And outside the sun is shining; it should be cloudy with a risk of a shower. But, it is sunny. Maybe later we will go for an orchid hunt, or at the very least go and snap Tangmere as she steams through East Kent. So far today I have got back on the cross-trainer; this is the first time in 20 days I have done any exercise, and if truth be know my belt has been getting a little tighter. So, better get back on the training, if only for a few days as our holiday, or Operation Avoid Diamond Jubilee as it has been designated, is due to begin.
And today, the Olympic Flame has arrived in Britain, and it has begun its grand tour round the country beginning in Cornwall. It will reach here the week before the games are due to begin in about 65 days. Half the country is saying 'Meh' and the rest of us are quite excited. Lets hope the games live up to all the hype......
And proving on the hob is a loaf of wholemeal bread which I made after the workout. In about and hour I will pop it in the oven and hope it rises as much as the blurb on the bag of flour says it would.
Jools has finished her first weaving commission, a rug for a baby's crib. So, I snapped it as Scully did her quality inspection and rolled on her back looking cute.
And today is the grande finale of the football season; both the Championship play-off game and the Champion's League final too. And there is the steam train to snap and maybe hunt down some orchids. Something is going to have to give.
We shall see.
And if that was today, and it seems busy, wait until you hear about my week. On Monday, at eight in the morning I was down in Dover collecting a hire car and heading towards the tunnel as I had a road trip to do for work. After getting through the tunnel, and programming the sat-nav I headed up the motorway towards Belgium. Having lived in Germany for three years, I guess switching over to drive on the other side of the road doesn't make me think twice, and it seems so easy to speed through northern France and into Belgium.
I turn off and make my way into the town of Zeebrugge and towards the port. My contact was waiting for me under a water tower beside one of the quays, and lead me to where the boat was tied up that I had to audit. Turned out the boat was moored alongside an old container port. After I got into the fixer's car, he drove me through the gates and along the quay, passing underneath the huge cranes that are used to unload the ships. Needless to say they are huge, and would make wonderful subjects for photography. And my cameras were in the back of the hire car back at the dock gates, and I would have to just concentrate on work.
So, we walked aboard, signed in and then went down to the mess and begun the audit. In front of me were a sea of worried faces with eyes wide open as they had no idea what was to come. If they would have looked closely, they would have seen me as nervous as they were.
In the end, it went pretty well, and like during most audits we found some stuff which justifies what we do, but nothing serious. Afterwards, the health and safety guy finished his audit, and then we were treated to dinner; which was pretty much like every other meal I had whilst working on survey boats. It was a relief to get off the boat and get back to the car and so we could think about heading to the hotel for the night. Only that we had a three and a half hour drive to Ijmuiden in Holland where the hotel was, so we could do more audits in the morning.
It was a long drive, nearly 200 miles. I must have done more as the sat-nav decided to take me through the centre of Antwerp instead of the ring road. Thankfully it was evening, and the roads were quiet. Before I got to Anvers, I passed over tree-lined canals, looking wonderfully serene in the evening sunlight. But, I pressed on wanting to make it to the hotel before the restaurant closed. On passed Amsterdam as darkness fell, onto Haarlem and then on local roads to Ijmuiden.
I walked into the hotel at half ten, and found only the bar and reception open. I took my bags up to my room and then headed to the bar and got through two bottles of fine Belgian Trappist beers, taking the second one back to my room to eat with my warm corned beef sandwiches that had been maturing in my bag all day.
Next day after breakfast, we headed to the office and were faced my more blank faces and wide-open eyes. But, all went well, they were happy as was I and we were all done by two in the afternoon. After the 16 hour day on Monday, the poor night's sleep that night and up at the crack of sparrows on Tuesday, I was struggling keeping my eyes open, so I bailed and headed back to the hotel to relax.
So, for me relaxing is to pick up my bag of cameras and head out for some snapping. The light was glorious, with wonderful cloud formations in the distance. I walked to the beach and along the beach-side bars still closed as summer seems so long away. A keen breeze was blowing and the sand was reclaiming the boardwalk and tables outside the bars.
I went back to my room and sat beside the window catching up on my reading; I worked my way through Rail, When Saturday Comes and finally Empire. Outside dark clouds showed on the horizon out over the north sea. And then the clouds swept towards the coast and the rain and hail hammered down.
At half seven I went down for dinner, and like in most business hotels all diners were scattered around with one per table for four. The food was good; pumpkin soup followed by a burger, fried and lots of mayo; perfect. And all washed down with more Trappist beer.
Back in my room, I sat down to read some of the book I have been carrying in my work bag for over a year, Peter Hook's How Not to Run a Night Club, which is a cracking read. and outside more squals sweep over the sea and hammer against my room's windows.
Next morning I just had some training to carry out, with me as the teacher! I had a shower, dressed, packed had breakfast and checked out. I got on with the training and was finished by eleven, and soon heading back through Holland towards home.
At least the weather stayed fine, and I made good time until I came back to Antwerp, and the heavy traffic delayed me by about half an hour. Once through it was clear really into France, and i had time to head to Calais Vin to top up of small wine store and fill up the boot of the car.
I caught the twenty past four train, as planned, and so was back in England before four and in Dover by quarter past, transferring my booty and bags into our car and then heading home.
Phew; and that was Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. and I was shattered.
Time for bed!
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