It could have been an overdose

I like to call myself a rugby fan so thought it is high time I actually headed to a game. I can't believe we are over two months into the season and I've only just managed to watch my first live match. This hiatus hasn't been intentional - there have been no home games that have coincided with my actually being at home. I had some catching up to do and at last the dates played into my hands; in eight days I've seen matches at the Rec in Bath, Sandy Park in Exeter and watched most of the recent autumn internationals on big screens.

I arrived early to Exeter in order to catch the England game at Sandy Park but after an unbearably tense match I began to worry I'd signed myself up for a rugby overdose. If the tension of a top level international clash was too much to bare how was I going to cope with a local derby? Quite simply the combination of live rugby and local rivalry. It was a sellout crowd at the home of Exeter Chiefs where they welcomed Bath, a club they still hadn't beaten at their Sandy Park ground. After an exciting eighty minutes it proved hard work and determination does pay off with the Chiefs securing their second victory over their old rivals in as many seasons.

I just wish I had re engaged with the rugby season a couple of weeks earlier. I was invited to an Olympic pub quiz and presumed the questions would be general knowledge or sport based. It transpired the main sponsor of the event was the Rugby World Cup 2015 and half of the questions were related to the noble game.

Weatherman

I’m conscious it often sounds like I’m obsessed with the weather. I blame this on my upbringing on the moor and the fact that weather is the most British of preoccupations - after all what else would we chat to strangers about? My fascination might well have predisposed me to a career in meteorology but this wasn't to be.
A good understanding of weather systems is essential in sailing as demonstrated on my recent trip to Croatia. We arrived at the beginning of the week to temperatures in the high twenties and bright blue skies which was brilliant unless you were competing in a regatta as there was next to no wind. The racing could not be postponed as this was the National Championships so we set off across the millpond relying on the current to take us in the direction of the finish. A couple of boats had to turn on their engines to avoid running aground on one of the many islands and were subsequently disqualified. Thankfully we made it safely but slowly to the finish line.
The next day there was a decent breeze and good sailing conditions before the arrival of the notorious Bora, bringing with it ferocious winds for which the region is renowned. All movements in and out of the marinas were cancelled and boats had to have extra tethering to secure them in place. Racing was most certainly cancelled. I couldn't believe that just a few days earlier we had been praying for wind.
It seems Hungarians also enjoy talking about the weather. On my way to the airport in Budapest the taxi driver insisted we spoke about nothing else in a quest to improve his English - we got on splendidly.

An English Monoglot

Over the last few weeks I've been made to feel an ignorant English monoglot. After the Biathle World Championships I travelled with a group of six which consisted of an Egyptian, Portuguese, Frenchman, Serbian and one fellow English lady; they all spoke from two to five languages fluently. Thankfully for me the common language was English although three spoke excellent spanish which proved helpful for exploring Guatemala.

I know it is no excuse but at school I was not aware of the usefulness of a second language. I studied French and German to GCSE level and used these languages as an excuse to go skiing in France and on an exchange to Germany. The only problem was as soon as I opened my mouth in an attempt to speak the local language I'd be replied to in English. On returning from Guatemala I am more determined to learn a language and think I might have to start from scratch and try spanish. It will also give me the perfect excuse to visit South America.

I travelled straight from Central America to Croatia for the Hungarian National Sailing Championships. It will come as no surprise that again there was an eclectic mix of languages. I was crewing for a Hungarian friend on a Salona 38 yacht alongside one other Brit, an Algerian and two more Hungarians; one of which confusingly spoke English with a French accent. Thankfully english was the common language and this was all fine until we encountered the high pressure moments of racing when communications became our limiting factor. It is fair to say I learnt a few new Hungarian words although I'm not sure they will ever be appropriate for everyday use.

Rain forest

It turns out that last week I had spoken too soon when mentioning how I escaped the UK's deteriorating weather; apparently October is rainy season in Guatemala too. I was fortunate to arrive in Guatemala City and be greeted by glorious sunshine and temperatures in the mid twenties. This was my first trip to Central America, I'd been invited out to commentate on the Biathle World Championships, and I thought it would be rude not to stay a couple of days longer to explore a little of this colourful country.

