That's it, I'm done

Having given my presentation at the annual Nuffield (UK) conference I am relieved and also disappointed.
The Nuffield were great, the hotel was great, the presentation went ok but I was pretty pissed off that because of circumstances beyond my control I had to attend to the arrival or 130,000 chicks at the farm on Friday afternoon and their wellbeing on Saturday.
Maybe next Year I can get to enjoy the conference fully!

Let me repeat my thanks to my wife Mandy, the Nuffield scholarship trust and my sponsors The Three counties agricultural society and the Worshipfull company of Fruiterers.

REPORT WRITING

I HAVE BEEN SORTING OUT MY PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE REPORT AND MANAGED TO DOWNLOAD THEM ALL ONTO A PICASA ALBUM:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106092319072583059897

HOLLAND HAS WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD FIND IN CHINA

We travel North into Holland, tracking parallel with the German border. After half an hour we pass the Floriade horticulture show which lasts for Six months and expects 15,000 visitors each day. Yet again I am in another country that clearly values it's food production industry and wonder what we can possibly do to match this in the UK.
We have yet another hectic day of cherry orchards, nurseries and trial sites.

Our hotel is opposite  the main town station and I am staggered to find a massive amount of bicycles, more akin to what I had expected to see in China.
The massive drive home the following morning drags on but it marks the end of my Nuffield travels and gives me time to reflect on what an epic journey I have had.

MAYONNAISE ON CHIPS AND CHERRY IN BEER

I leave at 2.30am for us to be in the fruit market at Sint Truiden by Midday only to discover that there is no trading because of the rain. We find fruit crops in Belgium to be variable and like us they are really struggling with the wet weather and cold temperatures.

We visit several great nurseries and orchards along with the PC fruit research centre. At dinner in Maastric we discover Kriek beer but can't blame it for virtually falling asleep after the main course.

A DASH TO GERMANY

The opening of a Third terminal at Manchester airport has spawned a few new Ryan air routes which is great because it is a doddle for me to catch a train mid afternoon and be in Germany to eat by 8pm! Memmingham is yet another cold war military airport that is slowly being transformed for commercial traffic and once again Ryan air's vague geography works in my favour because it is billed as Munich but in fact 100Km West of the city. I find yet another gem of a town that I wish I could enjoy at my leisure with the family but do find a great place to eat.
An early start is rewarded with stunning views as the sun rises over the snowcapped alps. I travel South and at lake Constantine traverse West to Friedricshafen.
Fruitwelt Bodensee is held in a new airy conference centre and has an awful lot to look at in a single day. It's nice to see some of the German apple machinery and I also get to look at a lot of processing kit.

Too soon I hit the autobahn and zone out for the trip home. The initial train journey is shared with some over exhuberent Friday night revellers but at least I make my links and am not condemned to spend the night on the Shrewsbury station platform.

THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL

The wonderful hospitality continues in Brazil. we have a whirlwind tour of orchards throughout the  Valdena region. One of the most staggering sights is of the 2657Ha Schiu orchards and a tour of one of their pack houses. The final orchard of the day is difficult to see as the sun has already set. In the headlights on the way out of the orchard I thought I saw a dog but a native also spots it and say's it's a giant rat.  Weighing in at 150Kg, the Capybara used to be quite common in this part of Brazil but for some reason numbers have declined.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara

We retire for another wild barbeque. I can't help but wonder, is that really a pig on the spit or something else...??

14 hours travelling and the Brazilians throw a party

Yet more travelling today but with the complication of Two flights and a Five hour bus ride. On entering Brazil I reflect that on my global tour, the infrastructure of many countries is extremely similar and that it is really only the people and weather that vary. It turns out the area of Southern Brazil that we are in has quite a strong European influence. The journey takes us Five hours north of Porto Allegre (happy port). On arrival in Vacaria we discover that the whole town has turned out with local dignitaries and Guochos.
The gathering commences at 9.30pm with a raft of welcome speeches and presentations. Finally, after a great meal including a huge barbeque, there is wonderful entertainment with traditional music and dancing. This is a combination of tap dance around a Two metre iron pole laid on the floor, folk dance in couples and an awesome display of twirling ropes with either wooden balls or flames on the end. These Brazilians know how to party.