Thursday 7th June 2018

And I am back home, and awake before five because my brain likes it that way.

I lay in bed, listening to the birds sing; they had been singing since before four, and seemed pretty darned happy about things.

At least I am home, and should not have to travel for about ten days or so, which is good news. Even better is when I can smell brewing coffee from downstairs, meaning I get up and begin the chores for the day.

I have been home nine hours, seven of those I have been asleep, and despite it not being a too draining trip, I felt like I needed a day off. No such luck, and at some point I would have to take the car park, and better I do that as soon as, otherwise work might swamp me and I forget.

There is the usual meeting at eight with my boss, I check the mails and make some calls until quarter to eleven, and with it being lunchtime in Denmark, I choose this moment to take the car back, going via the garage to make sure it has been filled up with fuel.

It is mid-morning, and yet a steady flow of traffic is arriving, ready to cross the Channel, all arriving with the right paperwork, needing to stop just a few seconds to show the load paperwork before being allowed to proceed. It is like a well-oiled machine, so will be interesting to see how this is going in ten months time.

I drop the keys off, all new people in the office, so no chit chat for me, just a thank you very much and off I go, ready to walk to East Cliff and up the steep path to the top.

And despite it being just two weeks ago I was off work, my back was grumbling already at the steep climb, so I stop a few times, but then there is much t see, so many wildflowers to stop and look at.

At the top I take a deep breath, and begin to look around as I hoped I might see a Bee Orchid or two, but where the Early Spiders were found twenty days ago, there was no sign of an orchid. Although a little further on there were spikes of Pyramidals and CSOs opening, nothing else orchidy.

I press on, down the narrow path to the Cliff Road, where a few more orchids could be seen, and down at the bottom, a few Common Blues and Adonis Blues were trying to shelter in the cool breeze. I had taken a jacket, but the steep climb up the cliff meant I would be carrying it all the way home. Oh well.

I follow the Cliff Road round, instead of taking the footpath to Langdon. I thought this would be easier on my back. Anyway, I get to see more plants, which were less likely to have been crushed under a walker's boot.

At the top of the road, I say road its the old trackbed of a railway that was built to carry materials when the Eastern Harbour Arm was built, a self built into the cliff and joining the main line at Martin Mill. Wouldn't be allowed now of course, but it does mean a steady walk up at a gradient of about 1:30, not too bad for my back anyway. And at the top I meet the small herd of ponies, used by the NT to keep vegetation down.

They eye me with suspicion, but I just walk by, stopping to snap them once passed.

From there the choice was either along the cliffs, or via the old military road to the lighthouse. I thought about it, and my my legs said to go the quickest way, so by the road it was. But I found that lined with many fabulous species of wild flowers, most of which I did stop to snap. Many look like dandelions, but have different flower or leaf shape, or the height of the stem.

I walk on, and step by step the lighthouse gets closer, then from there it is following the old road to the edge of the village, and finally through a wood and across a barren field.

I stop at the village shop to buy an ice cream before setting off on the final stretch, down and then up Station Road to home.

I sat outside to have an iced drink and a sandwich, my head felt better, but my legs said otherwise, and just climbing up the steps to the kitchen was an effort.

Anyway, I had work to do, so logged back on to see what was happening and still try to catch up on my inbox.

I plough on through the afternoon until it gets to half four, half five in Denmark, when I can log off and think about preparing dinner. Chicken kievs, Jersey Royals and salad. All perfect for a warm summer's evening.

England were playing their last World Cup warm up game, so I do watch it, saying I will switch it off after ten minutes.

20 minutes.

Half time.

An hour.

I watch it all. England win 2-0, though to me it seems hollow, but it is a win, I suppose.