Stories tagged with colliery

September 2011

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The German invasion - Part 2
/ Germany, Luxembourg, France
The last stop on the trail was Luxembourg with a night camped out in sleeping bags on a grass verge, much to the amazement of the morning commuters. From down here below the southern tip of Belgium it was a long old way back to Dunkirk, deviating once more only so that Larey could go nuts in the hypermarket. And go nuts he did...
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The German invasion - Part 1
/ France, Belgium, Germany
Before casting the machine into that vast pit of despair I decided to take him on his first outing abroad. Quite why I'd got so caught up with air travel and not done this sooner I'm not entirely sure, but nonetheless, it was happening now, with Larey and dsankt aboard and a whole heap of place markers pasted into the netbook...

April 2010

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London to Latvia (and everything in between) - Part 7
/ Germany, Belgium
This, the second ferry crossing, lasted only an hour or so. The air was bitter and cold, a low mist hung over the Baltic Sea. Our company at such an early hour comprised mostly of 'torn faced' truckers. Shabbily dressed and unshaven, we fit in just fine. On arrival in Germany the border guards paid us no attention and we hit the Autobahn.
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London to Latvia (and everything in between) - Part 2
/ Germany
The first night in the car produced two stiff necks and a bemused stare from an elderly lady hobbling past the car. The windows were misted up and siologen lolled to one side in a grey sleeping bag that generally made him resemble a vast slug. I climbed out of the car, had a stretch and grinned at the old bag.

August 2009

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Sur la route - Part 4
/ Belgium
On the morning of the last full day in Belgium we awoke on scaffolding attached to a church tower. Daylight had found us and so we reluctantly took this as a cue to get moving. As we climbed down onto the pavement the caretaker turned up and scowled at us but she was too stunned to actually say anything coherent.

June 2009

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Fear and loathing in Upper Silesia
/ Poland
Feigning compliance we followed the man as he gesticulated towards the hut, positioning himself beside the open door and pointing inside. What, in there? Knowing reefdog would agree without question (it was hardly a difficult decision to make) I countered the guard's offer by indicating the gates and murmuring an idea in English.