Toby Runs St Albans Half Marathon

To Verulamium Park to see Toby sprint to the finish line of the annual St Albans Half-Marathon. 

Toby cools down with his finisher's icelolly.

The 2018 finisher's medal.

Seeing St Albans with Eleanor

Taking Eleanor Cosman on a walking tour of St Albans, we stopped for lunch at Britain's oldest pub.

Joan and Peter at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks - Picture by Eleanor Cosman

Seven Sisters and Seaford

After checking out of Cavendish Hotel we headed west to the Seven Sisters Country Park. It was overcast , windy and cool. 

After reaching the beach we tried to follow the footpath back but issed a turning and took a much longer route, but the sun came out and it grew pleasantly warm.
 

The Seven Sisters

Lunch in park cafe, then a quick visit to Seaford before heading home. 

Seaford Martello Tower

 

Inside Seaford Martello Tower

Eastbourne Weekend

Arrived Friday evening, 18 May, staying in The Cavendish Hotel.
 

View of Wish Tower from room balcony

Saturday 19th walking and sightseeing in Eastbourne.

The Redoubt, one of only three huge circular gun platforms with 23 cannons as part of defences aginst Napoleon, was built in such a rush that no magazine to store gunpowder was planned.

Insie The Rodoubt

Redoubt's Dry Moat

Other end of beach is a Martello Tower (the Wish Tower) that would have mounted one cannon.

Wish Tower

Had a terrific lunch with home cooked food and good wine at Crown and Anchor pub. 

It was Royal Wedding day, Harry and Meghan so lots of bunting was about, and then more exploring.

End of beach, looking towards Seven Sisters cliffs.
 

Great Italian dinner and super wine at Rosetto Cafe Restaurant, and back in room watched end of a tribute band act on the bandstand below our balcony.

 

Business Needs Education

 

Today I broke my last IBM Education Services mug. This has the ES slogan  Business Needs Education, which I coined and proposed.

IBM gave me a small award for it. I was much cheaper than using a branding consultant :)

The slogan was on everything including course notes, pens, note pads and mugs. This one fell from its shelf and smashed one side in.

Gaucho and Criterion with Dan and Krisie

 Dan and Krisie stayed for a long weekend. On Sunday Dan showed the sights of London to Krisie. It was her first time in London and she'd never been on an escalator or tube train before. 

We met at Piccadilly Circus for an early dinner at Gaucho's in Swallow Street before seeing The Comedy about a Bank Robbery at the Criterion theatre, Dan had booked second row stall seats so we had an excellent view.

Tempted at Gaucho's  by laden plates of  Sunday Lunch topped by a huge Yorkshire Pudding still being served past 17:00 we all chose:

ROASTED SIRLOIN OF BEEF
The Gaucho Roast is served with roasted potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding cooked in beef dripping.  Accompanied by carrots tossed in churrasco marinade and broccoli. Served with a red wine gravy

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Danube Waltz - 13-20 April

From Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary down the Danube on the Viking Var.

View of Danube from sun deck, over the glass roof of the Aquavit Lounge.

Wachau Valley vineyards along Danube's banks in Austria.

Morwald Winery supplies 35,000 bottles of Gruner Veltliner and Zweigelt to Viking as house wine. Erhard Morwald (above) is owner/winemaker and he implored us to drink more!

Here he demonstrates his ideal wine glass. During the tatsing we had six 125ml pours in good glasses, followed by a fruit liqueur and schnaps.

Erhard's  Gruner Veltliner was a good match for this lunch on board: cod and chips with mushy peas, tartare sauce and malt vinegar.

Decorated Easter Egg in Bratislava's main square.

  
Restaurant sign in Bratislava offering familiar dishes with one exception... 

Viking Var moored by Budapest's Chain Bridge (right). This was the view through our room's window.