Leaving London

So I finally had to say goodbye to London last night, and make my way back up north.

The day was very relaxing, starting with a lovely breakfast, some TV time, and then to The Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington for a delicious Sunday roast. Definitely recommended!! We returned back to the house, and Mr G prepared an awesome apple and plum crumble for dessert, which I wolfed down before heading for the train.

Big thanks to the hosts for a lovely weekend. Need to not leave the next visit so long this time!

Bier and Fireworks

Yesterday I awoke to find Mr G capping bottles of his home brewed beer. He takes it quite seriously these days and, having tried some, I must say it's pretty good. I was then treated to a wonderful full English breakfast before chilling on the sofa, nursing my delicate head!!

A little after 4pm, we made our way to Alexandra Palace, for a German Bier festival. I was impressed by the building, this being my first trip there.

The event was fun, but the organisation was atrocious, with queues at least 15 people deep for the bar. We waited 45 minutes to get our first drink. It seemed they were unable to dispense the Pils fast enough to meet demand - surely a vital requirement of any bar. It was clearly not organised with German precision... Once we finally arrived at the front of the queue, we were so thirsty we had to order 4 pints each to last us until the fireworks started. There was a live band getting everyone involved with singing, dancing and general merriment. The music was entertaining, although we did question the German accent of the lead singer which sounded laughably fake! There were also food stalls, however, they seemed as badly organised as the bar, with huge queues and inefficiencies.

The fireworks began at 8pm, and they were impressive. Unfortunately the strong winds meant that some of the display did not come off in the way it was meant to. For example, a firework was supposed to come through the middle of the previous one, but the wind had blown the exploded pieces off course. It was still an amazing spectacle, and very enjoyable to watch.

The fun evening was complete with more beers, and by the time my head hit the pillow, I was feeling more than a little tipsy. No more alcohol today, that's for sure!

A little late...

Yesterday's post was delayed by some drunken antics, so I'm having to write it this morning. Unfortunately my memory is a little hazy, so here goes!

It was a busy day that started with an early lunch in Crouch End followed by a trip to Camden Market. It was my first experience of Camden Town, and it was very enjoyable walking around the stalls, looking at the brightly coloured clothing, bric-a-brac and various other merchandise. I could have spent hours there!

Feeling weary legged, we stopped for coffee at a cute little cafe, and then walked along the canal to Kings Cross. The walk was nice, but it was unpleasant to see the canal filled with litter, and a nearby swan swimming next to it. I don't know why it is that large water courses are an attraction for so much rubbish.

The walk earned us a beer, and we stopped at a cool looking pub called the Euston Tap. It has a twin opposite named the Cider Tap, and both bars are in identical, old buildings just in front of Euston Station. On entering the bar, the initial thought was how small the space was, however we did not notice the stairs... There were many different ales, and after purchasing two pints, we made our way up an extremely narrow, iron spiral staircase. The upstairs area was pleasant, and we chatted for a while, soon succumbing to another half pint, one of which was over 9% abv. We were soon feeling as though we'd had too much, and now running late had to make swift work of the journey home!

A quick change of outfit and back on the underground to meet three of the people I spent the winter with. A brief dinner stop at Lulivo in Leicester Square with Miss H and then the boys arrived for beers in the Brewmaster pub, just next to the underground. A good location for an easy rendezvous. Talking about old times; Rossland, Red Mountain, The Sunshine Cafe, and what everyone was up to now, the evening passed too quickly. The tube station closed and the night bus called. I soon noticed how much the beers had affected me and was very pleased to finally climb into bed - only after eating left over curry from the night before! Classy!

We're heading to a beer festival today at the Ally Pally today. I may have to fight my way through the first pint...

London Town

A morning swim saw my front crawl progress a little. 6 whole lengths without stopping (or drowning). Progress!! 60 lengths in total, but mostly breaststroke.

The afternoon involved a train to London Town and then the tube to Turnpike Lane to see Mr G and Miss W. A lovely evening of home brewed beer followed by dinner at an Indian restaurant. It's nice to be in the big smoke after so long!

A fun weekend ahead me thinks. Lets see what tomorrow brings!

Gym

First gym session in a while after having the flu. It was pretty tough, and my lungs were definitely not up to full capacity. The weight circuit felt ok, except for the lateral raises - they never go well, with my left arm soon falling well behind making me look like I'm trying to do some sort of directional signal! Afterwards I only manage to run 3kms, which, given I was running 10km every time I went to the gym just a few months ago, was fairly pathetic. Not only that but it was terribly slow too!

On a plus note, I had my first ever protein shake afterwards.

I must confess however, I did hold my nose through the entire experience!!

Steak and beer

An uneventful day. Back to the grindstone with poker and sticking only to 45 player sngs. I'm gonna try and be a little more disciplined from now on. (not like it's the first time I've said that!)

The latter part of the day was fun. A pretty tasty dinner, all home made. Steak, egg, wedges, carrots and peppercorn sauce, followed by a few quiet beers.

I'm also pleased to say my voice is beginning to return, so I may be able to speak tomorrow! Perhaps that will mean an end to my blogging...

A rat or a hamster?

Last night I was granted an eventful night sleep, or lack there of! Things began when my sis sat bolt upright twice. When asked if she was awake, she sleep lied to me, and said "yes"! Then she told me she'd been having horrible dreams. Later that same night, she experienced something similar, when I was sat upright in bed staring at the curtain. I then proclaimed, "It's a rat! No wait, it's a hamster", while quite obviously dreaming about a small rodent climbing the drapes! We were also woken by sirens just after 3am, and found out from the news in the morning that there was a man found with head injuries right outside the flat at that time. Awful!

I left bonny Scotland (after a copious amount of chicken), and the journey home was beautiful, with an amazing array of colours on display. Unfortunately the car windscreen wasn't quite prepared for this picture taken right at the border, but I thought the sky made it worth posting.

It was a wonderful Autumn afternoon, and it was hard to believe the storms that have hit the South over the past 24 hours. It is sad to see such devastation and the pain caused to those who have lost loved ones.

So, I'm now back in Northern England - lets see what tomorrow brings.