Monday 19th February 2018

For some reason I slept very poorly Sunday night, being awake an hour before the alarm went off at half four, and what sleep I had grabbed up to that point was fractured. I felt like shit.

But, not shit enough not to call the trip off, worse case I could miss going to the office and go straight to the hotel once in DK. But for now, I just have to get up, have coffee, get dressed and be ready to leave.

In an hour.

This I manage, Jools taking me down to Martin Mill in the steady drizzle that had replaced the clear skies of the last three days. At the station, once I had bought a ticket, I wait in the dry until the train was due, seeing it approach from around the bend as its headlights reflected of the wet tracks. I have to sit on the other side of the train, which upset my OCD as I like to sit on the same side, but hey. I might see something new.

At least I have a seat, those getting on at Ashford and Stratford have to fight for the few remaining empty ones. But as it is now getting light, I can look at the passing countryside emerging from the gloom outside the train

I have breakfast as usual, and while I eat, I get a message that the flight is delayed. From the car hire people. This is confirmed by a colleague who has had an update from BA that we might be flying at half eleven. We are to go to the airport as normal.

What we don’t know is if the delays affect everyone and whether the airport will be in chaos when I get there, or will be as normal.

So I sit on the DLR looking out the window, looking at people and their shoes. As you do.

And at the airport, I get my boarding pass and find it quieter than normal, at least for BA passengers, no queue, so I leave my case and go through security and find a place to sit to wait for Tracie to arrive, when she does I join her in the restaurant for a coffee while she feats on poached eggs on toast.

Later, Big Jesper joins us too, sitting at the gate as we wait for the plane to arrive. We see it touch down through the drizzle and taxi over to the gate. Only about an hour late.

Once on board I force myself to stay awake, reading a magazine and taking breakfast which was now lunch but still rolls and cheese.

It is cold in Denmark, you won’t be surprised to hear. And when I tell the guys in the car hire office how warm it was at home over the weekend, they really don’t believe me. But delight in telling me of a cold front heading to Denmark over the weekend with temperatures down to minus 10.

Jesper, Tracie and I are given a 520 each, as we are going to travel home on different days. So we drive out of the car park in convoy, all in identical Beamers. As you do, And as it would be half three by the time we got to Aarhus, we all decide to give the office a miss and go straight to the hotel.

The drive is as it always is, except now with roadworks as the four lane road is going to be made into a six laner, with roadworks for the next two years or so. I drive at, or just above the speed limit and have a great time, my inner child is very happy.

At the hotel, I decide to stretch my legs, so go down to the fitness centre to do a half hour or so, listening to Brendan Benson and singing along as I work out.

And after showering, I could have gone for a wander find a little place to eat, but its too easy to eat in the hotel, have a beer and burger and fries as I finish WSC. But by this point, I am so tired. I call Jools, yawning all the time, and with there being no footy on TV, go to bed before nine.