Eat, Sleep, Watch Football....Repeat!

The promised hot weather and sunshine wasn't forthcoming on Friday morning and it was cold enough for a jacket when we walked down to the baths. However, emerging from Spoons after breakfast, it was starting to warm up. 

I wore a 1970s St Michael vest top, a me-made Anokhi fabric maxi skirt and my Jesus Saves 1970s belt. As I'm an aethist I'm hoping there's a goalkeeper called Jesus playing in the World Cup to make it more relevant! 

It was warm enough to sit in the garden when we got home - which we did! 

In the recent National Trust members magazine, they'd shared a couple of recipes from one of their publications, Irresistible Salads. Jon made both and we enjoyed them so much that we ordered the book. This Lemon, Rocket and Burrata Pasta Salad was another winner.

After the fabulous opening ceremony at Mexico's spectacular Azteca Stadium on Thursday evening and Mexico's well-deserved win, we're now well and truly invested in the World Cup, 2026. On Friday night it was the turn of Canada who drew with Bosnia & Hertzigovina. Neither of us had the stamina to stay up for the 2am USA vs Paraguay match afterwards.

On Saturday morning we watched the game over breakfast. 

After the match we went for a walk around the block before spending the rest of the morning gardening. I wore this 1970s Oasis Trading maxi skirt with a me-made halter top (made using the same Anokhi fabric as yesterday's skirt) and road-tested my newly charity-shopped Tevas, which were an absolute dream to walk in. 

 Although it wasn't exactly tropical I did manage to lie outside reading until late in the afternoon. I started my 43rd book of the year, Philip Kerr's A Man Without Breath. Set during WWII, charismatic Nazi-hating Bernie Gunther, a Berlin police detective, has been enlisted into the German War Crimes Bureau to investigate the Katyn Massacre of 1940. Josef Goebels wants proof of Russian involvement in the hope of destroying the Western Alliance but the truth turns out to be far more damaging. The Bernie Gunther novels (there are 14 in all) are currently being serialised for television and will star the fantastic Jack Lowden on Apple TV later this year. 

Saturday night was another (late) night of football although we went to bed before the Scotland match, watching it on catch-up on Sunday morning.  Continuing with my run of wearing me-made clothes I wore this dress which I made in 2014 using a pair of vintage Grace Sullivan for Heals' Treetop screen-printed curtains and a Kenzo for Butterick dressmaking pattern from 1971.

We went for our usual walk around the block before spending the rest of the day outside (and the evening in front of the football). 

How gorgeous are these roses? I think they're called Carnival but it's been six years since we planted them so I could be wrong. 

Monday was swimming day and, ever the optimist, I left the house with bare arms and sandals. There were issues with the main pool and the management opened the brine baths early so we regulars could get our fix. We used to use the brine until swapping allegiance to the gala pool. I'd forgotten how hard it is swimming in 34°C salted water, it was like wading through treacle! 

I wore a 1960s Jantzen beach dress (nylon with padded boobs) with my denim waistcoat. I tried sitting in the garden for an hour or so when we got home but was defeated by the cold wind.  

Later on we had to go the hospital for my annual appointment with the Opthalmic department - happily there's no change so I'm still just verging on borderline with my Glaucoma. 

The evening was, once again, dominated by the footie!

On Tuesday (today!) I had an appointment with Michael the osteopath and, with a shared love of travel and football, we got on like a house on fire. I wasn't expecting miracles but I felt so much better after I'd had my treatment. At home I realised I'd climbed the stairs like a normal person rather than clinging on to the bannister and going up a step at a time. 

Needless to say, I didn't walk round to the clinic in my black lycra cycling shorts & sports bra - although that seems the outfit of choice for the majority of women these days - instead opting for this embroidered linen sundress from Zara (via the charity shop).

Liz, back from her holiday in St Ives, popped round and we sat outside chatting in the sunshine. I tried to sunbathe for a few hours after lunch but it clouded over....grrr! 

We're both already nervous about tomorrow. Come on, England!