Merc bikes

The forecast hadn't been at all god for today, but it actually turned out to be just fine. Overcast, certainly, but dry and even with occasional breaks in the cloud. So the barbecue we'd been invited to didn't need to be cancelled or to take place under the cover of umbrellas.

It was a bit of a busy day, really, what with the British Grand Prix to begin with and then the barbecue at 4.00 and the World Cup Final at 730. The GP was good stuff, and I was especially impressed with the way both Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel worked their way up through the pack to both finish in the points. As to the football, we only half watched that. I would have been cheering for the Netherlands if I'd been watching seriously, so I was a bit disappointed with the result. From what we did see, it looked like a bit of a boring match.

The barbecue was great crack. It wasn't your usual sort of barbecue that happens in somebody's garden, though. This was on the balcony of a penthouse apartment in Ballsbridge, right beside Lansdowne Road stadium. There was lots of food and drink, and Carl and I were last to leave (as usual), missing the last DART and having to get a taxi back to his place.

We caught a DART to the place in good time and were walking along Shelbourne Road on our way to an off-licence when we passed the Ballsbridge Motors showroom. They're main dealers for Mercedes and Volkswagen. I didn't know that Mercedes did bicycles. I do now, though. Not at all sure that I'd pay 1200 or 1400 euro.