johnrwakefield

[johnrwakefield]

Heathrow

I'd better come clean about today. To get to the punchline, I'm fit to fly and I type this as I sit in Heathrow waiting for my plane.

So, sitting in Schipol, having finished my breakfast and signing off what I thought was my last blog I stood up and felt a nasty pain right up near my groin. It hadn't been there when I woke up. Nor when I checked in and went through security. It felt like a pulled muscle, which had me a bit worried because all my blood clots have started out feeling like a pulled muscle out of the blue. I felt where the pain was and found a lump. Now I was really worried. So I called Mum.

We decided I would rest it, get to Heathrow and see how I felt. If it was still tender I would seek out the airport medical staff. Good plan. As I sat in the departure lounge I started shivering and feeling flush. Oh dear.

I got to Heathrow and I was definitely feeling poorly and my leg was a bit more sore. So I asked to see the medical staff. It seems the world's busiest, and one of the largest, airports has no medical facilities. Colour me gobsmacked. The best I could do was speak with the Boots pharmacist. As I explained my situation his eyes went wide and he dutifully put me onto the NHS help line. They were very good and after assessing me over the phone they directed me to the nearest hospital. So I had to troop down to the British Airways helpdesk to arrange to be let out of the airport. An hour of fannying about later I was in a cab to the hospital feeling like shit and very stressed. An update call to Mum reassured me and I turned up at the hospital ready for action.

But it wasn't a hospital, it was a nurse run medical centre. On ya, NHS! No matter, the receptionist listened to my story, with wide eyes, and put me to the top of the pile. I was assessed by a very nice and thorough nurse, who gave me paracetamol for the fever (38.4) and worked out which proper hospital to send me to.

The staff at Hillingdon Hospital were wonderful. They started out with "poor love" expressions but quickly swung into action as my story unfolded, particularly my history with clots. I could clearly explain my condition, how I use the Clexane, how I'm Factor 5 Leiden and, by the way, I'm technically in transit and need to get back to the airport. They took the situation very seriously and I had a full assessment, blood work, a cup of tea, an ultrasound and a consultation with the doctor within two hours. I felt like His Majesty.

The ultrasound came out clean. No clots. Phew! The blood work was also clear. But it appears I'm coming down with the flu 🤒

So, the doctor asked me what I'd been up to while in Europe. Ummm... He's a little confused but not bothered about the lump and put it down to a nasty pulled muscle, probably incurred while dashing about Belgium with a bloody great suitcase. That had been my original thought but the lump and the late onset of the pain had me, and the doctor, scratching our heads. I'd woken up feeling fine. I suspect I was being held together by adrenaline and as the stress left me over breakfast my body packed it in.

So, I'm armed with paracetamol for the fever and I'm looking forward to a long sleep on the flight. I was wondering how I was going to fill my 9 hour layover. I hadn't envisioned this.

I couldn't have coped with today so well if it wasn't for Mum. She answered all my calls and texts throughout the dead of an Australian night 😘😘😘

Now, I haven't mentioned any of this to Sara because I'm ok and she's had enough to deal with in my absence. I'll tell her when she can see me.

Ok, time to get ready to board. Definitely for the last time, signing off ❤

[johnrwakefield]

Coming home day!

It's been a great week and now it's time to come home. I miss Sara and the kids. And I'm knackered.

Things I have learned from my time here:

The pecking order on the streets is 1) cyclists; 2) pedestrians; and 3) cars. My inherent, Sydney-based caution around cars irritated the drivers here. I was dithering and unpredictable to them.

Keep right. Of course, I instinctively veer left when on a collision course with someone, which is not good when the someone is a cyclist tearing along the square, oblivious to the pedestrians around him 😬 (see point above).

How to say 'please' - 'alstublieft' (it's tricky) - and 'thank you' - 'dankjewel'. I'm too good at saying 'goede morgen' because everyone launches into Dutch at me, only to be met with my best dumb tourist blank expression.

Some rather rude words (see point about keeping right).

It is easier to get one's tongue around ordering Belgian beer when one has already had a couple.

There's a beer tax in Belgium. You don't pay it when you buy the beer, you pay it when you go to a public toilet to relieve yourself of said beer. €0.50 for a pee is a bit steep. I made sure I got my money's worth.

It is apparently mandatory for all funky, 2nd tier hotels to have lime green decor 😕

Holland is ridiculously flat.

