One of the main reasons for this trip is selling the Discovery*. I’ve never been sentimental about cars but this one is different. First off, it’s a fantastic (if tremendously environmentally unfriendly) car. More importantly, we’ve been through a lot with it.

I’m getting a bit maudlin about Kyiv and Ukraine. For all the whinging and problems we’ve had, it has been an incredibly dense and interesting couple of years. I’m really glad I have the opportunity to come back.

* Of course, I say I’m selling the Discovery. That is a long way off. Today I have to have three separate legal documents notarised** so I can export it from Ukraine without being physically present at the border. then I have to manage the export process from the US and sell it once it’s back in the UK.

I did manage to get another an ex-pat to buy it but the Ukrainian customs control would impose a 60% sales tax on an imported car. I’m sure we could bribe our way round it but because of the sums involved, the bribe would be crippling too.

** Before I came to Ukraine I had never been to a notary’s office. Here it’s a weekly event.