Hospital

At midday set off with Sultan in the (Ifor Williams) trailer for the 125km trip to the horse clinic on the other side of Munich, close to the airport. Luckily it stopped snowing and while the roads were wet, didn't have to worry about the added hassle of snow.

Angie reckoned Sultan knew something very different was "up" today. He has had several trips in the horse trailer for a days riding but today was different as if he thought he was about to be sold on again.

However once we go t´here and he was shown to a pen, he seemed to be more occupied in working out who all the colleagues were around him.

After loads of form filling, a handful of carrots and a quick dog walk, we left for the return journey which took a bit longer, hitting the evening Munich rush hour traffic.

He will be operated on tomorrow morning.

In the evening watched the Bavarian TV programme "Jetzt red i" (Bavarian for "now my turn to speak") shown once a month and every second month it is on European issues - a public discussion, each time from a different town in Bavaria. Tonight, Ottobeuren was host and saw a few familiar faces. One of the people who had an "issue" was farmer Blank who has been bliped several times, last on Monday in the extra photo. He was talking about "Glysophat" which most of us know as Monsanto's money spinning Round Up. Many studies have shown it should be banned (found now in most (human) mothers milk but the EU doesn't seem to want to ban it - and guess which country is the leading advisor to EU commission - unbelievably Germany. You just wonder how many Euros are flying around from Monsantos hidden petty cash box.

I still wonder at the Germans enthusiasm for the European "Ideal". They know all the problems and after all pay for lots of them. This evening it was revealed their is an EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator and we were told it is a "cosy" job, well paid and nothing to do as none of the 28 countries are interested in having a joint approach. Apparently the Belgians more or less have three police forces talking different languages and not talking to one another; the Bavarian police stopped a car near Munich the week before Paris and discovered an arsenal of assault rifles, grenades and explosives.- the car's SatNav had Paris programmed as the destination. French police were apparently not interested when informed.

I am a convinced "European" and very much hope the UK remains to fight the hundreds of issues that need to be sorted out in the monster organisation we call the EU. The English, Welsh, Scots will always remain that way just as the Bavarians will but together on the "headline" issues, we can achieve lots if we work together.