Birthday.

Another bright campervan morning, brought to you from a park up close to the River Danube in Germany. It’s early, but already a busy one. The hustle of nearby roads already in the air, unseen birdsong struggling to be heard. The sky a bright blue with not a single cloud, no breeze, the tree above me provides a little shade, but hangs listlessly, with the promise of a hot day to come. Yesterdays drive a relatively testing one, through, round, up and over the Alps and into Austria. The views were consistently astounding, chocolate box type pictures of rolling lush green hills, strong grey peaks, blue lakes and the houses and barns peculiar to the region. The drive at times did feel a little relentless. Then on into Germany and now resting up in Ulm. The cathedral spire just visible in the distance clad in scaffolding, the dirty brown Danube flowing beside me, a few early morning paddle boarders scooting gently past. The contrast to yesterdays gentle sensorial awakening not lost on me at all this morning, all is hustle and bustle around me, which is a shame as I don’t really do hustle and bustle. Day 65 of the road trip and my 61st birthday as we close in on the last few days in Europe. Another year older if not much wiser and as Ross Gay says :

“ I've completed another year of delights. Or maybe I should say another year of delights has completed me.”

So the start of another new year in which to indulge myself, create and collect experiences and memories, spend time with family, friends and do even less work than I did last year. Lovely days people.

“I see birthdays as a reward for having shown up 365 in a row. It's like getting a badge for attendance.” Gina Barreca.