~o~
Sunday 22nd. 47F/8C. A mostly grey day is promised with light winds. 62F/17C in the living room. Everything is saturated. With high humidity and heavy dew.
Up at 6.30 after getting up three times in the night. The beer and coffee were not a good idea and I was feeling very full last night. Even as it neared midnight. To the point where I sat on the computer and watched YT videos to kill time.
That's not my house! I did not take a single picture today. So had to make do with an earlier one. Taken outside a typical, thatched farmhouse. Which does B&B. The house once had three similar, adjoining buildings forming a closed square. Which provided shelter in the often harsh winters of the past.
As farming modernised such building arrangements became obsolete for housing large implements and tractors. Many farmhouses were sold off for non-farming ownership. With the land sold off to other farmers. Sometimes leading to ever larger holdings. Others had the adjoining barns demolished when they needed expensive repairs. Many two, three and four sided homes do still exist. Though not all survived with thatch.
Corrugated asbestos-cement roofing 'Eternit' became popular as a replacement. Since it was light enough to be supported by the lighter roofing timbers employed for thatch. Thatch has to be repaired and renewed at intervals. Eternit lasted longer but discoloured and grew unsightly moss and lichen. Patching damaged or missing plates, lost after a storm, was often impossible to match the rest of the roof. Those who could afford it would choose tiles. New timbers were often required o carry the greatly increased loads.
Later reinforcing fibres replaced asbestos but left a backlog of dangerous materials to be safely disposed of. It is now illegal to sell or re-use asbestos-cement roofing. It must be delivered to specific recycling yards once [carefully] removed from a roof. Modern Eternit is available in different sizes of corrugations and in different colours. From white to black. With several variations of red, orange and brown to order.
I am almost out of beer so shan't bother to restock. It is too tempting to enjoy a small beer with dinner. I like a drink afterwards to help clean my palate. It is not beyond my imagination to find a small cup. To savour and enjoy a more sensible amount of coffee. Perhaps to make it a ritual instead of mere consumption.
There is also the caffeine and alcohol to consider. Which may well be affecting my strange and vivid dreams. I am deliberately working towards earlier evening meals. To avoid sleeping on a full stomach. I am not even sure why I usually eat at eight [20.00] any more. Or why we ever did in the first place.
There is a veteran car messe and auction in Fredericia. There will be stand for the Nordic Morris Minor Klub. Which I have joined. I'd call the messe "a fair" but I haven't quite pinned down a proper English translation yet. It can mean "exhibition." There is a large used car parts market and displays of classic, vintage and veteran cars and motorcycles. With many for sale.
It is important to get there without running into the aftermath of the flooding. Fredericia is a coastal town right on the narrowest section of the sea strait separating Jylland from Fyn. The main road into Fredericia, from Middelfart [Fyn] runs, quite literally along the docks. The town centre was badly affected by the flooding. I want to avoid the motorway because of the relatively low speed of the Morris. Perhaps Google Earth can suggest a better route?
OK. Left after the Old Bridge onto Kolding Landevej. Then turn right into Skærbækvej as if going to Vejle. I can stay on the high ground all the way to the exhibition halls. Avoiding the town altogether. It is a slightly longer route but that is hardly important. I don't want to burden those working hard at the weekend. To clean up after the devastating flooding.
9.00 Had my shower. I have given the Morris a wipe over with an old T-shirt. Mostly to remove the dew but also the leaves plastered all over the bodywork and windows from the storm. I am wondering how warm it will be in the several exhibition halls. Visitors shown in the archive pictures are wearing a mixed range of clothing. From T-shirts to outdoor jackets. I don't want to be dripping with sweat.
My only casual jacket is knackered and frayed. The down sweater will probably be too warm. A jumper over a shirt might be best. Leaving warmer clothes in the car if needed. My 40-year-old tweed jackets would have been period wear in context with the Morris Minor. All were donated to charity in the great clear out. Following my wife's death.
9.15. Time to go.
15.00 53F/12C. Returned from the classic car & motorcycle show/auction/spares market. There were lots of beautiful cars on show. Many with price tags and quite a number sold. The halls were full of sales stands, cars or motorcycles. Thousands of people spread across them. In fact the halls were absolutely vast! I think I covered them all. I was looking for an English language, Haynes Workshop Manual for the Morris Minor. No luck at any of the book stalls. Nor those with just a few books. Then I discovered my Morris Minor neighbour, in the next village, has an English example he will sell me.
It was fun as I arrived. I was waved straight into the special cars, car park. Which was rather flattering. My car is smart but not concours. The examples on the Morris Minor stand really were immaculate! I chatted with several members whom I knew. My mileage today was 101km/63 miles. I need not have worried about avoiding the docks. I drove along that road on the way home. There was no sign of any problems whatsoever.
Going via the long, straight, main roads might have been boring. Fortunately some sunshine lit up the hedgerow berries and the autumn leaves. Making it really beautiful. I took a more meandering, rural route on the way back. Many drivers had no interest in keeping to the speed limit. They would overtake where there were multiple crossroads and junctions. Only to have me catch them when they reached the next back bumper. Which was travelling at the legal speed limit. As was I of course. The national speed limit is 80kph. A handy 50mph. Which I can keep to without too much effort even on climbs. So these drivers were risking multiple lives for no gain at all.
14.00 Lunch finished. I lit the stove as it was down to 61F/16Cin the lounge/bedsit/living room. The towels on the outside airer were still cold and wet. So I brought them in to go on the old clothes horse.
16.00 53F/12C Overcast. 65F in the living room. It was lucky I brought the towels in because it has rained. Those I brought in yesterday are dry. I ought to tidy the airing cupboard. The top half is full of product packaging. In case items have to be returned under guarantee. As the 2-year period is long over there is little point in wasting useful space on such pointless material. Though I have no idea what could go in that space. Winter duvets? How many do I need?
~o~
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