Thanks to all of you who have responded with good wishes.  Preparations are well in hand - there have been many visits to Cotswolds, Go Outdoors, Blacks et al. and lots of parcels seem to be arriving from internet shopping.  Are they all my Christmas presents or more thermal underthings for Julia? Neither of us has started dreaming about penguins, icebergs and seasickness - yet...
I'm away for the next two days on school football business so Wednesday and Thursday will have to be my packing days. But all the camera equipment is safely stowed in a rucksack - that is staying with me in the cabin of the 'planes.
We are having a pre-Christmas and a post-Christmas this year as we won't have room in our bags for mountains of presents. There may be a photo posted before we go of us wearing various 'anti-freeze' gear that Santa may be bringing....