Wednesday

Awake

I felt like I’d had a terrible night’s sleep, but I could not remember waking up during the night. We had little planned today, so we took the opportunity for an extended lie in with bedside cups of tea.

Sea

When we did get up, we wandered down to the sea for another play in the waves. It was so much fun yesterday that we wanted to repeat the experience today. The waves were not quite as large as yesterday but just as powerful. I almost mastered the art of catching a wave and gliding into the shore.

Lunch

Once we were respectable again, we decided that we should have an early lunch as we were going out this evening. We walked around the various restaurants before deciding on the surf club for lunch. Up till now our meals had been decidedly deep fried which is why we both decided to have salad. We ate our meals and admired the spectacular view of the beach.

Nap

Even though the day so far had not been exhausting I felt that a lazy day requires an afternoon nap.

Show

We were pick up from the hotel and taken far out of town for an outback themed show that included a three-course meal and many horses running around an arena. The first hurdle was getting through the reception to be given a hat. Some had blue bands and ours had a red band. I did wonder if they were going to make us fight each other. The next hurdle was getting a drink at the bar whilst waiting for the red or blue door to open.

Dinner

Once the doors were open, we found our place and our starter. Wine and beer followed. The compare did a reasonable job of getting the crowd warm with some truly terrible jokes before the horses started running round the arena carrying riders in various poses. Slowly the story of love, drought and a cattle muster developed. The second course of the dinner was served as the cast sat around the campfire in the centre of the arena.

Dessert

After consuming the fare on offer the story carried on emphasising how hard it was for farmers in a drought and how the evil banks just want to foreclose on them. This was followed by a “we are all in it together” type message, dessert and the outback wedding with women swirling about on wires and horses covered in white dresses. It all finished with rain.

Hotel

We were the last to be dropped off as we were the furthest away. It felt very late.

Tuesday

Awake

I did not sleep well last night. I woke several times and felt the familiar nausea of acid indigestion. The bits of spicy chicken we had in the pub last night had protested about being eaten in ways that lead to me feeling ill. My morning was very blurry.

Sea

Seeing as we were so close to the sea, we felt that a morning dip would be the best way to start the day. We joined the other holiday makers ducking below the waves on the way out to sea before waiting for “the big one”. The game was then to body surf in as far as possible. I was terrible at it. One particularly large wave had me doing somersaults. I could have been in a washing machine. Another wave relieved me of my goggles, leaving them hanging around my neck. It was great fun.

Pool

Our hotel has a lap pool. We felt that an ideal way to replace the smell of the sea with the smell of the pool would be to do a few laps. Swimming in the pool was so mach calmer than swimming in the sea.

Boat

Once we were washed and changed, we headed into the busy part of town. Out plan was to buy a day ticket on the hop on hop off ferry and have a gentle day travelling between the tourist spots.

Art

Our first stop was the art gallery to see the young photographer of the year exhibition. There were some photos that I enjoyed but a lot of the works strayed into what I consider mixed media and fine art. I was not such a fan.

Lunch

Our next stop was at a very fancy and expensive shopping mall. Loved One led me through there and across the car park to a waterside tavern. We sat there, ate seafood and chips, and watched the comings and going in the marina before heading back to the ferry.

Park

Our final stop was a waterside park. Had a stroll around and looked at the paddling pool full of children. I half wished I could have a little paddle with them. The day was getting warm and walking about was becoming uncomfortable. We walked pack to the pier and waited for the ferry to take us back.

Nap

I was quite tired by the time we got back to the hotel. I made the bedroom dark and fell into a deep sleep for an hour or so. I felt a lot better once I had got over the sleep inertia.

Dinner

We had noticed that there was a small Bavarian restaurant around the corner. They sold wheat beer, pretzels, and potato cucumber salad. That was exactly what I wanted for tea. We sat in the small courtyard ate our meal and watched the world go by.

Volleyball

It was too early to go to bed. We took a stroll down to the sea front and, after a chat with a couple from Malta, we watched people play volleyball with varying degrees of expertise.

Monday

Morning

We had a long lie in this morning because we were on holiday and that is the sort of thing that you do on holiday. We had a small adventure planned for later and a lot of time to get ready.

Duck

Our small adventure was a ride on an amphibious vehicle called a duck. It was a monster of a machine with lots in common with a boat. We got on and settled in for the tour. We were hoping for some commentary about the places we were passing on the way to the water. All we got was a stream of very bad jokes interspersed with comments on the sky-high property prices. We also found that the vehicle had no suspension. This made for a very bumpy ride until we got to the water. Once on the water we became a boat and apparently this meant we could get up and walk around. The commentary changed to pointing out the property and playthings of the rich, famous, and infamous. I had not known what to expect but it certainly was not this. After the children on the trip had been allowed to pilot the boat, we re-emerged on to the road and to another stream of very bad jokes. It was not the experience that I had hoped for.

