Lock down or lock up

 So the pubs have re-opened albeit outside only, so I have started to eat and drink at the golf club on the terrace which is all very pleasant. We have a new front of house manager and a new chef and some of the existing staff have moved into new roles. They all look smart in their new uniforms.

The menu is quite a bit different but with some old favourites still retained. It is for a trial period at the moment and may well be adjusted when the clubhouse fully opens in May. In the meantime, it is good to have somewhere safe to visit and meet people, enjoy the banter and get some exercise.

The safety aspect was brought home to roost last night, as SWMBO (aka FLOW) and I went to the local pub for a decent pint of Tribute and an excuse to get out. Unfortunately a group of young lads had a bit too much to drink and started to be disrespectful of the older generation who were trying to get back into the 'pub for a pint' mode.

There was a minor scuffle and the landlady come over to escort them off the premises. Six or seven older regulars gave her back-up and all had been sorted out by the time the police arrived.

Drink was at the heart of it and because it was table service and we were asked to order via the app, the staff could not see how drunk they were getting. For some reason they also had 2 pint glasses available which meant it was easy to drink more quicker. Hopefully it was first night nerves and things should quieten down going forward.

There was also a bit of a reality check this week as it was number one son's 42nd birthday, spent in his new home over the Swiss border in France as he links up with a new beau. Does make me feel a bit old though!!!

You're having a langlauf

SWMBO and I are here in Seefeld as we tick off anothe4r of her bucket list items. It's not so much that she wanted to ski, more the fact that she always wanted to visit an alpine resort.

We chose Seefeld as it is well regarded as a cross country skiing destination so she could have a go at that with minimum risk, right?

Wrong! We used yesterday as a reconnaissance day. We found our ski school, picked up our ski hire equipment and found an apres ski bar. All good sensible stuff. The hotel had a six course gala dinner, we had a few drinks then headed to bed eager for the fun ahead.

There has been little snow in Seefeld for about three weeks but the piste bashers and snow cannons have done their job keeping the runs in good order, so with a glorious blue sky and much anticipation we set out on our new adventure. Chris, the ski guide showed us how to use the cross country equipment stage by stage, then he showed us how to fall properly if need be. This came a bit late in the lesson for me as I had already been down twice but no damage recorded.

SWMBO then decided to fall innocously but got her ski's twisted, a well meaning Austrian tried to untangle her and 'pop' she strained an intercorstal muscle on her sternum. Mega pain and concern followed but she was determined to see the lesson through, not anticipating I would have other ideas. The worst fall you can have cross country skiing is when you lean backwards, you are a gonna. Coccyx damage, a bang to the head or a broken wrist are there just waiting to happen.

So what did I do? Yep, fell backwards at pace, luckily avoiding all the above by landing square on my back, but wiped SWMBO out as I had encouraged her to go ahead so I could keep an eye on her. Oh dear, end of lesson and another holiday trauma to add to her collection!

We did manage the venicular railway up to a mountain top restaurant to take in views and have a bowl of goulash, but whether either of us will be able to walk tomorrow remains to be seen!