Day 15 Saturday 15 April 2017

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated, good news about Alyssa and the team of mooters in the USA.  Just one question though, is winning or losing a moot a moot point?  Just wondering.

Andrew, thanks for appreciating the food descriptions but you know that there will not be any food photos unless certain previously stated conditions are met.

Today's blog will be a short one as so far nothing interesting has happened.

This morning I drove from Ypres to Lille and had the usual problem with finding the drop off point for the hire car.  A little bit of background for you. I am staying in a Novotel Suites hotel opposite the Lille TGV railway station.  This is a massive station and services all the high speed and express trains to and from this part of France.  Now, under the station are 4 or 5 multi level underground carparks all with very similar looking entrances.  For some reason known only to themselves the hire car companies refuse to put any signage at the entrance to the car park that is the one to return the car to.  It is only once you are in the car park and down a level or two that the hire car company's signs start to appear.  If I didnt know better and if the French weren't such a kind and helpful people I would suggest that it was done this way as a sheer act of bastadry, but they wouldnt do that, would they?

A little about the car I had, it was a neat little Peugot 308 that I got quite attached to.  Like pretty much all the hire cars here it was a 6 speed manual and zipped along nicely, sat on the speed limit of 130 km with heaps to spare.  It had only done about 9,000k and I reckon I did a further 1,000.  The only disconcerting thing I found was the keyless locking and ignition.  When I left the car I was never quite sure if it was locked or not.  The French certainly know how to make good cars, dont they Flashy!

A photo of the car

I am off to Berlin tomorrow and I must admit I am a bit excited about that.  Last time I was in Berlin was 1986 and the wall was still up so it is going to be very different this trip.  I have already booked to go up to the dome of the Reichstag, this was quite a complicated process and had to be booked well in advance with all sorts of details provided.  Probably due to security concerns.  And I have also arranged to do a walking tour on the Monday.  

It is a grey, dull day in Lille so I havent bothered with any photos.  Lille is a bit like Newcastle, Glasgow and Ballarat in that it has lost its traditional manufacturing economic base and is battling to find something to replace it.  It is certainly busy around the stations, but still lots of homeless around the place.  And the Gypsies are back, actually saw some Gypsy men begging today, that would be like going to work for them, they usually leave it up to the woment and the children.

As the hotel is on the edge of nowhere and I have a proper table and chair I am catering in house tonight.  Bread, ham, cheese, creamy pastry thing and a bottle of bordeux.

A donkey