Safe Return Doubtful

The journey back to Cumbria went smoothly, arriving back on Wednesday, day 185 of the course.

Overnight Saturday and Sunday I was in Gedinne, the purpose being to visit the Invictus Brewery. I had sent a message ahead, though the brewery in the forest does open for a few hours on weekend afternoons. It was fortunate that I did, as they had very low stock, only two of the five beers in their range, and none in 75cl bottles; they had closed for holiday for a week but were now open, with new stock not quite ready. That was no problem, I was able to fit in a longer circuit on foot with Roja, then head west to Fromelennes for the night.

In Monday morning I had an appointment with the vet I use just out of Charleroi for Roja’s worming treatment, necessary for travel back into the UK, and it must be administered between 1 and 5 days before the journey. Then a stop off to replenish my beer supply for the next few months, with consideration that Invictus had been closed.

Monday night we were at the St Sixtus Abbey car park, where the monks brew the Trappiste beer, Westvleteren. There are 3 beers in their range, and I prefer the two stronger in alcohol, what they call their 8 and their 12, 8% and 10% respectively. The following morning as Roja and I were just about to head out to hike the 12 kilometre circuit around the area, I met two Belgian guys, old friends catching back up, who had also stayed overnight in their T5 van. They told me that the monks actually brew a fourth variety of beer, but keep it for themselves. At first I laughed, but was assured that this mystery beer does actually exist, occasionally the odd one has been sighted , but as to the style and the strength, that can only be guessed at.

Later in the afternoon I moved to my usual stop off place before the Channel crossing, at the National Watersports Centre at Gravelines. The weather had been clear and quite warm in the last couple of days, and reached its peak that afternoon; the temperature didn’t drop below 17C through the night.

I got an early night, and set the alarm for 2:30 am, got to Le Shuttle terminal at 3, for the 4 am crossing. Only one hiccup, the vet had entered the information in the wrong place on Roja’s passport. We got through okay after 15 minutes of calling supervisors and other faffing around, but these people, at the French Pet Reception, are extremely thorough, far more so than the immigration and the customs; the immigration didn’t check my dates in Schengen (as usual), though I had my Swedish visa ready to show them, they never asked. And the customs just waved us through. The system seems more intent on focussing on the entry of an animal’s working treatment on the wrong page, than illegal immigration or smuggling.

My reason for getting the 4 am train is that it gets into Folkestone at 3:45 am, is very rarely delayed, and enables me to get round London and Birmingham before rush hour.

I was back at Shap at 9:30 am, both Roja and I desperate to get out for some Lakes air.

Also, for a change I return to a spell of fine weather, ‘quiet weather’ the forecaster called it; calm, relatively warm, and dry.

I’ll write a post in a few days with a brief review of the course, but otherwise will only post every couple of weeks.