Yes!

We're not talking a polite affirmative nod, "Yes, I would like another hobnob, thank you."  I mean a Meg Ryan in the cafe sort of 'yes', a bend it like Beckham 'yes', a profound swelling of excitement kind of yes, like you''d get if David Cameron lost his deposit next May. So, Maisy is parked outside, almost completely packed, mobile phones and email addresses have been swapped with neighbours who are going to keep an eye on the house, family members phoned, their well-being ascertained...it is going to happen, tomorrow we are heading South and the van won't be back in the drive until next Spring.

It's been an odd few days. There comes a point where all the planning, anticipation, the poring over maps and guidebooks becomes tiresome. You just want it to happen, and tomorrow it will. A stop-off in Oxford to say happy birthday to our eldest, Matthew; Friday - Greenwich with Laura - one week into Uni - let's hope she settles OK (worry, worry, parent, parent!); then on Sunday, through the tunnel to visit my sister-in-law, Jackie, who lives in northern France...then south. Though we do know France well, it's always been a hurried visit - lots of places we've never had time to explore - the Ardeche, for example, or the area around Les Alpilles and the Carmargue, where we only managed a brief visit twenty years ago; we've never been to Marseille, or les Calanques - all on the list.

So, time to go, and to to stop wondering...is it possible to cross-check the list of Spanish all year campsites in the 'All the Aires' book, with ASCII membership from their handbook, then explore the environs using Streetview...

or the "have I over/under packed" question... (btw - how was travel possible before the advent of Ikea bags?}.

or, do I need to make a list of the things I forgot to put on the list....

Next post, could be a week hence, at the first place with wifi ...Avignon maybe?