Thursday 17 September 2009

Sometimes God plays dirty

The second great love of my life was Moira McDowall. Unfortunately God got in first and she became a nun. If this had been a Hollywood film she’d have been played by Audrey Hepburn. Trouble is I can’t really see who’d play me. Harold Lloyd perhaps.

During the time when things were going wrong we continued with a cycling holiday in Brittany that we’d already booked. I spent a lot of the time in a tent reading Pickwick Papers. It’s supposed to be a funny book. I didn’t think so then. Other memories include a dry and kindly Dutch lady and a down to earth Belgian who didn’t bother with a handkerchief when he rode. His method combined elegance with efficiency. He’d turn his face to the road, and with a finger pressed against each nostril in turn, he’d blow with great force. I made a point of riding in front of him.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, that's how I do it when I ride horses at least! Can't wave a white thing in the corner of its eye just because you have the sniffles - that might spell disaster!

Mike Keyton said...

Yes, but if I did it that way, I'd wobble and fall off. My technique is the stoic sniff until desperation forces me to dismount and have a damn good blow.