Belgium.

My first impression of Belgium was my God this place is flat, it would have been a horrible place to hide from snipers, no wonder the trench system was established so quickly during the First World War. I had always thought that the majority of WWl was fought in France imagine how chagrined I felt to discover that a great part of the territory contested by the British and Commonwealth troops was actually in Belgium. I have been exploring and the sheer number of military graves here plus the knowledge that there are nearly 100,000 men whose graves are not known shocked me. I have seen the cemeteries on films and the news, but to stand in the actual cemetery just brings it all home, that and the ceremony at the Menin Gate tonight was what I will remember about my first day in Ypres. I always feel sad when I hear the Last Post played especially when I remember former comrades who are no longer here but to hear it played in that place after having visited a number of cemeteries today memories of Pete Reford, Stan Lewis, Neil Sheldon and Chris Lawson all came flooding back to me and I don't mind admitting tears were rolling down my cheeks, in fact I am filling up again while writing this.

The adventure begins.

A great start, up before the alarm and on the road at 05:30, no delays on the M25 and we were in Dover 4 hours early so We got a place on the 08:00 ferry at no extra charge. Seeing all the girls was great but I feel that getting wasted every time I see Keira and Kay is not really setting the example I should as their father. I missed Taylor because he was working, he is a night auditor and receptionist in a Heathrow hotel, well done mate and good luck. We should dock at 11am local time in Dunkirk and tonight we are staying for the next two nights in Ypres in Belgium giving me the opportunity to visit the Menin gate evening ceremony and WWl cemeterys and museums.........

Transport issues.

I bought Edith two and a half years ago in a rush for my first European road trip and she fulfilled her role admirably, coasting through Spain, Portugal and France without a hitch but lately she has been showing hints of her Gallic ancestry by occasional displays of petulance, she is also slowing down but that could be her age. I could not trust her on another extended road trip so I have found a new girl for my next trip, her name is Magda and she is a younger Teutonic model which fits well with my itinerary of traveling through German speaking countries on my way to and from Italy and Greece. The adventure begins on Monday when I catch the ferry from Dover to Dieppe at midday.

The holiday is over

I did my last serious walk on Saturday, a circumnavigation of the Larnaca salt lake. Last time I completed the walk anti clockwise in two hours and calculated that it was six miles, this time I decided to go clockwise and after taking a number of wrong turns I eventually got back to the car two and a half hours later so nearer seven and a half miles but it is all good for the legs. Saturday was of course wall to wall rugby and although England had won the championship - courtesy of Scotland's win against France as one Scottish friend told me - they wanted to go for the Grand Slam and when the French started playing I thought Oh No they have actually turned up this time but even though it was a tense game for England supporters I think it was a great match to watch. The hire car went back this morning and I had another haircut in Larnaca so final panic tanning today then pack up and fly back tomorrow. It is funny now I am not thinking of buying or renting a property in Cyprus I like the place better, as Arnie says, I'll be back.

Gorgeous

The rain held off on Wednesday and I walked the Avkas Gorge. Walk is actually a misnomer for the activity rather it was a walk, scramble, paddle, boulder, really canyoning without a wetsuit, an enjoyable adventure which at three hours was at least an hour longer than I expected. I had my final walk with the Polygon Hash last night, the guest RA was a hoot, it turned into a singing and joke fest, we rounded off with a very sociable visit to a local taverna which was new to me. Besides the heat and sunshine that is what I will miss when I leave Cyprus, every day can be a social occasion. I use a desk in the hotel foyer when I am juggling my electronic devices and yesterday just as I was about to blog I was approached by a guy who wanted to book a trip to Nicosia, he thought I was a tour organiser, anyway he got talking and I was still listening to him nearly two hours later when I made the excuse that I had to got to the Hash just to get away Well a day off today, I haven't decided what to do but I have learned that I cannot just doss around for long before I get fidgety maybe I should take relax lessons from Billy Boy or just carry on, in fact I do have some future trips to plan, now what are the dates for the Lions Tour next year?

Rain, rain, rain.

Good result in the rugby, my precautions worked but it was a good job the Welsh team didn't wake up earlier. Sunday's medieval bridge walk did not happen, the hangover won. There was a wild thunderstorm in the early hours of Monday morning which I thought had cleared the air but I was wrong, l had just found my first bridge on my rescheduled walk when the heavens opened so I retreated back to Larnaca where they had been having lovely sunshine. Monday's Larnaca Hash went well until we were in the circle at the end of the walk/run when again the a thunderstorm hit. The good news is my new lightweight waterproof jacket works but the trousers and trainers got soaked. Today was laundry day and it was cloudy and cold so i spent the day reading and researching future holidays in my room with the windows closed. Tonight's buffet evening meal did not look appetising so I headed down the strip to Marsalas the best Indian Restaurant in this area. Tomorrow weather permitting i am going to attempt the Avkas Gorge, I have brought proper boots with me as when I tried it in December I gave up because trainers were not man enough for the job.

Mimosa and lizards.

Today's walk was around Konnos Bay, the wild flowers are out and the mimosa is in bloom and the little lizards are everywhere. The walk followed the coast and in places there were a couple of steep ascents but the knees are holding out which is good news. The internet connection is now good but my laptop has expired so there will be no photos on the blog until I get home and upload some. Tonight is rugby night but I won't be watching the game in the Lion or wearing my England shirt so there is a chance we may actually beat Wales. Tomorrow I plan to visit all the Medieval bridges in the Troodos Mountains, but that will be hangover dependant.