Miss Olive Augusta, enjoying the view from a Bristol.

COVID. Who could have predicted that back in the heady days of 2019? I never did write about Madagascar, utterly fabulous though it was, nor about my rally in Namibia, in late 2109. Or even about my trip to Cambodia after that or a wonderful India trip in February, 2020. I got back the day before lock down and, like many people, gained a doodle dog to see me through the worst of days. My family went from no dogs to 4 – all firm friends and much loved. Olive, a tiny cavapoo is attached to my side, when I’m not travelling, that is. I have sneaked in quite a bit of travel over the last two years, when the rules have permitted it, including four rallies a couple of European jaunts and two trips to India and Sri Lanka, so I haven’t done too badly. Like everyone though, I never want to go through that again.

In a couple of weeks I’m off on a lovely long rally – The Imperial, although it’s not quite so Imperial now as we were supposed to be going to St. Petersburg. Obviously, that’s off the menu, but it will still be fab, I’m sure. The only bit of Russia I’ve been to is the Altai, in Siberia, which was unexpectedly gorgeous, and the very boring area from Novosibirsk to the Kazakh border and the grey, dull town of Semy.

My rally starts in Oslo, which I will drive to from home, then up to North Cape, through Finland, a ferry from Helsinki to Tallin, across Eastern Europe and finishing in Portofino. I’m very excited about it.

Watch this space.