Tuesday 17th May 2022

Tuesday.

I wake at quarter to five, the poor curtains had failed to keep out the summer sunrise, so it woke me up.

I go up, had a shower, dressed and packed, so at quarter to six I checked out, loaded the car and was ready for breakfast when it opened.

I was to meet the team at the factory in Hammel, a forty minute drive. I had two hours, so allowed for any diversions or me getting lost.

I put in the address into the sat nav, fired the horses up and lurched off onto the ring road, then down the next round out of the city, passing long line of traffic heading into Aarhus for work.

Denmark is glorious; fields of rape seed under clear blue skies, dotted with small, picturesque villages with children waiting for their school buses.

I arrived at the factory with an hour to spare, wait in the car for the others to arrive. One by one we do, and the day begins. A tour of the factory, and then talking and discussions.

By half eleven, we were ready to drive to the next location, another factory, this time on the west coast at Ringkobing.

A place I know well, but not how to get there from Hammel, so I follow Rune in his white Skoda.

It was mostly down motorways, at least until we reached Herning, and from there is was done a normal road, though more farmland, woods and villages.

The roads are lined with many wildflowers; huge clumps of bright yellow hawkbits, most in flower but many gone to seed too, Sea Thrift is there too, not in huge numbers yet, but again so visible. At one spot, I saw a whole bank of what looked like round-flowered wintergreen right beside the main road. But I saw no orchids.

We arrived at the factory at one, and once booked in we found that lunch was waiting in the meeting room. Large hearty rolls and bottles of pop. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

And cake for the afternoon.

We would not go hungry.

The afternoon was the same as morning; tour of the factory and then talking. So, by six we were pooped.

It was a two minute drive to the hotel, where we find half the town having dinner there. We find a place to abandon our cars, go to check in, and in no surprise, Rune, Franks and myself go to the bar for a beer.

At seven we were gathered, so go into the restaurant for dinner. An a la carte tasting menu with paired wines and more beer. We ate well and drank well too. This wasn’t just dinner with colleagues, it was with friends.

Most have been friends of mine for nearly a decade, Frank even longer.

We retired to our rooms at eleven. It was dark outside, and no sounds disturbed me as I rested.