>For all those wondering if/when I would get round to booking my flight to Australia, the deed has been done. It has been, I agree, a long time coming. I leave on the 16th January, stopping off in Hong Kong then onwards to Sydney, a place to call home for 3 months or so.

It has taken so long to confirm a departure date as I had been waiting for confirmation that my overseas account had been opened. On applying I was informed it could take up to 6 weeks, but it has taken just over 3 weeks. Were I not heading for Seville and Paris over the next two weeks I could have conceivably have left this month (as I had originally hoped – see earlier blog), but my family are happy in that I spend Christmas with them once again, and I am happy to spend some time travelling Europe, albeit two cities within it before I go.