Ice Cream

We had an ice cream to make up for the disappointment of the duck. We decided to take the tram up the coast. A little way to see a little bit more of the area. We slowly strolled through an affluent district and down to the sea the the first surf club to be established. It could have been because it was a Monday but the whole area seemed devoid of life and a little sterile.

Tram

Loved One had planned to meet some friends at the end of the tram line. We arrived just as the schools were closing, filling the railway and tram stations with children. There was an obvious police presence that suggested there had been trouble in the past. It did not feel that threatening.

Dogs

We had organised to meet in a local cafe. There was an old man sitting outside sipping a coffee and playing with a computer. His mobility scooter was beside him and inside were two cute little dogs that instantly drew Loved One’s attention. 

Cafe

We met Loved One’s friends and went into the cafe. Paul had had a recent motorcycle accident and was suffering from the major injuries that he had sustained. He was on a walker and had only been walking for a few days. We ordered our drinks and cakes, in my case a slice of cheesecake that could feed a staving family for days and started chatting. It became evident that Paul was lucky to be alive. His injuries had been life threatening and many would not have survived. He had a determination about him that said he was not going to just sit down and let this happen. He seemed determined to recover some of the lost ground and return to a semblance of normal. Whether this was possible is another matter.

Pub

The cafe made unsubtle hints that they were closing, such as clearing away the chairs, we moved to the pub up the road to carry on. The pub was closed but that did not matter, there were chairs outside and we did not feel any need to buy drinks.

Photograph

It was not until we were halfway home that Loved One realised that she had not taken a photo of us all together. The only obvious solution to this problem was to arrange another catch up before the end of the holiday.

Meal

After the cheesecake the size of a small island I was not that hungry. We went foraging around the area but found a lot of places were closed. We ended up at the same pub as last night and ordered two starters. that was more than enough when coupled with a few pints of Pilsner lager.

Sunday

Taxi

We woke a little before my alarm and got ourselves ready. My swim was starting a lot earlier than Loved One’s, but it made sense to travel there together. We pressed the taxi button in the hotel and the taxi magically arrived. It was too early to mess about with public transport. The taxi dropped us off at the registration where things were being prepared.

Registration

I signed in a received my swim cap, timing chip and bright pink rash vest. I had ordered on that I thought was my size, but it felt a little tight. Once the formalities had been completed, we joined the other competitors who were looking out to sea and accessing the conditions. There was a reasonable swell and they wind was coming from the north. It was obvious that the leg going south was going to be far easier that the leg going north. It was not obvious how much difference there was going to be.

Swim

The starter lined us up on the beach and set us off into the waves. I hung back a little to see what the others did as they approached the waves. Diving under them seemed to be de rigour so I followed. There were a lot of people ahead of me and that was a good thing. I could not see the buoys and needed a dotted trail of swim hats to follow. I rounded the first buoy and the sweep hit me it was a struggle to make any progress toward the far end of the course. The turn took so long to come that I started to lose hope in my swimming ability. When it did come, the relief of swimming with the current was amazing. It would have been better if I could have seen the buoys making the course. Occasionally I saw another swimmer but most of the time I just saw walls of water.

Struggle

I knew what was coming when I turned at the other end of the course. I had to face the push of the current for a very long way. I just put my head down and forged forward as best I could. I do not go in a straight line at the best of times but today with the waves, current and wind I knew I was wobbling all over the place. My chances of ending up near a buoy at the other end of the course were minimal.

Buoy

I need not have worried about finding the buoy, it was not there. Instead, there was someone in a boat pointing the way. I could see them from a lot further off than the buoys. It was also the signal for the start of the pleasant swimming before the next struggle against the current.

End

The last struggle was only half the northward leg and that was a relief. I found the turning buoy with the aid of the water cover people pointing at it and let the waves carry me in. It was a good feeling to cross the finish line and even better to know that I was not the last.

Finish

Loved One was out in the water so I waited at the finish line with a camera to see her come in. She had done a shorter distance but had still had to contend with the waves and the current. the big grin on her face said that she had enjoyed it.

Presentation

The results were published whilst we were waiting for the presentation. We had a look and found that Loved One had won her age group. That pleased her no end. I little later she stood on the top step of the podium to receive her gold medal.

Club

We went to the local surf club for a slow and well-earned lunch. I had half a rack of pork ribs and Loved One had the surf and turf that she had been looking forward to for a long time. After the meal we spent a long-time people watching. There were many unfortunate tattoos that needed commenting on.

Hotel

We both felt a little drowsy when we returned to the hotel. Usually, this means that I will fall asleep in seconds and Loved One will sit quietly. Today, the week of netball and early starts combined with the swim to send her off to sleep. She was still asleep a few hours later when I woke up.

