I wake up, refreshed. More work, but then it is just a two minute drive to the factory, and I can lay in bed until gone seven, as we have to be there at eight.
I head to breakfast, which involves a bit of a hunt, as despite the breakfast room being beside the dining room, to get to it means walking three quarters of the way round the hotel. Up steps, down steps. And there we are.
Once fed and watered, I gird my loins and head to the factory. I meet Anni and so we go in so we can brief the people we are to meet and wait for the client.
Once again I will skip the details, so we pick up again at half five in the afternoon, as everyone else has gone home, and so we head to our cars in the deserted car park for the short drive back to the hotel. I was shocked to see every parking space taken, it seems the hotel had been almost empty the night before, now there were many more guests.
I check the internet connection and find that it is almost non-existent, and so give up and head for dinner at six, where the dining room is already filling up. At least they have a salad bar, which enables me to eat healthily, although this is partly ruined by another big bottle of Danish beer.
Back in the room, the internet connection is as bad as ever, so I give up and watch CSI on TV, which was really not very good, so I give up on that and head to bed at half nine.
Tuesday.
Another day at work. I meet Anni for breakfast just gone seven, then we head to the factory once again. If we were lucky, the third day would be cancelled as they will have been happy with what they have seen.
And that is indeed what happened. At four, it was all over, we all shook hands and the client heads out. Phew. Another good day. Anni can now head home a day early, but I have to stay as my next hotel is not booked until the next night. So I drive back the hotel, try the internet, which is barely working, so after snooze, I head out for a walk round the harbour and the town centre before dinner.
Ringkobing has a working harbour, just small boats, but it is good to see. Also there is a number of fishermen’s shacks beside the harbour. I am sure some are now holiday homes, but many still in use for storage of nets and other fishing gear. The church is closed, but then it is half six, so no surprise. I walk back to the hotel for dinner.
The buffet is much sparser than the previous night, and so I have half a plateful of salad before hitting the cheeseboard, and celebrating by having a second pint of beer to wash the cheese down with.
Back in my room I settle down ready for the world cup semi final between Brasil and Germany; we hoped it would be a good game, but nothing prepared us for what happened. All I was hoping for was that it would be over in 90 minutes, and we would not have to go through extra time and penalties. Germany went 1-0 up on 10 minutes, then scored four more in six mad minutes before the half hour. 5-0 at half time, and Brasil were shell-shocked and dreadful. The defence went missing and they lost their shape, Germany just picked them off. Germany scored two more in the second half, but could have had at least 5 more if they had tried, or the final pass have come off. Brasil score one in injury time, but by then it was all very much over. 1-7, Brasil’s heaviest ever defeat, by some four goals, heaviest semi final defeat.
Brasil’s fans were stunned. Anger would come later, I’m sure.
Wednesday.
And so the end is near! I am heading home to blighty in the morning! OK, tomorrow morning, but still, HOME! It seems that this trip has like lasted forever, and the first night in Lubeck last week a lifetime ago, but the trip has gone very well, everyone happy and work went smoothly, which is nice.
So, I have a shower, pack my lovely new case and check out. I have breakfast, then go back to the car, program the sat nav and head out in the wrong direction. Yay, me. However, I take the Ringkobing ring road and head wet to Arhus, I wnd both windows down as its already 22 degrees and getting hotter and more humid. The journey takes me along long straight roads that rise and fall gently with the landscape, farms and woodland are on both sides of the road, and the sun shines down from an almost clear blue sky.
The sat nav says it’s gonna take two hours, so I settle back and enjoy the drive. Until I get to the roadworks that is. Seems like they built the beginning and the end of the motorway, and are now building the middle, so the temporary road meanders back and forth over the new road, through villages and towns, and all the time the train of traffic behind the slow truck gets longer and longer.
I reach the main north/south road, and zoom up to Arhus at 130km and arrive into the office a full six minutes ahead of what the sat nav said I would. I win!
I do seven hours work, then head back into the bright sunshine and 31 degree heat to the car for the short drive to the hotel. Once in my room, I do the online check in for the flight home, selecting a nice window seat.
I really wanted something healthy for dinner, but once in the restaurant, I say burger and fries with bacon, cheese, onion rings and jalapenos. As usual. It was very nice, if very naughty. Then up to the room to get ready for the second semi final, Argentina v Holland. And what a dour, cagy game it was. I struggle to stay awake, but manage it until there is about 15 minutes of normal time left. I wake up as Argentina are doing a lap of honour, which means I missed extra time and penalties. I switch off the TV, clean my teeth and try to get back to sleep.
Home tomorrow. Or as my Granddad would say, gannin’ yem.
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