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I can't believe this is already the eights time I have been interrupting my epic overland trip from Holland to Australia. Overland you might think? WTF is he talking about? Technically it of course isn't anymore, since I keep flying home again and again to spruce up my funds, but in spirit it is still the same journey I started all those years ago. And truly if you would look at the dots on the map you would see they are all connected and if you would just close your eyes and forget about the times I have been returning home, you would see it is indeed an overland trip.

Holland you might then think? WTF is he talking about now? He is not from Holland, he is from Gelderland, which is a completely different province. In fact there isn't even a province called Holland, you have a South Holland and a North Holland, but not just a Holland. Humbug I say: Holland, The Netherlands, we all know what I am talking about. I am bringing this up because I have heard, though never actually met any of them, that some Dutch travelers take exception when you say Holland instead of the official name of the country The Netherlands, stating that they are not from the province of Holland but from one of the other ones. Seems a rather trivial thing to get upset about, there are better things in life to take exception to, like David Hasselhoff's singing for instance.

So eights time back home, which means eights time I have done a trial since starting this trip. Eights time I have pushed my carbon foot-print to unsustainable levels. I think I need more then two worlds to be able to do what I do sustain-ably, so I am hoping we discover another world pretty soon or it's all over. Eights time that I have crossed over to England in order to do my trial (yes with Ryanair, hence the terrible carbon foot-print).

Not quite the eights time I have seen my brother and his family, or my sister and hers. In fact they were all home, which has only happened a couple of times since I left. Especially my brothers family I have not seen in a while, it was two years since, and boy had those kids grown. The oldest is now taller than me, so I have to be careful from now on. No more head-locks and wrestling him without dire consequences. However I did manage to beat him a few times at the noble sport of croquet.

Also not quite the eights time I visited Ornella and her daughter Luna in Brighton. And even more exceptional it was good weather while I was there, come to think of it, it was perfect weather my whole stay in England, which is ironic since their summer had been so bad.

First time I met up with Jazz in England, to be correct it was the first time I had seen him since Georgia about 5 years ago. Jazz was living in Portsmouth which I might or might not have visited when I was a wee kid with my parents, but since I certainly have no memories of that time I will call this the first time I visited the place. Jazz was better fed and married this time and slightly frustrated with English bureaucracy and service mindedness. Well who can blame him really? Ever tried to set up a bank account in Britain as a foreigner? It is easier crossing a river of molten lava on a wooden canoe.

And finally the number eight comes in one last time, it was eight years ago that I first met Katrin from Germany. Katrin who is now living in London, in Harrow-on-the-Hill to be exact and was gracious enough to let me stay with her and eat her precious food. She even introduced me to her friends, and they still love her despite that. Shows what good friends they were, mostly people loose their friends after introducing me. We had a lovely time, celebrated her birthday (I won't tell you how old she became or she would never forgive me), had picnics, strolls down canals and a BBQ during the freakishly warm period at the end of September.

So we come to end of this here eights Intermezzo blog. It is time to start travelling again. I will catch you all on the road.

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