Dinner

We went to the pub round the corner for dinner. Neither of us was particularly hungry so we ordered a bowl of chips and some meat on a stick. We sat in a quiet corner and enjoyed the evening.

Stroll

We attempted to end the evening with a stroll along the beach. We got as far as the surf club before deciding that it was too windy, and we should head back to the hotel. Feeling tired and a little sunburnt had a lot to do with that decision.

Saturday

Morning

I could have had a little lie in this morning as I had completed most of the chores yesterday. I was packed and ready to go. Instead, I wandered around the house like a lost soul with nothing to do. I had a bit of breakfast and was ignored by the cat.

Rip

The last thing to do was to turn off the power to the computers. As i ferreted about under the desk to find the switch I felt my jeans rip, just by the crotch, where they had been getting a little thin. It was not a sound I wanted to hear just as I was about to leave the house.

Bus

I decided on taking the bus to the airport. There was a Christmas pageant going on in town and the only bus going through the city was the airport bus. I felt that this added a little bit of excitement to the trip.

Breakfast

After doing the checking in formalities and going through security my next task was to find some breakfast. This should not be hard in an airport. The first hurdle was finding a shop that sold tea. There were plenty selling all types of coffee but that is no good for someone that does not like coffee. Eventually, I found somewhere at the other end of the airport where I could get a cup of tea and a cheese and ham croissant. Once breakfast was over, I went to the gate and waited for boarding. 

Waiting

Once I was on the plane I settled down in my seat and started reading the book I had brought away for the holiday. It was raining heavily outside but this did not bother me as I was going somewhere warm. The thunder, however, bothered the pilot and the ground crew. The pilot announced that we had to sit on the tarmac until the thunder had passed, the ground crew had no desire to work in a thunderstorm. I passed the time reading my book whilst all around found other ways to amuse themselves. We took off a few hours later and headed for sunny weather. I’d finished two thirds of my book by the time we landed.

Team

Some of Loved One’s netball team were waiting at the gate to greet me, they were on the return flight and had been at the airport since early o’clock. I felt a little bit sorry for them returning to a wet and dreary city after a week of fun in the sun.

Bus

I had been told that I could pay with a credit card on the bus from the airport, but this was not true. the bus driver let me and, anyone else who tried to pay that way, on the bus. I sat there and watched the world go by. I had done enough reading for one day.

Hotel

I met Loved One near the tram stop and we walked back to the hotel arm in arm. It seemed a lot longer than a week that we had been apart, and it was time to catch up. We had a spacious room on the fifteenth floor of a massive block. If we stood on the balcony, we could just about see the sea and we could look down on the pool below. Loved One told me it was a lot better that the placed that she had been staying in for the last week.

Club

After settling into our room, we needed to go out and forage for some food. We strolled down to the nearby surf club. It was packed full of people who were visiting for the games. They found us a corner to sit in and we ordered our meals. There were a lot of teams dressed the same and our people watching game was to guess which sport. It often helped that they had it written on whatever they were wearing.

Concert

Even though tomorrow was the last day they were having the last day concert today. The venue was just down the road from the surf club, so we wandered over to see what was going on. There was a decent covers band pumping out popular favourites one the stage and groups of people in team kit dancing around. We stayed for a few songs before the tiredness called it a day. We took the short stroll back to the hotel and went to bed, we had an early start in the morning.

Friday

Awake

I woke up and wished I had not. I turned the alarm off and went back to sleep. My body was feeling the effects of last night’s swimming and the thought of getting on the bike was not appealing. I got up three quarters of an hour later and tucked into some muesli. The world looked a little cheerier by then.

Work

There did not seem to be many people in the office today. My boss was working from home and as his national team had been beaten by my national team in the cricket last night, I was sure that he was going to keep himself to himself. I made sure that everything wears left in a state that it could be left for a week before leaving for a week’s holiday.

Chores

I had made a list of chores that needed to be done this evening so that the house could be left clean and tidy. The first was the washing, then I had to stroke the cat. I followed that with hanging the washing out and stroking the cat. I then got myself something to eat and stroked the cat. I washed the floors, got the washing in, and then stroked the cat. The next thing on the list was to do the ironing. I finished the evening by stroking the cat whilst drinking a beer. As I went to bed the cat gave me the sort of look that said I had been ignoring her all evening.

Thursday

Call 

I was not in the mood to get on the bike trainer this morning, the previous two days of activities had taken their toll. I had a much more important task. It was Loved One’s birthday today and I had to wish her a happy birthday. 

Work 

Work was not that exciting today. I spent most of my time in, but not being involved with, meetings. I spend for too much time wearing headphones. 

