I HAD TO GET TO FRANCE AND THE UK TO PICK UP THE ITEMS THAT WERE STILL IN STORAGE THERE. ALSO THERE WERE ITEMS THAT I`D SOLD AND WERE TOO BIG TO POST THAT HAD TO BE DELIVERED.
THE TRUSTY BERLINGO WAS FITTED WITH NEW WINTER TYRES AS IT WOULD BE FULL WINTER IN OSLO WHEN I RETURNED. IT WAS LOADED UP AND WE TOOK THE FERRY FROM OSLO TO KIEL AND DROVE TO CALAIS WHERE I NORMALLY SPEND THE NIGHT BEFORE DRIVING TO RUFFEC. THIS WAS DURING THE CHAOS SURROUNDING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN PARIS AND WHEN I WENT TO THE HOTEL B&B WHERE I NORMALLY OVERNIGHT IT WAS FULL OF POLICE SO I DROVE TO BOULOGNE WHERE THE HOTEL B&B THERE WAS ALSO FULL OF POLICE AND THEIR BATTLE WAGONS.
RELUCTANTLY I CHECKED IN AT THE HOTEL PREMIER CLASSE WHICH HAD SOME VACANCIES. IT`S NOT AS FIRST CLASS AS IT`S NAME IMPLIES.
THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS AN EIGHT HOUR DRIVE TO RUFFEC AND WHEN I ARRIVED THERE I UNLOADED THE CAR AND COOKED A LIGHT MEAL.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS WERE SPENT TAKING STOCK OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO TAKE BACK TO OSLO AND TO THE UK.
i TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY SOME OF THE VERY DRINKABLE SAUVIGNON WHITE WINE FROM THE COOPERATIVE AT SEICQ AND AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS WAS LOADING ALL THE STUFF THAT I COULD GET INTO THE ALREADY HEAVILY LOADED BERLINGO.
AFTER A WEEK IN THE UK IT WAS TIME TO LOAD UP THE CAR AGAIN WITH ITEMS FROM MY CONTAINER TO TAKE BACK TO NORWAY BUT THIS TIME I TOOK THE ROUTE HARWICH TO THE HOOK THEN KIEL TO OSLO.
WHEN I GOT TO HARWICH IT WAS AROUND 8 PM AND ANXIOUS TO GET A LAST PINT OF REAL ALE BEFORE THE DEPARTURE OF THE FERRY AT 22.00.
THERE IS A PUB IN HARWICH WHICH SPECIALISES IN REAL ALE AND HAS BARRELS OF IT STACKED UP, THEN THERE WAS THE DECISION TO BE MADE OF WHICH OF THESE SPECIALITY BEERS I WAS TO TRY. THE CHATTY PUBLICAN GAVE ME A RECOMMENDATION AND I ORDERED A PINT. IT WAS OK AND AS I SIPPED THE GOLDEN LIQUID THE OWNER DREW ME INTO A CONVERSATION ABOUT EXISTENSIALISM WHICH TOOK AWAY SOME OF THE PLEASURE OF THE BEER. I LOOKED INTO THE NEARLY EMPTY GLASS AND THEN AT THE ATTRACTIVE BARMAID AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF " THAT`S YOUR ANSWER MATEY".
DRAGGING MYSELF AWAY FROM THE PUB MY NEXT VISIT WAS TO THE FISH AND CHIP SHOP THAT I`VE MENTIONED BEFORE ON THIS SITE, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT, I ORDERED A HADDOCK AND CHIPS AND ATE IT IN THE CAR WHILE THE PERFUME OF SALT AND VINEGAR THAT I`D LIBERALLY ADMINISTERED TO THE FISH AND CHIPS MINGLED WITH THE SMELL OF OLD MACHINE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN STORAGE TOO LONG.
THE FISH WAS SO GOOD THAT I WENT INTO THE SHOP AGAIN AND ORDERED ANOTHER HADDOCK AND WOLFED IT DOWN.
IN KIEL I VISITED THE TRADITIONAL GERMAN RESTAURANT THE "RATSKELLER" WHICH SERVED ME MY USUAL CHOICE OF A WONDERFUL PORK SCHNITZEL. THEN IT WAS A VISIT TO TO THE PUB WHICH HAS IT`S OWN MICROBREWERY FOR A HALF LITRE OF THEIR EXCELLENT BEER SITTING OUTSIDE AND PROTECTED FROM THE COLD WITH A BLANKET. VERY CIVILISED!
