We’re back on holiday. In fact Stephen, Michael and I left last Sunday already for London. While S&M were on holiday, I have been working and with a packed schedule so no time until now to blog. We traveled over last Sunday night along with friends (Stephen’s girlfriend and her parents – that’s them in the BA lounge at CT airport sipping champagne – photo used without their permission!). We arrived Monday morning and after dropping off my luggage and a quick change into my suit, I went into work.
While the Moyles and my sons were sightseeing and loafing (in the case of my sons) in London, I went to Edinburgh on Tuesday night and then to Dublin on Wednesday night. Wednesday was a client presentation followed by golf with clients and that was repeated on Thur
sday in Dublin. Fortunately the weather has been exceptional for the UK. Edinburgh on Wednesday was 26 C with clear skies (it was almost too hot & humid) and Dublin was 20 C and clear as well.
We played Dalmahoy Golf Course (http://www.marriott.co.uk/golf-hotels/edigs-dalmahoy-marriott-hotel-and-country-club/dalmahoy-country-club/5226098/home-page.mi) on Wednesday in Edinburgh. It was hard work as the rough was thick and lush and when you hit your ball into it (which I seemed to do regularly) you were lucky to find it because the ball just sunk into the grass. On Thursday we played at Portmarnock Links (http://www.portmarnock.com/golf-index.html) and it was a totally different proposition. The course was hard and the ball rolled for ever. I managed to drive 300 meters on one hole which if you know anything about golf is a massive drive (up there with the pros). The course had ups and downs and blind shots more than I could number and given we had never played it before it made it tough. But I really enjoyed the round as it 
required imagination and creativity. I definitely want to play there again. The picture is from my hotel room at Portmarnock when we arrived at 10pm on the Wednesday night. The sun was just setting. Got to love the long summer days in Europe.
There are two golf courses in Portmarnock and they shouldn’t be confused. The one we played has a hotel associated with it and is designed by Bernard Langer (the golf course that is, not the hotel). The other course is the famous old course but it doesn’t allow women members and frowns on women even playing on the course. How that fits in with the European gender regulations of equality for men and women is beyond me. Irish logic can be the only thing that could explain it.
From today I have been officially on holiday and so spending the d
ay watching cricket, rugby and football is the way to consume a day. It has been really fantastic weather in the UK this week. The picture is the view from the flat this morning and it stayed like that the whole day.
Stephen is so addicted to the football he didn’t want to come out for dinner tonight so Michael and I went and Stephen stayed and ate who knows what. We finished dinner and were back before the football started so his decision making is about as poor as the Spanish footballers.
The good news is that Helen and Chloe are on the BA flight into London right now as I type. Flightaware tells me they are projected to land at 6:02am, they have 7 hours and 2 mins left and are currently somewhere over the Democratic Republic of Congo (though Democratic and Congo is clearly an oxymoron). Hopefully they won’t get through passport and customs quickly as we will all be fast asleep still when they arrive.
Until tomorrow when our holiday officially starts as the whole family will be here!
P, S & M with H & C to come …