And so, my adventures in Northern Europe have come to an end, and with it my blog. See you or speak to you soon. This is the Scone signing off ❤

[johnrwakefield]

Eddy Merckx's team car and the ANZAC commemorative jersey, at the Centrum RvV.

[johnrwakefield]

My suitcase and me, composing ourselves.

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Me at the presentation 😃

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Michael Matthews at the presentation.

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Mitchelton Scott at the presentation.

[johnrwakefield]

De Ronde

Today started brilliantly! The three way video call worked and Mum is having a good birthday. After the call I followed the crowd to the Grote Markt to watch the presentation of riders. It was amazing to be there. The atmosphere was fabulous. The crowd was in a happy mood (helped along by lots of beer), the riders played up to the crowd and the presenters kept it all going at a good pace. There were huge cheers for the local favourites, of course, but also the other big names like Sagan and Valverde. Michael Matthews got a good reception, which was nice to see. I cheered the loudest for Mitchelton Scott, prompting nods in my direction and people asking with a chuckle, "Australian?". Ah, yeah.

The start line was packed but I saw something of it. Nothing I could photograph, though. And in my recce the previous day I picked the race as going the other way, so my chosen location was behind the riders. Oh well, I was there.

Having seen the riders off I ducked into the race village to pick up some pressies 😃👍 and then headed to the hotel to pick up my bags and get the train to Oudenaarde. This is where the day went not so well. Central station had advertised that extra services would be running to Oudenaarde to cater for the Ronde crowds. On buying my ticket I was told off handedly that there weren't that many trains going to Oudenaarde. I pointed out that the train company had advertised extra services and got a dismissive shrug in response. A very cranky woman behind me in the queue told me that the train line treats its customers like shit. Great! The next disappointment was that route the next train was taking would take two and a half hours, with a change at Gent 🤬 Anyway, it was race day and I was here to have fun, so no grizzling. There'd be plenty of race left to see.

Once in Oudenaarde the next part of my plan fell apart. Despite what the train line's website, Lonely Planet and other travel sites say there are no baggage lockers at Oudenaarde station. How is such blatant bullshit allowed? So it was a smart walk into the town centre dragging my suitcase along the cobbled streets. I must have looked a sight. I found a bar in the main square with a big screen, parked my bag, grabbed a beer and a chair and sat down to compose myself.

Once composed, I decided to hit the race village to watch the finish from there. With the time lost and having to drag my suitcase around, any thoughts of getting onto the course around Oudenaarde had gone out the window. At this point the gods of De Ronde smiled upon me. About 20m up the street was the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen, the famous museum for all things De Ronde. I'd abandoned all hope of finding it, due to my lack of mobility, but there it was, right in front of me 😁

Inside the museum I found Billy's present. It's perfect. We'll both get lots of fun out of it. I also found a bar, a tv screen and a lively crowd. The day was back on. I took some time to go through the museum and had a bit of a moment when I saw the Orica Greenedge jersey with the armband to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZACs in Flanders.

Back to the race, it was turning into a thriller and it was amazing to be there in the thick of the atmosphere. Thanks to the free wi-fi I also had a good WhatsApp conversation with Jo. As the race approached Oudenaarde I legged it to the finish line, suitcase bouncing along behind me. I couldn't really see the line but there was a big screen and the crowd brought the winner home with a deafening roar. What a finish! I was so pleased with Michael Matthews' race. He'll win here one day. Soon I think. With the race done I legged it back to the station to catch the train to Schipol.

So today's post ends with me and my long suffering suitcase on the intercity train with a load of very drunk Dutchies heading home. I'm knackered but buzzing. It's rather like Ironman day, only on a much bigger scale. Looking forward to climbing into bed. And looking forward to going home day.

Next post from Schipol, pre flight ❤

[johnrwakefield]

The iconic race winning bikes

[johnrwakefield]

The sights of Antwerp

[johnrwakefield]

One more sleep to go

Today was a good day. It didn't turn out the way I thought it would but it was the day it needed to be. Over morning tea I went to the Ronde website and planned out race day. I'd like to see as much as possible but I've read that if you get too ambitious you end up running around a lot and seeing very little. So, with the plan for tomorrow sorted, I set out to make the most of today.

