European Tour

Today we head off on a brief European Tour. Which naturally starts, as all good trips do, at the kennels in Ruddington. Then it’s to East Midlands Parkway where we get the train down to St Pancras. After a brief respite for a pint in the Parcel Yard at King's Cross we then get the Eurostar to Brussels. Which is possibly our last trip through before Boris bricks up the tunnel.

We are accompanied by Rachel Abbott and Stranger Child, on audio naturally. This is book four in the series of which I have read all three previous ones, L has read just the one. It’s not often I can brag about things like that.

We arrive at the Brussels Midi station and check into the local Ibis. Then it’s a matter of finding a decent bar. My research had detailed the Moeder Lambic Fontainas bar as being the best option and my research wasn’t wrong. The bar was listed as having one of the widest ranges of beers on tap in the country and there was an extensive menu on the table waiting for us, as well as a specials board. 

 We order far too many beers and also a plate of meats and cheese to try to soak things up.

It's an excellent night and we may have both avoided a next day hangover had the hotel not been offering Leffe Brune on draft, which is something you just don’t see in the UK anymore...

(Thursday 2^nd June)

Laying Low

This morning we lay low for a while, hiding under the covers from the rain. Eventually it eases and we are one of the last to emerge from their tents to face the day but yet again we have a wet tent to dry out.

We head for a light pub tapas style lunch at the Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley and a few drinks too of course before heading back down the M6 once more accompanied by Rachel Abbott’s Sleep Tight.

The light lunch means we can pig out on a takeaway curry from the Park Tandoori later.

(Sunday 8^th November)

Gait Analysis

I'm on the bus today on a posh new Red Arrow. The new buses are absolutely massive, the kind someone like U2 would take on a World Tour rather than just for a 15 mile trip down the A52. Clearly somebody is making far too much money. Can we please halve the fares and have something smaller?

I have had some gait analysis. Apparently my left knee and my left leg are pointing in opposite directions or something. So says L, who has been watching me hobble. Personally I think my whole body just points where it likes.

Not only is it Friday, it’s a Lakeland Friday. L is already looking forward to an exciting night of a new audiobook in the car, camping in the rain, OP in the ODG, drunken passion in the tent and cake. Cake? She can't imagine why everyone thinks we're mad. I thought everybody was dead jealous, is that not the case?

The audiobook is Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott and amazingly just like my current book is a detective story set in Manchester. None of which is painting that fair city in a very good light.

The book is good and keeps us entertained. We pause it briefly to find out that Derby are losing the East Midlands derby 1-0 at half time when we go out of reception. 

When we arrive we have a minor disaster as I flatten the car battery using the headlights to help put the tent up. So we’re going to need a jump start before we can parkrun tomorrow. 

(Friday 6^th November)