Swim 

The pool as empty this evening, in stark contrast to Tuesday. It was due to the event going on in the arena next door. I did a long session of long repeats getting steadily faster. I used to be able to do this session reasonably well, but it was a lot of a struggle this evening. I finished off with some short repeats of butterfly. I left the pool feeling tired. 

 Home 

I got home and the cat looked at me accusingly. I had obviously not been tending to her every need. I had some dinner and then sat on the sofa with the intention to read. It was an ill-founded intention. I fell asleep. 

Wednesday

Sleep 

I slept the whole way through the night last night, waking a few minutes before the alarm. It was warm enough not to need covers so I slept on top of the duvet for the first time in a long time. I contemplated getting on the bike trainer but as I must have a fasted blood test today and I could not eat until that was done, I decided against it. There was no reason to make myself hungrier than I already was. 

Waiting 

I was working from home today but mainly I was waiting for a delivery to arrive. The company had told me that it would arrive sometime between seven in the morning and six in the evening. This was not helpful. I just had to wait and drink water. It finally arrived at two in the afternoon. I could now have my blood test. 

Post 

Before going to the clinic, I had to pick up a parcel from the post office. It was one of those important, needs to be signed for parcels and required identification. The woman behind the counter was very chatty. Normally this would have been fine but today I was on a mission after which I could eat. 

Bakery 

I passed a bakery on the way to the clinic and thought that a loaf of bread would be a good idea. I could make a sandwich the moment I got home. This plan was thwarted by the bakery not having any bread. I was not impressed. 

Blood 

The bloodletting did not take as long as I had expected. Oddly, most people do not leave it w=until the middle of the afternoon to have a fasted blood test. I walked home with a skip in my step. I could now eat. 

Swimming 

I went to swim training with the club this evening, for the first time in an exceptionally long time. We were asked to wait for the threat of a thunderstorm to pass before we could get in the pool which added a frisson of excitement. I was not inspired by the session plan but that was mainly because all I wanted to do was dawdle at the back of the line and get some easy distance. 

Storm 

I finished the evening listing to music and a thunderstorm, sometimes both at once. 

Tuesday

Spin

I woke at dawn and waited for the alarm. I was not sure if I wanted to get up or not. In the end I did. I got on the bike and selected a workout that looked reasonable. Loved One rang me halfway through the workout and got a lot of heavy breathing along with the conversation.

Work

There was a constant hammering of concrete on the construction site next door today. It did not make for a pleasant ambiance in the office. My boss was in today as well, delegating work that he was too busy to do but not busy enough to spend the time checking if I had completed. Most of the things he threw my way were straight forward and easy to do, and things that he should have known how to do.

Pool

I went to the pool after work for a swim to work away the frustrations of the day. It had been sunny all day and I feared that the pool that I usually have to myself would be full of fair-weather swimmers. These fears were justified. The pool was heaving with people, some of whom I knew. I did my usual threshold session. I had planned to do a bit of butterfly after that, but that plan was thwarted by there being other swimmers in the lane. I did not want to give them a face full of arm as I ungracefully made my way up the pool.

Dinner

It was quite late when I got home and I did not want to cook anything, even if that just involved putting something in the microwave and watching it go round for four minutes. I had a handful of nuts and some popcorn instead, followed by many cups of tea.

Packing

After dealing with some personal e-mails, I decided that it would be a good idea to get organised for my trip at the weekend. I threw some clothes into a suitcase and wondered if I had enough warm things. I had packed for the weather here and was not sure of the weather there.

Calls

Loved One was obviously having a lovely time away with the girls, I knew this as after our nightly call she pocket dialled me. I could hear chatting and giggling. I felt as if I was spying so I hung up.

Monday

Morning

Yet again I did not sleep well, and I was awake before the alarm went off. I had to make my own tea and breakfast this morning. An easy task made harder by the cat demanding that she be fed first. Loved One called whilst I was eating breakfast to make sure that everything was all right. I am sure that she has forgotten that I used to live on my own and that I am capable pf looking after myself.

Work

Today was another day of writing lists of things that will not get done and attending meetings to talk about why things were not done whilst not doing the things that needed to be done. Business as usual really.

German

I got home to a quiet house, quiet except for the loud calls from the cat to be let out to explore the garden. I did my last German lesson of the year. It felt like the first half of the lesson was discussing where to have our annual meal. The second half was filled with reading out our homework. My cracking microphone meant that the others had difficulty in hearing what I said. I think that it also hid a lot of my mistakes.

Watering

It had been a hot day. I watered all the pots and the cat demanded that she be groomed. Once I had quenched the plants thirst, I set about grooming the cat with the special glove.

Music

I spent the rest of the evening fiddling on the computer and listening to music. My world becomes small and quiet when Loved One is not there. Loved One rang just before bedtime to tell me all about her day, the highlight of which was winning a game.