A very pleasing weekend's drinking..

Some weekends are definitely more focused on the gentle pleasures of life, and this one fits the bill very nicely. It started very well with finishing work on Friday, in the sure and certain contemplation of a week off, that was not going to involve rushing towards Gatwick. A short break in the UK beckoned, with 5 days at Champneys. Wine will not be the priority there, for sure, so I determined that until we went, it should be good stuff all the way. Marvellous!

In order to prepare fully for the exercise and health-fest that Champneys will be, on Saturday we went with Carol and Huw to have a champagne tea at Chewton Glen (Taittinger as well, not just House stuff!), which had been a birthday gift for Janet. The day was just what you want for this kind of thing - warm, but not too hot, the slow laziness of a September afternoon. After a glorious opener with the obligatory cucumber and salmon sandwichettes (no crusts, of course!) the ante in the calorie-fest was upped, moving into proper scones, cream and jam (I am a cream first then jam kind of guy, sorry if that's not right!) and then an orgy - that is the only word - of small cakes. Marvellous. We then struggled to waddle round the garden, in a vain attempt to get some settling in the stomach - and it was quite lovely out, the sun dappling through the trees as we lolled by a lake in the golf course, thankfully free of the club-swingers for the afternoon. Clearly enjoying ourselves far too much, we determined to continue, and so this then called for a cocktail on the terrace as we saw off the pale light and into the early evening. What a day!

So, two lovely wines to frame this experience on Friday and Sunday. Firstly, another bottle of the Vieux Telegraphe 2001, and finally, one which lived up to that name, after a few which were not 'off', but decidedly not as good as I would have hoped, over-mature to be honest. Not this one. Rich, ripe, a hint of meatiness and full, warm flavours made me love this nicely mature Chateauneuf. How I love the heat that seems to exude from the very bottle. Went down very nicely with a rather simple pasta - and why not? Then, by total contrast on Sunday, a Volnay Vielles Vignes 2005 from Potel, fresh as a daisy, silky and elegant. Perfect with a piece of beef - it had more than enough flavour to hold up well, and even added some juiciness to the meat, with its overtones of raspberries and a long finish. Just a real treat, a brilliant balance of fruit, acidity and tannin. Truly a wine drunk at the peak.

So, dear reader, as you see I am muddling through right now..

Pip pip.

Comments

miles 30.46; Bike miles 0; Units 27

A good running week. I planned for 4 runs, however only 3 resulted as the Saturday run fell to the combined demons of ice, cold and shopping (!). I thought I might be able to nip in a cheeky 3 or 4 miles after we had returned from the delights of the first batch of Christmas shopping (oh, and buying a new telly...so it was not all bad) but it was not to be. And a rather nice bottle of La Tour du Mons 2000 (Cru Bourgeois Margaux) called too.. This week, I managed a hill session in the cold on Wednesday, which did not tax me too much, a steady 7 on Friday, and then a challenging and hilly 18 on Sunday. This was a great run in the cold air - just splendid to be out there when it is so quiet and cold. Just really wonderful. The temperature hovered between -1 and +1, no snow in sight, and a bit of occasional ice. Just really good. I was reflecting as I ran on one significant change in my attitude since running - and that is my approach to artificial fibres. Before running, it had to be c

Miles 33.84; Units 27

Exercise-wise, a back end loaded week. I had to miss three training days through pressure of work. Sometimes that's not such a bad thing, as it gives you a chance to recover. All too often, we runners can run ourselves into the ground, if we are not careful. However, after two days you start to feel the lack of exercise, and imagine that you are ballooning up in weight. This of course is not true, though that is little comfort. This may also be a personal thing, however I usually find that when I take more than one day off, a number of niggles emerge - in this case a touch of plantar fasciitis (for you non-runners, a pain like a drawing pin being lodged in your heel - see the gloriously Heath-Robinson picture of the necessary stretching to help the recovery). Maybe the body is just seizing the day and bringing the bad stuff out that it has kept under check whilst you are exercising - clearly 3 days is enough for it to think "oh good, we seem to have stopped all this mad runn

miles 21.08; Bike Miles 1; Units 20 excluding Saturday which was far too many!

"a happy weekend is one with more miles on my shoes than my car tyres" Another week of just two runs - but both good quality, including some tough hills. So I am not unhappy with that - would have been good to crack 30 miles this week, though! The Sunday run was out with the running club, as before from St Catherine's in Winchester. It was crisp, dry, and everything that makes a wintry run truly great. You do just feel absolutely alive after that. It also included a rather random piece of pathway that was covered in cows, which needed shooing off the path..slightly worrying. It was along the water meadows at St. Cross - always feels very medieval at that spot, as if you could be seeing a scene that a monk would have encountered 500 years ago. There is something about these old towns that embody and then exude the years of history. I have included a photo of these meadows at St. Cross because I find it truly enigmatic, evocative...and frankly all a bit Cadfael, if you reme

I Drink, therefore I Run

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