Welkom in Nederland

The rain has finally stopped and the day has dawned, clear, bright and sunny. We fry up the last two Italian sausages, oak smoked, Wiltshire, bacon, Irish black pudding and an egg, then eat a liesurely breakfast before starting out for the day. We arrive on Newbald Road and park, I carry Norman across the trickle of water that was a stream yesterday and a river the day before, and then set him down on dry ground. This is the last walk off the lead that the dogs will get before I return from Holland next Tuesday evening, so we make the most of it, it is a lovely crisp morning the sun providing just a touch of warmth as it hangs, low in the sky, to the south. The wind is fresh and noticeably much colder, but once we are away from Black Mill, no problem. The old bomb craters are still full of water, but the level has dropped by a foot since yesterday, as we climb up the path to cross Newbald Road at the common's western boundary, our path intersects with a group of ramblers, who tell me they are out for a five mile walk from the liesure centre. They veer off to the east, skirting the edge of Burton Bushes, probably anxious to avoid the muddy trails, while we push on straight through. Fifty yards short of the gated entrance, a single oak tree basks in the sun, in all it's autumn glory, one day it will be a major oak but at present, is about halfway there. In the woods, we manage to avoid the worst of the mud and enjoy the peace and solitude for the ten minutes or so that it takes us to make our way through and then follow the path downhill and back to the car. I drop the three dogs at Pip's house, give them some biscuits and water and then drive back to Tickton. Sarah is collecting Norman later. Once home, I drink the last of the fresh milk and eat a couple of oaties, before changing into my travelling clothes, give the house one final check and then set off for Leeds Bradford airport. While I am driving, I listen to the extended news and Lord Leveson's statement on his recently released report. It sounds like a slam dunk to me, so I am surprised when David Cameron later opposes statutory underpinning. I guess he believes by staying on the side of the Murdoch media, that they will support him in the run up to the next elections. "By their friends shall ye know them"! I break my journey at the world's best fish and chip restaurant, the Mermaid, in Morley, I settle for a small portion, as the milk and oaties are still having an effect. As ever, the food is first rate. From here it is only ten miles to the airport but it takes as long as the trip from Tickton, due to heavy traffic, fortunately I have allowed plenty of time and it is three thirty as I arrive at the long stay car park. The barrier doesn't recognise my credit card or prebooking, although I have already paid, so I have to take a ticket. The transfer bus arrives within minutes and shortly after I am in the terminal, where the information desk informs me that they will validate my parking ticket when I get back. There is a long queue through security where I find, to my horror, that I have left my Swiss army knife in my leather bum bag, although I have had it for twenty years, there is no other option other than to jettison it. Apart from that, everything goes smoothly, the plane takes off on time and arrives at Schiphol less than an hour later. In the days when I did a lot of International travel, Schiphol was my favourite hub and it hasn't lost its edge, in ten minutes I am through customs and immigration and on the 1911, high speed Fyra service to Rotterdam. I phone Graham and Lilliane before boarding and arrange to meet them at Starbucks in Rotterdam Central station. The train is fast, clean, comfortable and cheap, about 9 euros, including the high speed supplement and delivers me painlessly to Rotterdam in under twenty five minutes. I am just about to order a chocolate in Starbucks, when Graham and Lilliane appear, so we decide to head for home and drink there instead. Graham and Lilliane's house is only a ten minute drive from the station and by just after eight, we are sat in their kitchen drinking tea. Graham is tired, as he has been up since half past five, in order to take his border collie puppy, Frankie, out for a walk before starting work, but agrees to have a glass of wine with me while I eat some salami, Camembert and rye crackers. Four hours and several bottles of wine later he finally makes it. Well he can always have a lie in until six tomorrow!