Saturday, April 29, 2017

Another Day in Paradise; OK Then, Arundel




We are hoping to get out early on Sunday morning to get a longer, harder bike ride done and so, just for a change we went out for our regular hilly Sunday 10km this morning.
Then, since we were changing most things, we changed everything and instead of the Angmering park run that is the standard, we opted instead to do the one we have been doing in the week, that is one lap of the Arundel Triathlon run route and to keep the changes ringing out by doing both 5km laps of that course.
Steve has been keeping a record of the times for those Arundel 5k’s laps.


To complicate matters further, we don’t start the run in the car park, as it does in the actual event (July16th), but we start at the metal bar in the pavement outside the post office door. We walk around the block once after getting out of the car; the car is placed wherever the Parking Angel told Steve that she has saved him a prime parking spot.


The first lap this morning:
34.58
Second lap
34.28
Total
1.09.26

The second lap was our 4th best time for this year and the first lap was 6th.
We met Tuff Fittys Clive Harvey running in the opposite direction at the end of Swanbourne Lake. A brief chat to pass information told us that he is tapering for Geneva Marathon. We also met the same lady, who was walking her dog on the identical course to us but clockwise instead of our anti clockwise direction. Lucky dog being taking for a lovely 5 km run like that instead of just around the block.


Once we got to our finish line, we carried on for a little while because I don’t like to stop sharp; I prefer and gentle run down and walk and it was then that we noticed a van that is driven by a friend of ours that we had not seen in a while, so we conducted a search of the café’s to find where he was hiding out, only to find that a whole bunch of Tuff Fitty’s were tucking into the traditional full English breakfast in The Edible Sandwich Café by the River. There beaming up at us, was the friend we were looking fo, caught with a forkful of eggy bakey on its journey to his mouth. Puddy, (who is not a puddy at all) was sitting next to his lovely wife Jane and the rest of the Fitty mob including Jon and of course Clive who we had passed earlier in the park. 


We did not join them because Steve, who is a coffee snob like me, does not like the coffee they serve there, although the breakfast looked wonderful. We only allow ourselves such a treat once a month or even less, yes probably less. In truth we are more liable to make a Saturday breakfast a french toast and berries special in Osteria or even drive or ride our bikes to Chichester to Carlucios for wild mushrooms and that sort of posh stuff. Champagne taste and beer money rules OK!



Having come home, we had a little paper/computer work to do and then I finished the sweet little story poem added below this; that is about my friend Helen over the road’s little granddaughter Amelia and it is completely true.  


To complete the pleasure of the morning, Christine from next door brought me a bunch of Lily of the Valley from her garden. I am going to really miss Christine and Jan, when they move to France in a few weeks time. We always dread nice neighbours leaving and wonder what the new ones will be like but it was the same with the house the other side and as it turns our they are a lovely little family too; Conan and Hannah with their darling little boy Héctor. Three more lots new neighbours to come this summer.

Amelia Drives Her Car

Amelia’s a little girl of three
Who drives a motor car
She drives along the road with glee
You’d be surprised how far

Amelia the blue eyed blondie
Drives round the corner to a park
And looks around asking fondly
Who’d like a go now for a lark

Amelia calls to all her friends
It must be your turn now
Girls and boys her car she lends
She gently shows then how

To see them laugh makes her smile
They each take turns in her pink car
Happy the children play a while
With sweet Amelia and her car



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