And if you thought that it was good yesterday, you ain’t seen nuffink yet.
I’m cold, frozen to the marrow, soaking wet, aching in places that I didn’t even realise that I had, and yet I’ve had a really good time. And if the truth be known, I should really be out there even now, partying with everyone else, but I’m not up to it. I’m going to settle down with a mug of hot wincarnis.
What with all of the exertions last night I was out like a light. And off on my travels again. I’d bought a “York” semi-trailer that needed some repair a,d so I had welded it up. As regular readers of this rubbish will recall, I used to do a lot of welding at one time – even owning my own oxy-acetylene set-up – but I haven’t done anything serious for nearly 30 years – except for welding up the exhaust on the VW Passat in 1997. And so when I bumped into the previous owners of this trailer and told them what I had done, I was rather embarrassed when they suggested that they come and look at it, because you can forget an awful lot in 30 years when you aren’t using the skills regularly.
It was still dark when I awoke, but you can forget that. I turned over and burrowed back down under the quilt. 09:15 is much more like it on a Sunday.
The morning was spent editing the photos and videos from yesterday and found that I had missed lunch. So I hit the streets, passing by a couple of carnival floats parked up in various side streets waiting to join the parade.
I found a decent spec in the rue Couraye and waited for the procession. And I wasn’t disappointed either because there were 48 floats in all, as well as countless thousand ad-hoc paraders. And the streets were packed too. The parade went on for hours.
We had sunshine, blue skies, high winds, clouds, rainstorms, absolutely everything while we were standing there watching everything inch slowly past us and up the hill. And apparently it was all going to do a U-turn and come back down again, but I was far too cold and achy to wait for it.
No-one was more surprised than me to find that it was 17:20 when I arrived back. I’d been standing on that street corner for three and a half hours. And it felt like it too. I had not one but two hot coffees and it still didn’t warm me up.
Tea was pizza of course, and I’ve practically finished off the vegan cheese. Just as well that I’m going to Leuven this week. And with the pizza I remembered the olives this week – but forgot the onions. It’s either one thing or another, isn’t it?
During my evening walk I could see – and hear – the entertainment going on down in the town. I had half a mind to join them but I’m not really up to it. It’s not done me too much good, standing down there this afternoon in all of that.
What I’ll do instead is have a hot blackcurrant and then go to bed. Curled up under the quilt will do me good. And I’ll start on the photos tomorrow. There are hundreds.
