After all this time in hotels we've finally managed to rent a couple of rooms.



They're in a lovely old building, and the inside looks like something out of a French art film. We have big windows, twelve foot ceilings and beautiful folding doors between them. Vast expanses of wooden floor with random furniture lurking in corners. Massive marble fireplaces. Everything rubbed, bashed, worn or rotted. One room papered in a 60s orange which it actually manages to take in its stride, the other in an unnecessarily enthusiastic orange which it doesn't. We have two mis-matched single beds, one with an ancient sagging mattress, the other with a good mattress that is 9" too narrow. Lovely stairs, much to Nick's disgust, and a beautiful marbled foyer filled with building equipment.

The problem with school is that it concentrates visits into the school holidays. This half term we had three seperate sets of visitors, which meant we didn't get to spend as much time with anyone as we would have liked.


But it was great to see so many friends, and we really felt like we'd had a weekend when it was time to set off to Leuven again.

Well I survived the first week. Pip came to Leuven for the week as well, acting both as PA and porter.
After nearly 2 years not working, it came as quite a culture shock.
Near the end of the first day I was thinking, "This isn't so bad" then it struck me, I have to do it again the next day and the one after that. Oh my God! What have I done?
However by the end of the week it all seemed slightly more plausible. As we got back to Rusty at about 9:30 in the evening on Friday, it became clear that the logistics could be made to work and can only improve when we get the chance to move Rusty closer.
The people in the team are really friendly and helpful and for some unknown reason, really pleased to have me on board.
As with all such projects there are time pressures and general stress, but I have worked in that kind of environment for over 30years, so it is nothing unusual.
Off to Leuven again tomorrow for the second week. Ho hum.

Ok I know I have been trying to get a job for quite a while. But that doesn't mean I'm actually ready to start work.
Philips in Leuven (Belgium!) have very kindly offered to buy my soul for 6months. Actually at the interview they seemed really good guys and the place was excellent.
The only trouble that we have with this, apart from complete panic, is the logistics. Rusty is still in Hoorn, Leuven is over 4hours by train. For the first few weeks I shall go on the train probably on Sunday and stay the week somewhere in Leuven, returning on the Friday. At some point we shall attempt to move Rusty closer. We were going to make Amsterdam the first step, by going down there today, but we phoned the two marinas that we know well and they are both in the middle of major works and have no space. Not exactly sure what plan B may be.
However given the current parlous state of our finances, it is actually very welcome.
Watch out for further news.

At first light this morning these guys turned up and started dropping pontoons into the water in front
of Rusty. It's a new terrace for one of the house boats round the corner.

Some time later they came back and dropped in another with outboard attached. They bolted that on the front of the line and started pulling the starter cord. And kept on pulling it as they drifted towards the boats behind us. By the time the cord broke they were just a few feet away.

But they were calm. They just walked it round and under the foot bridge with a nicely judged shove every now and then. Life is so much easier without tides.