Me, on 21 June 2022! What a smile.

And right now it is three in the morning. Not jet lag — I got up early to update the blog. The reports keep piling up, so I am pushing through them.

I decided to drive carrying everyone’s feelings with me, so I want to share every piece of drama that comes with making this dream real — that is the thought that gets me up, rubbing sleepy eyes.

This trip to England is for tuning the Peking to Paris challenge car and entering the warm-up rally, so there is no sightseeing, and with prices this high I am not eating out either — but as it happens, today is my birthday! I had all but forgotten it myself, but since it is a special day, I gave myself a small celebration (laughs).

There is a saying, memories over things — and this birthday turned out to fit that phrase exactly.

21 June, and England’s current season is at its best: green, sky, and of course the English classic —

fish and chips!

You sometimes hear that there’s nothing good to eat in England, but everything here has been delicious. Not least because the whole landscape looks like a painting.

I lay down on the lawn right outside the shop. “I’m happy” — that kind of feeling just slips out.

It happened to be my birthday today, but today is a page that only exists once, whatever the day.

I want to treasure the memories as they come.

Right then — from tomorrow, at last, the tuning of the 1929 challenge car begins.