One thing that amazed me was how the temperatures can change so dramatically between neighbouring regions. We left the city in pleasant t-shirt weather to head to the competition venue on the Pacific coast and got off the bus just over an hour later to be hit by a wave of intense heat. I know the weather can change when driving from Princetown to Tavistock but this was on another level. I spent the next few days dreaming of the cooler weather at home and suffering, as we Brits do, in the humid conditions.  

My wish came true as I flew north to the famous national park of Tikal which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The fact it is in a rainforest should have given some indication of the type of weather I might expect to encounter and by the end of the day our entire group were soaked through to the skin. None of this mattered though as we were guided though the jungle to see the spectacular temples which the Mayan people had built over two thousand years ago - I can assure you it was  worth getting wet for.

Let it rain

I still can't believe the wonderful September we've had and I'm grateful I've been at home to enjoy most of it for a change. I know the forecasts had mentioned our Indian summer was coming to A close; I just wasn't expecting it to be quite so abrupt. It could have easily have triggered a case Monday blues as the rain came down and I started to question my morning plans thanks to the weather.

I needed a taxi to the train station - there were none for an hour as the rain had obviously given everyone the same idea so I had to run with my luggage one mile through the saturated streets. I'm sure I looked a little out of place wearing sandals in these conditions however there was method to my madness. My toes are still struggling in normal shoes after running a half marathon and I was on my way to warmer climes.

I needn't have rushed as the trains were severely delayed with several cancelled to London which was worrying as I had a flight to catch. After a delay that kept extending I joined several other wet miserable Monday morning passengers but only until Reading when all trains then terminated. Thankfully for me there was a bus available that allowed me to make my flight. It turned into a very positive Monday as I took off over the UK bound for Central America.

Guatemala knows the meaning of rain far better than we do, the only difference is the temperature. I'm back from a visit to the rainforest in the north of the country where it certainly lived up to its name - I only wish I'd brought my welly boots with me.

Food marathon

I am often caught scouring local press for food festivals to attend or sporting events to enter; the thought of combining the two had never seemed an option. You can imagine my delight when I discovered the Delicious Drakes Trail, a fifteen mile run that incorporated more food stops than it did miles. The event also supported the local charity CHICKS not that I needed any more of a reason to sign up.

My biggest concern was my fitness and by that I mean the ability of my feet to run or shuffle (with a belly full of food) the whole distance. The previous week I ran a half marathon for fun - I use the term 'run' loosely. I've only just returned to running after a year of being addicted to cycling so to complete the off road course was an achievement, it turns out my legs were not the limiting factor, it was my toes. I have been hobbling around ever since in opened sandals thanks to the prolonged Indian summer. I was beginning to wonder why the pain wasn't improving - I'll save you the details in case you're enjoying your breakfast - let's just say it turned out I had to relieve some pressure.

I managed to tape up my feet and complete the wonderfully scenic trail. I think it was the incentive of the next set of culinary delights that kept me going. I must admit I have never eaten a cream tea, followed by a steak and ale pie, washed down with cider topped up with a roast dinner then a paella - and that was all within four miles.

All I can say is: you don't know until you try, let's hope this becomes an annual event.

Off to the circus

I’m a sucker for any live performance whether it is sport, music or theatre. Recently I’ve caught a few glimpses of the BBC programme Tumble which has reignited my love of gymnastic and acrobatic performances. Before you panic - no I haven’t taken to the sprung floor; gymnastics is a sport I love to watch but am content to stay a safe distance away from.  As a youngster I was quite flexible but the idea of pursuing a career in gymnastics was promptly put to bed when my sister and I were given a trampoline. I could spend all day bouncing up and down going from my feet to my bottom but I just couldn’t master the somersault. I eventually gave up after flying off the end and landing in an unforgiving garden shrub.
Last week I had the chance to watch top class gymnasts in action when the Moscow State Circus toured the UK. My childhood memories of the circus consist of a cringe-worthy clown, a few token animals and a lot of filling between performances; either the circus has changed or I’ve grown less sceptical in my old age. I was blown away with the performances of the Russian cast. My mouth was wide open throughout the whole show. The first act was suspended by only her neck whilst spinning around and contorting her body in flowing positions that would challenge most of us on the floor yet this was over ten metres off the ground.
I did note that safety for the performers is now vastly improved with most acts making use of a secure wire but all this seems to have done is caused the gymnasts to push themselves to another level. These athletes were delivering Olympic level performances; I just hope they receive that level of appreciation from anyone lucky enough to watch them.