to the pub at Fritham, the Walter Tyrrel and the Rufus stone, thru Beaulieu and back up ornamental drive before heading home to have dinner at the George! Great day not too rainy and very entertaining!<br>

... list. UK solo guy Ben's Brother needs to be checked out too.<br><br>The UK really do music festivals well, it really was great, a real carnival atmosphere; rides, stalls, seedy food everywhere. The weather was actually really good too, always a bonus. Neil and I were NOT prepared for bad weather, we just went along as if it was in Sydney, and when it poured ...

... the UK tends to live in a bubble. Rob continues to ask me questions about Ramsey Street as if I were a neighbor, and wonders if all the houses in Australia look like that. When I ask him what he means he says with all that space, large gardens and even pools in the backyards! We chatter away, and before long it is 10.30am and time for our next break, 15mins this time, so there is time to make a cup of tea and sit and enjoy what in my haste I deprived myself of earlier this morning.