Friday 16th December 2016

And finally, I come to the final day of the final work trip of the year. I see once I am home that this is the 35th such trip this year. It seems so many more, but hey.

But I can pack, stuff the suitcase with clean and dirty clothes, the used ones in a bag needless to say. I check the room one extra time, as last week I left my glasses behind and they were not found. Oh well. More expense.

Down for breakfast, I ponder having bacon instead of chocolate spread, but I find the bacon is all cut into tiny pieces, and is not crispy. So I pass and instead have some slices of cheese. But being Belgium, they don't seem to like strong cheese, and so it tastes like sliced butter, which isn't unpleasant, but, you know. Cheese.

I check out and get the car out of the garage for the last time; down the quiet streets of the town centre and then along the ring road to the station, under the railway lines and out beside the coastal tramway, turning into what Manu informs is now called the "Energy Harbour".

Anyway, I have to collect the "christmas Present" I had ordered from my employer. I had been offered the only choice of delivery possibly suitable as being "Belgium". I had to hope it had arrived at the service site next door. So I goes over, knock at the delivery entrance, and the dude answers it says that four pallets of gifts had been delivered. My name is there, so I take the huge box containing what I hope is a patio heater. That they had seen my name on the list and not wondered who I was or I should be told it had arrived.

Anyway, I carry it back to the car, and the box fills the boot. Not a bad result for a trip away I guess.

I have four hours in which to squeeze a day's work into, including two meetings. Which is going to be tough, but has to be done.

Twelve o'clock comes round and it is time to pack up and leave. I say farewell to all in the offices, load the car one final time and drive out of the compound.

I don't know the way Manu showed me, so go to the big roundabout at the end of the A10, taking the final exit and then accelerating up to the speed limit, settling back to let the car eat up the miles. I take the turning south and so pass through Flanders on my way to the French border.

Traffic is heavier than usual, but I speed along. Sunshine even breaks through as I near Calais. I have a quick pit stop at the wine warehouse; filling what was left of the space in the car with bottles of French cider (for Jools) and plenty of Christmas Trappist beers for me.

From there is is just two junctions to the tunnel: I check in drive through the French border past the queues of people waiting in the normal lanes. At the UK boarder there is no queue, so I drive to the open window, show my passport and drive through. I stop at the lounge for lunch, and have time to finish the baguette before boarding is due to begin.

In fact I find myself right at the front of the queue, and once we are allowed to drive to the loading platform, I can get a shot of the train before we are allowed on board.

I can look down the whole length of the train once I am allowed to drive on: I try to get a shot of what looks like a metal tube.

Once the train is loaded, the interior doors close, safety announcements are made, and we leave. As smooth and easy as that.

At the other side; the train stops and in a few seconds the doors open, and we are allowed to drive off. Me first of course.

I take the A20 turning, doubling back to the Roundhill Tunnels, through the tunnel and then taking the turning to take me to the Alkham Valley. It is bright, and traffic not too bad. I would be home before three, before the school run too.

Finally up Whitfield Hill, right onto the A2 to The Duke of York roundabout, turning down the Deal road. I now realise I just want to be home. I have ben so busy, at times I have barely noticed the travel. But on this last drive home, I felt over second I had been away through the year, and wanted nothing more than to be at home for two weeks.

I unload the car, call the car hire place to ensure they were going to collect it. I am like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a fast approaching car: I know I should be doing something, but sit there blinking.

They come to collect the car, then Jools comes home with shopping. Not only was it the weekend, it is Christmas. Kinda. I am not taking days off this year, but will be available via phone if needed, but should be quiet.

I cook steak and ale pie for dinner, steam some veg up too, and warm up the leftover gravy from the Sunday roast. Perfect.

I make sure I put all the bags and cases away, meaning I won't have to think about that for two weeks at least. There is football to catch up on from Wednesday, so I have Molly sitting beside me as I try to stay awake.

I was glued to the internet through the evening, keeping up with Norwich who had been chosen for the early weekend game. Sadly, the blip which we hoped the win on Tuesday was the start of a new start proved to be just a blip after all, in slumping to another home defeat, losing 2-1 to Huddersfield who went third. That's me in a grump the rest of the evening, then.....