That's where we're from. Or something like that, it probably symbolizes it or some other such nonsense. We had an interview to work with these
guys today and we won't know if we have got the job for another couple of weeks, but a couple of their questions really drove home the fact that we're finally leaving and there's no going back. Do you have a mortgage or do you pay rent? We pay rent, and have already handed in our notice to our landlord, and we've done the same to our bosses at work, and we are genuinely sitting here like lemons with no job and no other plans, please employ us because no-one else would be daft enough to...

The guys interviewing us know a lot about Italy, and after the interview we asked them a couple of questions relating to our plan to walk down the country. Apparently it'll probably take about six months, the locals won't even know the best way to get to the next village and at some point at least the weather will be hell. There was yet further terror for the unprepared as we were almost gleefully informed that most maps in Italy were of absolutely no use whatsoever, and I got the impression that getting from A to B was more like a boxing match than a work of artistic navigation.

Thinking about it you probably don't want artistic navigators, but that's not the point.

I'm still looking forward to it!

There's more after the page break if you can stand it!

On the very same day that over 2,500 jobs were lost in London I hand in my notice. I want to go. I don't have the mortgage, the children or the debts. I woke up this morning and more or less the first thing I heard was something to do with the retail economy. 'I don't think there's any good news in here, I don't think this is good news at all. The fact that some analysts have over-egged the decline in any one retailers sales is their problem, no – there's no good news here...' It was the Director General of these guys. I won't do detail because if you care you know it already and if you don't, then, well, you don't.

The only thing that it really did for me was to further my travel dilemma. Is it best to stay put and ride out a storm in my current job, attempting to save what we can and bear up against the oppressive managerial styles employed in a downturn or up sticks on the basis that if we're going to struggle we may as well struggle somewhere warmer with easier access to good cheese and local produce? Or, dark in my past a ghost rises, is it unpatriotic of me to dessert my country when she needs all hands to the pump? OK – it's not a world war, and I should face facts that if it were I probably wouldn't have time to march down to the local TA centre before a million shades of death obliterated the world as we know it, but I can't shake the nag. Suddenly I am overcome by the thought that this is the perfect time to get on the property ladder, when no-one would expect it! Maybe I should start a business. I had an idea a little while ago about a cocktail bar that sold gourmet toast and had an electronic toaster with robot arms...

Looking back at it, I feel the previous paragraph explains perfectly why it's a good job Julia's in charge.

So! On to the road we go, job or no job!