… that you are reading this today. Had I been more organised and more patient, I would possibly not have been here to write it.

Just for a change, I had a good night’s sleep last night. Asleep reasonably early – woke up just once to switch off the laptop, and slept right through until the alarm at 07:00. With it being weekend, there are no workmen about at ridiculous hours of the morning.

I had company at breakfast – a new arrival in the building, and that meant that my Russian friend (he’s not actually Russian, he’s Dutch who lives in Russia with a Russian wife) had someone else to talk to at breakfast so I could be my usual quiet self.

Back down here, I had a play around with my 3D program, something that I haven’t done for quite a while. And then I had a good wash and scrub to get myself clean ready for my day out.

OH Leuven are playing at Brugge to day against Cercle Brugge. This is an important match as Cercle Brugge are 3rd bottom and OH Leuven are second-bottom. OH Leuven must win this to avoid relegation – a spectre that has been staring them in the face for a good few weeks.

Not only that, I’ve never been to Cercle Brugge’s ground. It’s a hell of a long walk away from the station – the second-longest after Royal Antwerp – so I needed to be on form.

With the beautiful weather, I walked up to the station and bought my ticket for the train. And then I was presented with a conundrum. There was a choice of two trains – one at 13:19 which is a stopping train, and one at 13:34 which is an express and actually arrived first.

So having had nothing to eat for lunch, I decided on the second train and went to the bakery in the basement to buy some bread and coffee to eat on the train.

Back on the platform with my lunch, my train pulled in and I clambered aboard. And then we waited. And waited. eventually we were all asked to alight as the train would not be leaving – there was an “obstruction on the line”.

I blagged my way onto an Antwerp train where I could change for Brugge. But then, that wasn’t leaving either, even though it takes a different line out of the city.

Eventually, they closed the station, saying that no trains would be leaving for the rest of the day. A fleet of buses was laid on to take everyone to Brussels-Nord railway station where they could catch a train and continue their journeys but it was pointless for me. I’d never make it to Brugge for the match so I walked home.

Back here, I found out the reason why everything had gone to pot. A train had left Leuven station and had derailed itself, falling off the rails at the points, fallen over onto its side, and there had been deaths and injuries.

Further enquiries revealed that it was the 13:19 to De Panne – the train that I would have caught had I not gone downstairs to buy some bread and coffee.

This reminds me of that famous incident many years ago when someone said that some woman “had been badly injured in a rail accident but had survived, and all of her friends expressed their regret”.

Yes, looks as if I have had a narrow escape.

Back here, I crashed out for a while and then watched some football on the internet. I even missed my afternoon coffee due to sleep issues.

For tea tonight I had pizza and garlic bread. I’m out tomorrow evening so I reckoned that I would catch it today. And my garrulous Russian friend was up there making his tea. He wanted to chat. And I’m sure that someone else has been nibbling away at my pineapples and ice cream.

Another early night and a good clean up tomorrow, as I’m out with Alison. I’ll need all of my strength.

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