Vine Hotel Stafford

... decision to reside there has been entirely mine (albeit a decision born of convenience). It is perhaps to be expected that leaving Stoke once and - effectively - for all, has brought it home once again that, actually - this is a pretty big deal! All I was feeling was the sense of vertigo that is caused by the shape of one's life changing radically - and rapidly. It's like being on a fairground ...

... dinner last Saturday - it was fantastic! And to say to my mum - can't wait for our second christmas dinner this Sunday - woohoo!

Very excited at the moment about going on our adventure - but going to miss all our fantastic friends and family!

Ash

Ps won't miss the cold mind. brrr.

... filled with Laphroig single malt but will probably hold a number of different spirits around the way).)

Backpack: Clothes, Food and cooking utensils, Duck tape

Top Bar: Energy tablets, gels and Caffiene tablets

I'm glad that is sorted - now just to put my affairs in order.

Precisely 1 week today!

... in Cologne Hostel
CityNightLine Sleeper train from Cologne to Copenhagen
3 Nights in Copenhagen Hotel
Mum and Brother return to Manchester via Easyjet

It's taken me 4 weeks to get the timing and money right, but today I've booked the majority of the tickets, and I have a shortlist of accommodation.

It's weird how it's all coming together now, it still feels like booking a holiday....but it's slowly starting to sink in that this is a 1000 mile house move ...

... arrangements in this country.
2) Store or dispose of everything that I have been carting around in the car.
3) Sell the Car.

The end of this process is a watershed moment - from that point on it will be just me, my bike, and the belongings that I propose to carry on the bike... until the end of the journey. (duh duh duhhhh!)

Oh... and anybody wanna buy a Vauxhall Corsa?

... 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.

The countdown is at 15 days and 21 hours...

Last working hump day today so am on the home straight now. 2 working days left. Fly off in a weeks time (less than actually as leave Weds in the morning) so its 7 more sleeps to go.

Already this week is picking up speed and final things are coming together which is a relief - I am really quite organised (shock horror that won't surprise many of you). Finished yesterday at one clinic ...

... t be bothered with the shopping crowds. Having to fight your way through the likes of Primark (hell on earth in terms for shopping and I'm a shop-a-holic so it must be bad) or on the escalators in the Bull Ring just didn't appeal today. So I saved my pennies for a rainy day - that will probably be tomorrow.
Ok get some sleep - with 10 days to go I need to keep the battery charged. More to follow in the next few days .......

... first floor with the only toilet and only bathroom. No need to worry about David, a 48yo single truck driver as his day starts earlier than mine, and he has been up and gone for an hour already. Also Andrew, the middle aged owner of the house, will not be here this morning. He lives in the city of Birmingham an hours drive to the south of Belper, and only stays in his room on the first floor one night mid week, usually Tuesday, and then again on the weekend to collect the rent ...

Well here we go, the time has finally arrived, just the packing and the journey down to London on the train (which Andy is more excited about at the moment), is all we have left to do. Dave and Helen will then be putting us up for the night, before we leave on a jet plane (as Andy keeps putting it) to New York!! Before we do depart we would like to say a huge ...