Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 14 degrees, cold, overcast and with showers.
It’s the second day of the bank holiday in Brazil for Corpus Christi, and we still have the weekend ahead of us.
Yesterday, we visited Clint Hills and took a trip down memory lane. We also washed Austin in the automated self-service dog bath, which was a blast!
Today, Julie is working, and as usual on Friday, I went to the café on the green to get some work done. Today was no different. I took my laptop with the new cable. It takes a little longer to prepare and post a blog when I’m working in the café due to the distractions, but it is also good to meet the regulars, the local natives who like to chat and socialise.
I also managed to reserve a seat for my connecting flight from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam to Rio. I booked the seat at the back of the plane, in the middle, but next to the aisle, so it should be fine. It is an extra cost, but you’re really paying for tranquillity, simplicity, and for no unpleasant surprises at check-in.
In the afternoon, Julie called me after finishing work, and we decided to pick up Austin and revisit Stewponey Wharf. Yesterday, we walked along one part of the canal; today, I wanted to explore the other sections that lead back to Wollaston and Wordsley, and that was exactly what we did.
It brought us back to the place where Julie and I had walked from Wordsley to the small, narrowboat yard, where I used to work as a child. If we wanted, we could keep walking and eventually reach home in Wordsley.
How cool is that?
The walk was pleasant, but not as stunning as yesterday when the vegetation and wildlife were denser. Today, it is semi-urban with many back gardens and farmland bordering and adjoining the canal.
Like all walks with Julie and Austin, it was all good. Back at the car, it was approaching late afternoon, early evening, so it was time to eat.
We decided to leave Austin at Julie’s parents’ home. The car too, and then went for a walk to the middle of Kingswinford, where we first went to our favourite pub of the area to have a drink, meet Grant the barman, who Julie loves, her favourite barman in the whole world, and we played some Gin Rummy.
Grant was there, a friendly young man who always welcomes us and is consistently helpful and obliging. I drank wine, and Julie had a Desperado long neck. We played cards, with the final score ending in a draw. The Market Hall Tavern is a typical working man’s pub, like thousands across the UK.
What caught our attention was the simple yet attractive contemporary interior design, modern, tasteful, and not gaudy or tacky like many pub interiors, but with a feeling of hygiene and cleanliness.
We could see from where we were sitting in front of the bar that behind it was immaculate and impeccably clean, which is very important to the public and to women. Often, you visit a nice place, a sound bar, or a restaurant, but the toilets are filthy. For a woman, it is unforgivable. It is illogical to have a beautiful venue, good service, and good food, yet the women’s toilets are dirty and a mess, making it impossible for people to return.
Playing cards with Julie in a good pub with a pleasant atmosphere on a Friday night was quite sublime and special for me. After staying in The Market Tavern for about an hour and a half, we went to Wetherspoons for dinner.
I was surprised to find a decent table vacant inside, while in front of the bar, it was bustling with people. Julie ordered a chicken curry that she enjoys very much, and I just had a simple fish and chips, both of which were very good. We had drinks, shared a brownie with ice cream for dessert, and in the end, it was both a productive and enjoyable day.
I was feeling tired, so I took Julie home. We parted as usual, and I walked back to Wordsley, and I was in bed by midnight.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
