No2 - Starting the Trip

We left Villefagnan the on the 3rd Nov as outlined in the callendar. Toni our friend drove us up to Poitiers Airport through the rain. Unusually the plane was a little late but the journey was largely uneventful save that we discovered just how many steps there are at some of the underground stations as we lugged our 3 cases through the underground system from Liverpool Street to Marylebone Station. Neverteless we arrived at Joy and Simon's house in High Wycombe, via train and taxi, very much on time and not too knackered.

We spent the rest of the week making final preparations for our trip up to Yorkshire and for the bigger trip. We did go out one night to a local restaurant, The Chequers at Wooburn Common ( http://www.chequers-inn.com/ ), with Joy and Simon, where we had an excellent meal accompanied by a Simonsig wine. I think it was a 2003 Cabernet Malbec and it was a prevue of what we might be tasting on the first leg of the main trip in South Africa.

We left High Wycombe via Amersham and Aylesbury on Friday, 7 Nov, for Bedale in N. Yorkshire.