Monday 5th February 2018

Monday and back to Denmark we go. Alarm went off at oh my word its early hours, otherwise known as half four.

There is breakfast of coffee and fruit before the age old ceremony of checking that I have all what I need for the trip, even then missing out my mobile phone, which I just remember before we leave.

At Martin Mill, I get my ticket, then wait on the platform, where, shortly before the train arrives, a light powdery snow begins to fall. Oh, this is going to be fun. So much fun.

The train arrives, and so I settle into a seat and look at my reflection as the train pulls away. Still dark outside, so no chance of looking at the countryside, even when the half-waxing moon could be seen, not bright enough to light the way.

Out of Ashford and there is snow on the ground, it reflecting the pale light in sky, making the scene seem ghostly. If it is the same in London then there could be delays…..

Others around me are either sleeping or watching some stuff on their phones. I try to make out something to look at, and by the time we exit the tunnel under the river, there is enough light. Enough to see the jam on the bridge, a fine way to start the working week.

I stop to have breakfast at Stratford, treating myself to a gingerbread latter rather than an Americano, as well, it was Monday.

The DLR rattled though East London, through the old Olympic Park, now home to West Ham, and the memories of 2012 seem so distant now; the athlete’s village is now housing, but the velodrome and aquatic centre are still there.

No queues at the airport, despite the guy behind the counter saying it was busy. I dropped my bags and was through security in ten minutes, and looking at a set of replacement headphones for my I pod. Nothing made any more like what I have, which is now disintegrating little by little each time I use them.

I find a quiet corner to sit in and try to get my laptop to connect to the wifi, but fail at that. Anyway, my attention is taken by the flurries of snow outside that turn into a blizzard, meaning that all aircraft on the ground have to be de-iced, meaning getting crew for the equipment.

Not much I can do other than watch and people spray chemicals onto the wings and tails, so one by one the planes can leave. But as soon as the blizzard started, the clouds clear and the sun comes out, melting what little there was on the ground.

My plane arrives and I join the others in waiting at the gate, waiting in the seating area, waiting at the door, waiting in the bus, before it takes us the 200m to our plane, getting onboard and me taking my usual seat in 8A.

The engines start, we make the short taxi to the western end of the runway, engines roar and away we go, hoping that we had been de-iced too, what with it being 60 years since Munich and all that. We make it safe into the air, and into cloud, so blighty is lost from view, except for a gap to open up as we pass over Suffolk, and I can make out the shape of Framlingham and its castle a mile below.

I fall asleep.

I wake up for breakfast, eat that and snooze again.

Denmark is cloudy, looking frosty too, and at the edge of a road or field, a few flakes of snow had gathered. Its going to get colder, apparently.

I am given a BMW 520, which is pretty much a bus, but was fin to drive, putting my foot to the floor to get round two cars and a truck. So much fun.

The sun shone as I drove over to Aarhus, rushing to make a meeting at two, only to find the arranger was off with flu so no meeting. Oh well.

So there is work to do, enough to keep me busy until it was time to leave for the hotel. And instead of driving into the city centre I was staying at the compound, aka Scandic Vest on the ring road, a ten minute blast along the O2, wait for a gap in the traffic, past the garage and in.

Its like an old friend, nothing ever changes; the room, the dinner menu, the staff. Which is OK, all I need is a room and a place to eat, which is just about all if offers.

At half six, Shags comes calling to collect the Marmite, Bisto and Bovril that I have brought for him. We have a drink, but the lack of sleep I had over the weekend was catching up on me. So we agree to meet in two weeks time, and me go for dinner; burger, onion rings and fries. And a pint of IPA.

Back in my room I put the radio on, but fall asleep on the bed. An hour later, I wake up, switch everything off and go to bed.

Phew.