Arrived in Dursbury where Mark and the others were going to change to go to Amsterdam and just awoke to say goodbye. Couldn't sleep much more so sat at watched the world go by before arrived in Köln at 6:56!
Walked rather aimlessly around Köln for half an hour snapping the impressive Cathedral before catching the train to Aachen at 7:47 only to find it stopping in the middle of nowhere at 8:00 due to train-driver strike action! The strike action (fortunately for me) ended at 8:40 (it was meant to last until 11) and I arrived in Aachen just after 10.
Walked around Aachen trying to find the lab of Steffi Schneider, a former colleague at fkem1. I completely surprised her at her lab at around 11:00 and gave her a bottle of organic wine as compensation. Had lunch with her and her lab at 11:00 and then set off again for lille.
Took the train at 14:30 to Lille changing in Liege and Tournai, but didn't have to make a reservation.
Found Riquier in "Café Citoyen" in Lille where we'd arranged to meet. He was having a meeting with an environmental group about a book chapter that he was writing about alternative energy sources.
Drove back to Riquier's new appartment "41 rue Christoph Colomb", had supper, talked, before getting the metro to the bohemian part of Lille for a little folk music before going to bed.
(picture of the train trivers on Strike in Germany)
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