From Packing to Wrapping Up, Goodbyes to "Keep in Touch"

Julia and I are slowly making our way back together again (from Germany and Italy respectively) to wrap up our lives in London.  With luck Julia's train travels will be uneventful and she'll arrive in St. Pancras station on Monday night with no more than a twinge of "heimweh" and a big smile on her beautiful face in anticipation of our travels.

Having spent the last few weeks packing, saying goodbye to our friends and generally stocking up on goodwill and best wishes, we're both ready to shoot off into south-east Asia and pedal our way from Bangkok to Hanoi, via Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh).

It's been great seeing you all - though I say "you all" more in the hope you're reading this than in expectation as it'll probably be a while before our audience gets anywhere near as big as the group of people ready to celebrate our departure :)  An old friend send it best....

"Of course I'm here mate, wouldn't miss it for the world......this is one of the best night's of my life - I've waited for years to say good-bye to you for an extended period of time!"

To all those that came to send us off, thank you very much - it was truly touching (even if you were celebrating!).  To those that couldn't make it, don't worry, I'm arrogant enough to think it's because you couldn't face bawling your eyes out publicly in sadness at our departure.  However truth be told, with the internet as it is, Facebook and Blogs will give us the chance to stay in contact on a semi-regular basis......more so that perhaps you'll be wanting by the time we get into our swing.

Another thing we're hoping for is that this is a conversation not a soliloquy, a dialogue not an autobiography; there are comments boxes on each post and it'll be great to keep in touch here.  If you can join us in person somewhere in the world fantastic.....if not.....pop in here and say hello - you'll always be as welcome here as you were Chez Saroian.

Now let's just hope this bl**dy flight back to Heathrow from Rome isn't delayed again, because apparently the snow isn't getting any better.