Image via Gidget’s Facebook page

Our fearless president is away on a mad mission from Peking to Paris, which we thought would preclude him from President’s Prattling for a period, and yet here he is with a brief report on his, Giles and Gidget’s latest adventures!

Prattling from the Peking to Paris, Wednesday, 26th of June

We overnighted in Zavidovo last night, which is north west of Moscow. Thank goodness we didn’t go into Moscow – the traffic here is terrible.

Yesterday was the second of three largely transit days to get us across Russia. Today we head for St. Petersburg and by the time you read this we may be in Paris!

China was fascinating, Mongolia was simply amazing (but very, very tough on the cars), Russia and Kazakhstan have surprised me – I don’t know why but I expected large expanses of sameness, but not a bit of it – the countryside changes by the minute. We’ve driven planes of wheat, mountains of spruce, forests of silver birch, through villages and towns of waving friendly people, and been mobbed at day end with extraordinary welcomes (and ice cream once or twice!) Roads and tracks have varied hugely, as has our speed!

Next time I write I should be on my way home to Sydney. I look forward to catching up in person – this has been an incredible journey! Everyone who I spoke to before starting said it’s a life changer, and they weren’t kidding.

Meanwhile keep safe, upright and on the black stuff.

Pip Pip,
Ashton