Where do I begin?

From our flat in the Barbican, I can be in 8 different branches of Starbucks within 10 minutes walk. From our new home in Co. Clare I will have to drive about 100 miles to Cork to get a Starbucks fix, yet it is only 60 miles to Tipperary!

This is only one of the changes that our new life will bring as we finish packing up ready to load the car and head for Corofin and the cottage which we have leased for the next 6-12 months. Our nearest shop will be 3 1/2 miles away - fortunately sandwiched between two Pubs so I can probably have a pint when I pick up my paper in the morning - but will I still want to read the paper every day?

The last few weeks have been busy as we try to clear the flat ready for new tenants - who are still to be found - and sort out household stuff, clothes, books etc ready for the move. For example, copying 250 CD's onto my laptop and then to a new IPOD was just one of the mundane chores which have kept me busy in the early morning hours while trying to sort out new bank accounts and insurances and all the other loose ends that life seems to require.

I've finished all my work with the Barbican and with Headway East London and have only a couple of final tasks at St Giles' - not least of which is avoiding the donkeys at the Palm Sunday service tomorrow morning.

It was an eventful week in the City, the G20 protesters on Wednesday and Thursday seemed generally good natured and often outnumbered by the police or the press. Even when I wandered over to see what was happening outside the Bank of England at lunchtime on Wednesday it was all very calm - almost like a summer rock festival. The only irritation was the Police helicopter which was buzzing around above our heads all day - dont expect to hear much of that in Co Clare!

How much stuff do you need for a year away from home? Clearly more than you can take on a Ryanair flight but how much is too much? As you can imagine this has been the subject of considerable debate over the last month or so and I have had to concede that we can't get it all into the MG. So I am leaving on Monday afternoon with a hired car which will probably be stuffed to bursting point to drive to Fishguard for the Rosslare ferry and then coming back on Thursday to collect Linda after she finishes work. At this point a huge thanks to her boss for allowing her a leave of absence for 12 months! She had her leaving drink & dinner on Wednesday evening and was able to walk home unaided - how things change!!!

Who knows what life in Clare will bring - at the moment I have got as far as cycling, Guinness, soda bread, golf (maybe) and traditional music. Our first visitor who has already booked his flights is a keen fisherman so I will have to give that a go when he is here. Fresh trout for supper anyone?