Safe Return Doubtful

Just a quick update from the journey south.

For the last time, thankfully, I picked up Roja’s Animal Health Certificate from Folkestone. The collection date can’t be changed, and the vets don’t open until 10 am; if not for that I would have crossed to France last night, it’s so much quieter at night.

I have a French Pet Passport now, which lasts all his life, but need a stamp in it from a French vet before I can use it. It will save me at least £100 each crossing, as well as the hassle of collection.

I was in the 12:20 crossing, and drove until 5:45 pm, the kick off time for the World Cup game, Italy versus Uruguay. I came off the E25 just before the Belgium Luxembourg border at Habay and had located a recent archaeological site, of a Roman villa, which is now constructing a small museum, but opened its outdoor site to visitors this summer. It’s ten minutes off the main highway, yet quiet, and deserted. Good for a half time walk also.

We were away this morning after an hour’s exercise, on a fine morning. It’s 370 meters up here, the Belgian Highlands, it could be nicknamed. The second chore of the day was to load up with Belgian beer at the nearby Carrefour. That done, my research on fuel prices paid off, filling up at €1.68 a litre rather than €1.95 in Belgium.

I drove from 9:30 until just before 6 pm, covering just short of 500 miles, through Germany into Austria at Salzburg. The German roads are pretty much like the English, very busy and with plenty of road works. We were held up for an hour or so I’d guess, just the weight of traffic. It’s very different to the toll roads of France, which are empty, though expensive.

At the Austrian border I picked up the necessary vignette and fuel, again at a lesser price than the neighbouring country, this time Germany. Then headed up the Salzach valley into the Alps.

I’m three hours away from my first destination, Krn in Slovenia. It’s inside the Triglav National Park, wild camping is strictly forbidden and enforced with weighty fines, so I’m aiming for a high rural campsite.

It was 27C in Salzburg at 5 pm, but much cooler now, 15C, and rain tomorrow, so a cooler day again.

Just a report back from my mail to Cumbria Healthcare, re the hip… they assure me that my waiting time is typical, and there are two waiting lists, the first to see the hospital consultant, and the second for the operation itself.

“…I have been, in some respects, the slave of circumstances beyond human control.”

One of my favourites, Poe from William Wilson.