Almost there

Both Wainwright and I are getting excited. Wainwright is excited about going to Italy on Saturday and with me it is more about my last few hours at work.

In many ways this week seems to be passing by too quickly as I have looked forward to it for so long and really want to savour it. My work is effectively done now - I wrote my last report today, which is for a meeting that I will not be attending. My desk is just about cleared and all my drawers are empty.

Already a succession of goodbye handshakes have taken place and my way of coping with this is to simply refuse to believe that I will never see these people again. Some of my colleagues are also leaving. These are people who have been around the organisation for as long as me and hence I have known them for a long time. I imagine myself seeing them again in some far flung corner of the world. The thought that will never see them again is too painful to bear.

I am more hopeful that I will see my regular work colleagues, particularly if they can bear to invite me back for the odd coffee. I may even return to undertake some small bits of work to help keep the bailiffs at bay.

Meanwhile, Wainwright has insisted on being packed up nice and snugly for his impending trip. It is a trip that I have not done a lot of planning for. My first task is to get from the airport at Pisa to my hotel in Montecatini. A trip that should take 45 minutes to an hour. Once there I intend to chill out for a couple of days and allow myself to absorb the fact that at the end of this holiday I will not be going back to work. This is it. A new life.

At some point during my 9 day stay I will take the train back to Pisa to see the leaning tower and whatever else is on offer. I will also make a trip to Florence.

In my mind's eye I see myself sitting in a pleasant piazza, sipping something cold, with a book in front of me and watching the world go by. With the weather we're having at the moment though I could do all of that right here. I'm not being cruel, but I do hope England gets lots of rain next week.

Live long and prosper.