I had forgotten the joys of summer in Kiev - but I’m well and truly reminded now. Its hovering around the 30 deg C mark and everyone has taken their clothes off - Ukrainian style! You see big guys in small shorts, tall girls, in.... well nothing, tourists with maps and some very nice Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera sports cars..... and I am not quite sure what you do with any of them really.

We’ve had a hectic week here after closing a due diligence with a Russian bank looking to purchase what we have left. That collapsed on Friday so we’re back on to closing everything down as fast as possible. I reckon we’ll be done and dusted by Sept 1st with not too many worries. We start ripping out the ATMs on Tuesday and archiving all the data - mostly straightforward.

Managed to get myself back out into some exercise this weekend - squash Saturday morning, tennis Sunday morning and a bit of walking about in between - after recovering from the surgery on my feet. Pain the butt really - we I do now after squash - not having been able to run over the last 5 weeks.

Tennis wasn’t to flash actually after playing a bit of squash through winter. I think Clarkie would have a chance right now - I’ll have to watch that for when we head to Turkey. I played the Ukrainian version of the big man so I felt like I was home!

Not too much to report on the job front - no massive offers so its getting down to the pointy end now. Will need to decide by end of June and then get cracking on visa’s for Dasha. A bit frustrating really but it’ll work out. If I was a betting man - I’d take an each way bet on Australia and New Zealand right now. The long odd’s bet is to stay in Kiev!

Well all - we’re off to Venice on Friday, followed by Trieste then Slovenia and down to Hvar Island off the coast of Croatia. Looking for some sea and sun and a bloody good rest.... stay tuned til then.