Last year I was whizzing around the crazy roads of Romania and this time I stayed in the UK.
First up was some sunny weather although it was freezing if you're not in the sun. My galpal Kim had a BBQ and we made the quintessential British summer punch. It's a mix of Pimms, lemonade, strawberry, orange and cucumber and mint leaves. It makes a refreshing drink.
A bucket BBQ, only £8 from Sainsburys was the star of the show. It was perfect for the four of us and kept us warm as we stayed outdoors. It didn't take much for us to realise that summer is not here yet.
The company of good friends in a lovely garden with delicious food. What more could you ask for?
Perfectly charred corn on the cob. The skewers on the other hand...
That evening Grant and I took a train to Birmingham as he had a fencing tournament the next morning. It was only an hour a half journey and it my first rail trip in a long time. I watched the yellow rapeseed fields and canal boats along the way. It felt good to be out of London but not too far away.
We checked into the Ibis Budget hotel, seemingly in a dodgy part of town. We took a walk to the canals and had a lovely dinner at Ju Ju's cafe. We returned to the Ibis Budget and while it lives up to it's name, it was very comfortable for what you pay. Staying there reminded me of my times in hostels. We were even woken at 4am by a screaming drunk woman in the hallway!
The next morning I met a girlfriend from Singapore who I hadn't seen in 5 years. It was wonderful catching up, seeing the Bullring and shopping at the markets. I will definitely be back in Birmingham as it's an easy going place to be. I took the train back in the late afternoon and managed to catch some sun and a drink with a girlfriend when I got home.
The next day I went row boating in Regents Park with a girlfriend. The activity was intended to be like in Bridget Jones where one person rows and the other recites poetry. Instead we took turns rowing and sang sea shanties!
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