Nice to be back in the UK. Welcomed by clear sunny winter days, Espe and I have had a busy extended weekend. Tarnished only by persistent colds and coughs for the pair of us.

Saturday saw us off to Clapham North for the Annual Christmas Tapas meal, this time combined with Dan & Holly’s leaving do. Heading off to Australia on Boxing day they were graced by the company of 70 friends and colleagues. An excellent afternoon had by all, and I must say, a considerably less messy evening than the last two years.

 

 

It was great to see so many people again, especially Jon who only got back from China on Thursday. We were quizzed loads on the rally, and it was a pleasure to hear how many people had been following our progress on our website.

The following day Espe and I jumped on a coach to Bristol to visit Adam, Mandy and the 6 month old Jenna. We went with MegaBus, which had to be the cheapest possible way to get to Bristol. £6 return for the pair of us!

It was great to be able to see Ads and Mandy again, albeit for such a short time. Jenna, their child, was a constant source of entertainment, although I don’t envy the sleep patterns inflicted on her parents.

 

 

The most striking change for me was in Mandy who seems to have risen to the challenge of motherhood amazingly quickly. As Espe pointed out, she seemed like a second or third child veteran, not a first time mother.

We spent last night over at Luke’s stunning flat, enjoying a wonderful roast chicken dinner. Another opportunity to catch up with Luke and Jon and talk all things Mongol Rally.