First thing, shopping. My great idea for a pressie for Billy ended up being a dead end ☹ Putting that disappointment behind me it was time to hit the race village. That was a far more productive trip as I got inspiration for pressies for Jo and José and got my birthday present from them 😃👍

The village has a lot of very flash gear in it. You could easily drop a fortune in there but geez you'd have fun doing it. They also have a display of the classic race winning bikes of Roger de Vlaeminck, Eddy Merckx and Johan Museeuw. Apparently it's not bad form to just stand there staring at them.

Just outside the village there was a trolley car doing tours of the city. It was so daggy it had to be done. I certainly saw more of the city and saved my legs in the process.

The rest of the afternoon was spent more closely exploring the parts I'd seen on the trolley car and sampling the local beers until it was time to head back to the hotel to rest the legs and get packed and ready for tomorrow.

Looking forward to the video call ❤

[johnrwakefield]

Heee he hee hee!

[johnrwakefield]

Lunch

[johnrwakefield]

Nightcap

[johnrwakefield]

When in Belgium...

Had a lazy start to the day. I woke up at 6:30am (ok, there's still a bit of jet lag) and had a video call with the family. Rachie told me all about her day and the amazing dream she'd had. By the end I wasn't sure which was weirder, the dream or the actual day. She then handed me to Billy:

Me: "So how was your day, mate?"

Billy: "Good"

Me: "Ok. What did you do today?"

Billy: "Oh, you know, the usual stuff. Ok, I'll give you to mum now. Bye, daddy, love you"

[Hands the phone to Sara. Sound of the telly going on in the background.]

So yeah, he's not scarred by my absence.

After my family fix I had a leisurely breakfast, finished packing, checked out and headed to the station. The trip to Antwerp was quick and straightforward. As I do, I sat and watched the countryside go by. My God Holland's flat. I'd forgotten how flat it is. I thought I'd seen flat driving up the Birdsville track but this is something else. It's seriously flat. Nary a hillock or mound to bother the horizon. Makes a billiard table look lumpy. It really is very flat.

Anyway, I arrived in Antwerp. My hotel is directly across the road from the station 👍Next job was to call Daniel Haas, the Head of Compliance for ABN AMRO in Belgium, to meet up with him. The office is 100m up the road from my hotel 😀 At this rate I half expected someone to just hand me a plate of frites with mayonnaise and a Trappist beer. Sadly, no.

Daniel is a great bloke and a compliance manager after my own heart, "Ja, we have too many rules". He's lectured extensively on ethical dilemmas and conscious decision making and is graciously sharing his material with me. We'll definitely be keeping in touch.

Work done for the day 🙄 it was time for lunch. I found a cafe on the main drag and went for it. A hamburger with fries with mayonnaise and a local craft beer. It would be disrespectful not to.

Lunch consumed I wandered along to the Grote Markt and took the city in. Antwerp is glorious. The old buildings are breathtaking and it's full of pokey little laneways to get lost in. I wish Sara was here. Actually, the kids would love it too.

I hit the old centre of town and found the presentation area and fan village for the start of De Ronde. Aaaaaahhh ha ha ha haaaa!!! With that job done, the week caught up with me and the tiredness set in. It was time to stroll back to the hotel and have an easy night before the big weekend.

Having a nightcap of a Tripel Karmeliet, feeling very fortunate. I can't believe it's happening. It's not on the telly, it's right in front of me. I'm at the Tour of Flanders. ❤

[johnrwakefield]

p.s.

Had a very pleasant dinner with Jeffrey. We discussed race, politics and religion and had a good laugh about it all. Very Dutch evening.

[johnrwakefield]

That'll do. Time for fun.

Today was hectic but productive, meeting lots of people and sorting stuff out face to face. Everyone asked when I was flying home, which invariably led to a conversation about my plans for the weekend. Nobody knew what the Tour of Flanders was, so I had to say de Ronde van Vlaanderen in my best Dutch accent. Without fail they all laughed and then quickly said it properly, as if they just couldn't leave my butchered attempt out there 😐 That awkwardness aside, everyone thinks it's pretty exciting. And they all said, "A weekend of Belgian beer, eh". The Dutch are as big a bunch of piss pots as we Aussies.

I arranged my last meeting for the day well. Jeffrey's PA offered a range of times, including dinner 👍 So that was Thursday night sorted. Otherwise it may have been a bit boring.

So that's work behind me for the week. Time to shift into holiday mode. Bit of a shop in Amsterdam in the morning then down to Antwerp. It's on.