Sunday, March 14/2010

The suitcases don't hold much but take longer to pack for that as it's like a Chinese puzzle. Pause for brunch and then later a true break as we head over to the little sports bar to watch the opening race of the 2010 Formula One season. We'd checked earlier and the bartender had been helpful - but the timing was the same as a Rangers vs Dundee football match as well as a rugby match - would we mind watching on the little screen in the corner? No, we'd be delighted to watch at all. But when we arrive we find that almost everyone is here for the race - both big screens - with a couple of people seated at the bar following the rugby. Nice atmosphere and a pint of Guinness each. Sort of half way between watching at home and being at the race track. Clearer commentary and easier to identify the cars at home while the racetrack has the noise and excitement. Not a wildly exciting race though. New rules and cars finishing in more or less the order they started in. And the Bahrain track suffers from monochrome desert colouring.

Then over to the internet cafe across the back lane to choose the seats for tomorrow's flight. A half dozen computers with sticky keys (well mine, anyway) and full of young male foreign students. The one next to me is Romanian and he spends his hour chatting with a pretty girl (she fills the screen). I'd rather not be listening as it's a bit distracting but it's hard not to hear: No, don't take off your shirt - there are other people here, know what I mean.

M&M drop in for a last goodbye and the last of the g&t and artichokes, Magne so tired after a long day out that he falls asleep in his chair.