Quick Diversion: Tennis Trip to Portsmouth

Just a quick post. A palate-cleanser. A diversion. An amuse-bouche.

I took the train over to Portsmouth yesterday to meet up again with Oliver — my French friend I met in the Czech Republic who now lives on the southern coast here — for some lunch and tennis.

Back in 2016

It was really nice. He owns a small flat right on the waterfront, which is gorgeous, and once he picked me up from the train station we walked to a place on the water for some fish tacos, then walked back to his place, picked up our rackets, and headed to the courts.

Happy in Portsmouth

Grass courts, at his club a mere five-minute walk away!

CourtX in Portsmouth

This is the second time, now, I've played on grass — and, since the first time was in a sort of social setting at a club in Perth last summer against casual (and older) players, it was the first against a really good, mobile, aggressive opponent. The grass is so soft I once threw myself on the ground (in playful, really!) exasperation and frustration after missing a shot, and another time, when Oliver hit behind me, I tried to reverse direction quickly and dive back for the ball.

These days, needless to say, I do not do much diving to the ground. But the grass was so cushiony, soft, and absorbing, it was no problem at all. Well, as long as I'm already fairly close, and am careful about my landing. 😀

I felt a little bit like late-80s Boris Becker. 

Well, just a little bit

Anyway, Oliver and I played a great/close/tiring match (7-6, 6-4, 4-2), then he drove me back to the train station, from whence home. That final walk through Chichester was made very slowly. 

A really nice afternoon — and I told him, in all seriousness, that I had found myself thinking of ways to come back, perhaps even some day permanently. Thank you, Oliver!

All swans in England belong to the king, and are thus protected
— and they know it.