A perfect Saturday

With a beautiful clear blue sky and slightly cooler temperatures, four of us ventured out yesterday morning to play nine holes of golf at La Siesta in Calahonda. I have a love/hate relationship with golf. When I first came here 14 years ago I decided to take it up, and became quite enthusiastic - never much good at it but enthusiastic all the same. I worked in a restaurant in those days and with only one day off a week, decided that trekking round a golf course for 5 hours was too time consuming - not to mention expensive. So now if I play at all I tend to go to the 9-hole courses which are normally par 3 - much more fun and much less time to get round. Another advantage of playing a small course is that you are less likely to get the tutting, huffy, arrogant golf bores behind you who forget that a round of golf is supposed to be fun. Ok ok I can see where they are coming from when I make three fresh air shots in a row but hey, a little patience gentlemen please. Siesta is situated just 2km from the coast road in Calahonda, and is a beautiful little course. Very well kept, with just enough hills, rough and dips to make it interesting, it´s perfect for beginners, improvers and lazy golfers like myself. We normally go round twice - having a few drinks between rounds at the La Siesta Restaurant overlooking the first green, and it takes about one and a half hours (including ball searching time) to get round at a leisurely pace. We went early and didn´t see another soul the whole time we were there - which considering my standard of golf was something of a relief . After a few drinks in the clubhouse, we all went back to my friend´s house to watch the big MATCH. I am referring to the mighty Liverpool v Man Yooo of course. With plenty of drinks, and the steaks sizzling away on the barbie, it was a perfect Saturday afternoon. Well, it was until Liverpool´s defence were caught napping and United scored after 3 minutes. I had visions of this turning into one of those embarrassing 5-0 home defeats which you think only happens to other teams. But little by little, Liverpool clawed their way back into it and a great goal by Wes Brown (in the wrong net) meant the teams went into half time 1-1. Liverpool strode out like giants for the second half and Man Utd were out-fought, out-tackled and out-classed in every department (out-numbered too by the end of the game when Vidic was sent off for chopping down Xabi Alonso). With the clock ticking down, and Man Yoo´s defence in slumberland, Ryan Babel scored the winner for Liverpool after great work from Dirk Kuyt on the wing. 2-1. We danced, we sang we drank a lot and we partied till dawn. Well when I say dawn, it was probably about 9 0´clock - I know I missed X-factor so it must have been one hell of a night!! I love freetime in Spain - the clear blue sky, the al fresco lifestyle, barbecues in the back garden and to top it all - a fabulous win for the Pool! And if there are any Man Utd fans reading this - better luck next time (snigger snigger).