Pre-Christmas By The Coast

Friday sees us indulge in a short break down to Portsmouth, where L likes to relive her childhood.

Panic briefly sets in on the way down when the Holiday Inn app says that dogs are not allowed at the hotel despite the fact we have stayed there before with the Lad. I start looking for alternatives and find the one at nearby Gunwharf Quays does take dogs but when we arrive at our usual hotel we find that the app is, of course wrong, and we are allowed in.

We take an evening stroll into Portsmouth where we end up in a Fuller’s pub called the Still and West where we have our tea even before the Lad has had his. He seems to cope. Faced with a rather good beer range we don’t make it to our usual pub. I end up having four pints but we are back at the hotel for 8pm. Where we don’t get any joy out of the posh but crap coffee machine in room.

The four pints doesn't hold me back too much (not as much as my knees do anyhow) at Southsea Parkrun in the morning. The dog formerly known as baton stays in the car for the duration of the run and during breakfast back at the hotel where they kindly serve until 10:30am. How good is that.

Then it's back to our room for a shower and to put ‘Do Not Disturb’ on the door. Later we walk back to Southsea and find somewhere for coffee before this time making it to our usual pub, the Barley Mow. Where yet again they have HSB but no ESB. After a few beers and in L’s case a few glasses of wine we head back to the hotel to feed and drop off the Lad before visiting our usual Indian, Spice Merchants, again. 

We drive back home the next day, which is Christmas Eve. We don’t hit the town and stay in because I have my Christmas keg to open.

(Sunday 24th December)