Just when I thought my mad travelling weeks were over, I have a real humdinger of a fortnight, this week and next. It's already chaos.
Today is the only day that I get to work at my beloved desk in my beloved office.
Yesterday was Antwerp - cold (real cold) weather but a warm reception from my lovely Belgian colleague. The fact that the Thalys home was 45 minutes late arriving at Antwerp Centraal, and I was stood on the platform in minus 5 degrees for the whole time didn't really make for a pleasant end to the day though.
Tomorrow, I'm off to the UK for three days of meetings and two days of family madness. The meetings are already starting to drive me mad as the agenda (that was fixed three weeks ago) has changed constantly - even today my boss has asked me to produce yet more data. Crazy.
Then it's the tour de France. I start Monday morning with a four and half hour train trip to Brest, the far point of Britanny. The next day I go from Brest, via Paris, to Valence, in the south of France, between Lyon and Avignon.
I leave the next day and get to sleep in my own bed that night. But not for long. It's 'up boys and at 'em' the next day for a six a.m. train to Liège in Belgium. After Liège comes Düsseldorf, Germany and I get home Friday night, late, knackered and ready for a big sleep.
The travelling itself is fine - long stretches of train travel, where I get to sleep, work and read my book. What is actually hard is that I'm a popular boy. I get on really well with everyone that I am visiting over the next ten days and so everyone wants to go for dinner, to buy me a Christmas drink, to catch up on news.
So I envisage ending up drunk and disorderly in Birmingham, Brest, Paris, Valence, Liège and Düsseldorf before next week is over. I know I don't have to drink, but that's not polite, surely?
And let's face it, a bit of Christmas cheer never hurt anyone. Right?
17 commentaires:
I think you might be about to find out how much christmas cheer hurts. ;) Keep us posted!
Marjolein, you know that I will, right?
erra quit complaining. I get to go as far as Dublin once a year on "business", and only if I've been a lucky, good boy!
:-)
Enjoy! Bring us back a stick of rock!
Alan - A stick of rock? I'm hoping for a german sausage ;-)
You??? Drunk and disorderly???? In ALL those towns????? NO WAY!!!
Methinks if it were me, I might be just a bit too sleepy in some of those places to get drunk and disorderly. But then maybe that just adds to the reasons to do it.
Do have fun. I'm not sure I'll be envious this time. But please take copious notes for future posts to make me laugh!
Oh yes, I think this is going to be a blogworthy week for you....there will be tales to tell I just know it.
Try to have fun, but don't get too tuckered out!!
A bit of Christmas cheer is good. Lots is better - you're preserving your internal organs in alcohol and will live forever that way.
well I dont think I want your job I love to travel , but not that much so concentrated. And its the getting too and from that is a bind too. If you get a chance to get there and have some time to breathe , then its ok
Louise, I'm not sure I'm going to achieve a state of inebriation in each of the towns in question, but I'm willing to give it a go - as I say, largely it's down to my hosts wanting to be seen as good hosts...
help!
Rob, I'll report back - no need to worry about that!
CB - moi? tuckered out? No way. I have to keep myself in shape for the weekend before christmas.... all the tourists are in town then, he he ;-)
12oti, live forever? how fabulous. As long as I don't lose my looks.....
VM - happily these days such weeks are rare. few and far between. But yes, time to breathe would be nice....he he
I hope you have a seat mates who are not weird hoggy or wear curlers
:-Daryl
the Smile stone award, It is an award for bloggers, who show kindness and spread happiness around and one is waiting for you at my blog,in grateful recognition of all the smiles you have given me.
Daryl, me too....although I had quite a nice guy sat next to me on the flight to the UK yesterday....he could have been a leg presser and I wouldn't have minded, he he
Brett, thanks loads, that's really cool. I love getting awards, even though I don't show them on my site. Thanks, that's really cool x
I'm exhausted just reading this. Antwerpen is the coldest place I've ever been to. Seriously!
Big C, and it takes a lot to exhaust you....! ha ha. it was lots of fun.
And why IS Antwerp so cold?
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