London to Auckland

You might think its easy eating an English breakfast but I can tell you from experience that it’s not. It’s a complex task.
“Please explain” I hear you asking in a well meaning but slightly sarcastic tone.
Well it’s because of all the emotions that are involved and I tend to get emotional about food. When I like it I really like it and when I don’t like it I really don’t. I’ll ride through crocodile infested waters while giving the one fingered salute to pirates but don’t ever put me on Fear Factor because I’m going home in part 2.

But when I fly to Germany do you think I’m thinking about the steins of beer in the outdoor bars or the frauleins riding their bikes beside the river in the summer time? Oh no. I go to Germany on a culinary expedition. Chicken pepper schnitzel with fried potatoes, pig’s knuckles and sauerkraut, apple strudel. ….It’s great.

So getting back to the English breakfast, it starts with anticipation, them moves on to longing, followed by sheer delight when it is served. This is shortly followed by confusion as to where to start(The Japanese who are famous for procrastination at buffets would stare at it for at least an hour trying to figure out what to do). Then there’s concern that the man next to you got a bigger helping and greed as you wish you had more. Finally you move onto worrying that you might not be able to finish it and then when you do finish it (you would be a complete failure if you didn’t), uneasiness that you are going to be sick and severe guilt for what you have done to your body. Then you experience anxiety all day as you don’t want be caught in the wrong place when the baked beans kick in.
And on that note it is time for breakfast here at The Cherry Tree-Rochford. Talk amongst yourselves for a while and I’ll be back later…………….

Much much later……Your culinary correspondent is back and traumatized as expected, not to mention about 30,000 calories richer. But I’ll soldier on and tell you what else is happening.

Last night Ivan Otulic arrived from Croatia. Ivan is a man on a mission and even before we had managed to get a beer into him he had sussed out the operation, decided that the trailer in it’s current form is completely useless and come up with a plan.

This morning I phoned the trailer company and asked for help in fixing up the trailer, explaining that we couldn’t come to them because their 4,600 UK pound trailer was so stuffed that it wasn’t road worthy. The people at Becton’s Trailers (a free plug for them) refused to come to us even though we were stranded with their stuff up so now Ivan and the boys have ripped the trailer apart and are rebuilding it how it should have been built in the first place. (photos on face book when the job is complete).

Meanwhile out in the car park, Mark Robinson and his mates are installing AIS units in the machines. Yes it’s all happening here in Rochford and I better go and help.

Until tomorrow then. Jeremy