Moselle Valley, 19 February

I should have had my act together this morning, got up betimes and headed into Koblenz, but singularly failed to get out of bed until the Swan Whisperer had got back from his "run". Poor man - it had, apparently, looked a lovely place for a run on the map, but when he got there it was far too steep and slippery for any but the most cautious of walks!

We started homewards after breakfast, agreeing that we will definitely come back both to Koblenz and to Lahnstein one of these days. But for now, we drove to Kerten, near Duren, where I did a Last Shop in Germany, and we got diesel, and then - while I slept - to this aire on the outskirts of Charleroi.

And the gas, which the Swan Whisperer was convinced was going to run out at the weekend, is still going strong, like the Widow's Cruse....