Another early start.
All of us tumbled into the two SUV’s. Kit packed and we were off to Eugene.
Two hours later we arrived everybody needing the REST ROOM. After which we talked, into camera, in the car park. My piece was about the universities track coach, who wondered why his running team weren’t the best on show.
He went home, and staring at his wife’s vintage waffle maker, had an idea. He poured some kind of concoction into the machine. The Waffle maker cooked his idea. He had running shoes made with the waffled sole and before you could say Mo Farrer, the NIKE running shoe was born.
Billions of dollars later Eugene is now known as running city. A pleasant, green filled city, with a university, restaurants, and visiting film crews all wanting to tell the story.
We drove to a restaurant owned by a father and two of his sons. The restaurant was airy, the kitchen busy, filled with trendy cooks, and us.
OFF THE WAFFLE, specialises in Belgian dough, a 3 minute cook, topped with cream cheese, avocado and two fried eggs.
Off The Waffle is crammed with noise and young waiters who serve you with unctuous Belgian goodies. From bacon to strawberries, from eggs to maple syrup.
We filmed for so long they had to make us two lots. But let me tell you if waffles, made this way, came to England, I tell you now get a one way ticket to the table. They are so delicious I ate both the hot one and the cold one that nearly got binned.
Lunch was taken elsewhere – why? – one of the runners was gluten intolerant. WHAAAAT! and then the two teams split up.
We went to RED WAGON creamery. Run by an ex Polital Science major and his chef wife. Their daughter, like their ice creams, was so damn cool.
Let me tell you what we ate.
Beetroot ice cream. Like eating my boobers bosht, but in Shoreditch with ice.
Salted Caramel. Like Paul Youngs Chocolates only cold. Brrrr.
Strawberry, basil and red peppercorn ice cream. Like Vivien Westwood on a stick.
Vanilla ice with real, homemade, chocolate chips. Harden Dass eat your heart out.
I ate so much ice cream my mouth turned inwards.
We filmed then met up with the other crew.
It was late. Too late to think. We had burgers in Eugene before driving back o Portland.
It 12.30, after midnight, I was all waffled out. I was ice-cream crackered. Bed never looked so good.
But first I had to pack for our final day in the US of A.