Quieter Day

Yesterday, towards close of play, I had a small panic telling Dd I hadn’t taken any blips. ‘You put the fireworks one on after midnight, so you’re ok!’, she replied. My annual blip holiday!

Today was a gentle reintroduction to the blipping rhythm . . . and great to see many newbies starting! I always welcome a few each day to help them through their first ten! I tend not to mention my near 5,500 in case it puts them off!

This in Rua Tonelero, named as such as it has a long tunnel at the far end connecting Copacabana with Ipanema. It is also a quieter way for us to walk to Real Chopp where we had lunch.

Dd will tell you about the misadventure to try and get her new training shoes!

Btw, last night the lady in my extra shot, who sat down at the table beside us in our very local bar, Tipicamente, turned to me after 5 seconds and asked, ‘Are you Alan McFarlane?’!! We, Angela Guimarães - visiting a friend in Rio from her home in Belo Horizonte - and I, worked together briefly in São Paulo for Diageo and this was the first time we had seen each other in fifteen years! Talk about Rick’s line in Casablanca . . . ‘Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine’!