Just The Two Of Us

Nothing on today other than nursing a hangover and then later an SQT Session at Derby Velodrome. Which obviously is enough to totally finish me off on a normal night but when only two people turn up...

After a warm up we do a session that includes various bursts of 250m, 500m or 1000m flat out with three lap warm downs and off track rests in between. It's exhausting.

It takes two pints in the Exeter afterwards to recover. 

(Sunday 2^nd July)

Reluctant Gardening

I spend the morning cuddling my hangover then cuddling my life partner (the two legged one) before doing a spot of reluctant gardening.

In the evening I do a track session at Derby Velodrome. There are only seven of us which is truly knackering but thankfully none of the really speedy psychos are there. There must be an event for psychos on somewhere. My Dad doesn’t make it either, so we do the Horse and Jockey afterwards rather than the Exeter Arms. 

(Sunday 28^th May)

Still A Word?

The first day of three days competing at our own dog agility show and MD does incredibly well recording 6^th and 9^th in his two jumping classes together with a 10^th in an agility one. It would have been a fourth clear round out of four runs had his handler been up to the task.

His handler, who may or may not have been struggling with a slight hangover, got him eliminated in his final run.

In the evening we visit the local pub in Walton on Trent. The White Swan appears to have had a complete overhaul and is no longer a Marston’s identikit foodie joint. The Pedigree is still on the bar but so are a couple of local beers too and the food menu has changed immeasurably. The menu now consists of some interesting oblong (is that still a word?) pizzas, the dreaded ‘posh’ burgers (of course) and some ‘stick’ dishes. These are massive vertical skewers that come in various flavours. This is what we order and they're not bad but we certainly didn’t need the soup starter. At least the dogs got supper.

(Friday 29^th July)

The Little Bear

After a slightly disappointing hotel breakfast we pack up our belongings and our hangovers to grab a local train over to Bruges. We arrive too early to check in at our second hotel, another Ibis, so we loiter in a café at Bruges station for a while.

As L moves on to her third cup of tea, I can’t face another coffee because I am still tripping out from the first two. So perhaps it’s time for the first beer of the day. They have a dark Corsendonk on tap so I go for that. Only once it’s been served and I’m taking my first few sips do I look at the menu and realise that it’s 10% ABV.

After finding our hotel we head out for a wander around and then to hang out outside a bar to wait for our friends. The second beer of the day is the local Brugse Zot. I have the brune and L has the blonde, both are a little on the dull side.

Our friends are staying outside Bruges, a safe distance away where they can park their posh car, and they get a taxi in. When they arrive we head off for something to eat and end up in probably the most expensive restaurant in Bruges. The food though is very good, both L and I have the same thing (how twee), garlic mushrooms with Flemish Stew to follow. Both are good but the Stew is excellent as is the Westmalle Dubbel we wash it down with.

After that it’s to the famous Brugs Beertje. Bruges's Little Bear was the first speciality ale house in Bruges when it opened in 1983 and to many it is still the best. We empty their cellar of quite a few bottles between the four of us.

(Friday 3^rd June)

A Bad Pint?

I have a touch of a hangover this morning or perhaps it was just a bad pint. L and MD go off for a run without me.

Other than that it’s a largely leisurely day with the Sunday papers etc. Even L has started reading the Sunday Times in an effort to keep up with the news. She’s not impressed though. 

(Sunday 31^st January)