The beginning is nigh!

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I can barely believe it... I'm two nights out from (another) TRIP OF A LIFETIME. I'm getting ready to hit Egypt, Scotland, Ireland, Norway and round it out with Wales before coming home *starts singing I Still Call Australia Home*. Of course this anticipation & exhilaration isn't entirely new to me - this will be my 3rd trip OS but it is a first for Leith (please note my impressive restraint....no first time' jibes!!) 😉 At this point I would like to thank all my wonderful friends who offered to make an anonymous tip to customs to have me "frisked for free", whilst truly appreciate the offer I might take a rain check all the same.

10th of January marks the start of one of my (semi) solo legs - Egypt...the land of STUNNING sheiks & pyramids, sheesha's & the Nile. There is little doubt the delights of Egypt will keep me well occupied for 21 days...not mention the delectable Leith meeting me there on the 27th Jan, at which point I complete my tour & we head off for a 4 day sojourn in the Siwa Oasis (on the western border). After absorbing enough sun to power a small nuclear device, we'll then descend on Dublin where we'll do our best to grasp the accents (& a few leprechauns - who couldn't use a couple of extra pots of gold while traveling!!!). The 4 four days in Ireland will barely be enough time to fully comprehend the wonders of Guinness & Bell's Whiskey but we'll do our best.

The next leg of the trip will be 5 days in bonnie Scotland, again there will be a rapid acclimatisation to the accent followed by some sampling of local delights, probably not haggis but DEFINITELY a real Scotch… or twelve *grins* Perhaps we'll even find out once & for all what a Scotsman wears under his kilt.

Leith will be leaving me in Newcastle to return home *sings I Still Call Australia Home again* while I continue onto Norway to catch up with a great friend and her family, enjoying the sights & sounds under the careful guidance of a local - definitely no chance of being led astray here *grins*. The Norway leg is one of the longest at 11 days, it'll be a good chance to chill out and ready myself for the final leg... Wales.

Once again there's going to be another difficult accent to adapt to, but it sounds SO....interesting, so I may not care too much. I'll be wandering around Wales for 3 days before finally curbing the biting travel bug and coming back to good ol' BrisVegas.

Stay tuned for blow by blow details of each day of each leg of trip. If you need to contact Leith or I while we're OS please e-mail us at [e-mail] and we'll do our best to respond but for all the piccies & gossip check this blog daily.

Catch ya on the flip side.

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