BACK IN NORWAY I HAD THE EXCITEMENT OF UNLOADING ALL THOSE PROJECTS THAT I`D ALMOST FORGOTTEN ABOUT AND THAT I WILL WRITE ABOUT WHEN I GET THE TIME.
ALAN
THE TRUSTY BERLINGO WAS FITTED WITH NEW WINTER TYRES AS IT WOULD BE FULL WINTER IN OSLO WHEN I RETURNED. IT WAS LOADED UP AND WE TOOK THE FERRY FROM OSLO TO KIEL AND DROVE TO CALAIS WHERE I NORMALLY SPEND THE NIGHT BEFORE DRIVING TO RUFFEC. THIS WAS DURING THE CHAOS SURROUNDING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN PARIS AND WHEN I WENT TO THE HOTEL B&B WHERE I NORMALLY OVERNIGHT IT WAS FULL OF POLICE SO I DROVE TO BOULOGNE WHERE THE HOTEL B&B THERE WAS ALSO FULL OF POLICE AND THEIR BATTLE WAGONS.
RELUCTANTLY I CHECKED IN AT THE HOTEL PREMIER CLASSE WHICH HAD SOME VACANCIES. IT`S NOT AS FIRST CLASS AS IT`S NAME IMPLIES.
THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS AN EIGHT HOUR DRIVE TO RUFFEC AND WHEN I ARRIVED THERE I UNLOADED THE CAR AND COOKED A LIGHT MEAL.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS WERE SPENT TAKING STOCK OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO TAKE BACK TO OSLO AND TO THE UK.
i TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY SOME OF THE VERY DRINKABLE SAUVIGNON WHITE WINE FROM THE COOPERATIVE AT SEICQ AND AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS WAS LOADING ALL THE STUFF THAT I COULD GET INTO THE ALREADY HEAVILY LOADED BERLINGO.
AFTER A WEEK IN THE UK IT WAS TIME TO LOAD UP THE CAR AGAIN WITH ITEMS FROM MY CONTAINER TO TAKE BACK TO NORWAY BUT THIS TIME I TOOK THE ROUTE HARWICH TO THE HOOK THEN KIEL TO OSLO.
WHEN I GOT TO HARWICH IT WAS AROUND 8 PM AND ANXIOUS TO GET A LAST PINT OF REAL ALE BEFORE THE DEPARTURE OF THE FERRY AT 22.00.
THERE IS A PUB IN HARWICH WHICH SPECIALISES IN REAL ALE AND HAS BARRELS OF IT STACKED UP, THEN THERE WAS THE DECISION TO BE MADE OF WHICH OF THESE SPECIALITY BEERS I WAS TO TRY. THE CHATTY PUBLICAN GAVE ME A RECOMMENDATION AND I ORDERED A PINT. IT WAS OK AND AS I SIPPED THE GOLDEN LIQUID THE OWNER DREW ME INTO A CONVERSATION ABOUT EXISTENSIALISM WHICH TOOK AWAY SOME OF THE PLEASURE OF THE BEER. I LOOKED INTO THE NEARLY EMPTY GLASS AND THEN AT THE ATTRACTIVE BARMAID AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF " THAT`S YOUR ANSWER MATEY".
DRAGGING MYSELF AWAY FROM THE PUB MY NEXT VISIT WAS TO THE FISH AND CHIP SHOP THAT I`VE MENTIONED BEFORE ON THIS SITE, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT, I ORDERED A HADDOCK AND CHIPS AND ATE IT IN THE CAR WHILE THE PERFUME OF SALT AND VINEGAR THAT I`D LIBERALLY ADMINISTERED TO THE FISH AND CHIPS MINGLED WITH THE SMELL OF OLD MACHINE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN STORAGE TOO LONG.
THE FISH WAS SO GOOD THAT I WENT INTO THE SHOP AGAIN AND ORDERED ANOTHER HADDOCK AND WOLFED IT DOWN.
IN KIEL I VISITED THE TRADITIONAL GERMAN RESTAURANT THE "RATSKELLER" WHICH SERVED ME MY USUAL CHOICE OF A WONDERFUL PORK SCHNITZEL. THEN IT WAS A VISIT TO TO THE PUB WHICH HAS IT`S OWN MICROBREWERY FOR A HALF LITRE OF THEIR EXCELLENT BEER SITTING OUTSIDE AND PROTECTED FROM THE COLD WITH A BLANKET. VERY CIVILISED!
BACK IN NORWAY I HAD THE EXCITEMENT OF UNLOADING ALL THOSE PROJECTS THAT I`D ALMOST FORGOTTEN ABOUT AND THAT I WILL WRITE ABOUT WHEN I GET THE TIME.
ALAN