How much can you fit into one day?

Alarm set for 7.45am – a quick breakfast, running kit at the ready. A run along the sea front down to the start of Swansea Bay parkrun. A quick hello to an old friend from Stoke-on-Trent – it’s a small world – and then it was 3-2-1-Go again for the start of another parkrun. Out and back along the sea front, avoiding the puddles but not along the sand this time, going as fast as I could. As I came back towards the finish, I realised just how quick – getting my fastest time since 2020! Very happy with that….

But not much time for contemplation – it was almost straight back along the sea front to our lovely Airbnb. A quick change, a Krispy Kreme donut for celebration and out of the door again less than an hour later.

A walk up the hill to Swansea train station – we joined the end of the queue of all the other rugby fans on their way to Cardiff. We managed to get on the second train and were soon on our way… into Cardiff just after 12.30pm. Less than two hours until kick off – the last Six Nations match of 2024 for Wales, playing against Italy – a reverse of the game we watched in Rome last year, when conditions were definitely more Spring-like.

From the station to the stadium via Burger King for lunch – remembering and reminiscing about our first meal out together in Wellington, New Zealand in March 2008 (there wasn’t open that night). We’ve celebrated our Burger-King-iversary in a few different places now – some more glamorous (Trinidad) than others (Stockport).

But not too much time for nostalgia… kick off was getting closer and I needed a quick stop at the shop – it was also going to be new bobble hat day!

And then it was into the ground, just in time for the pre-match singing. The teams were out soon afterwards … it was all downhill after that. Despite a late rally and a couple of tries in the last few minutes, defeat and the wooden spoon for Wales.

But we had no time to dwell on defeat… it was straight back to the station and our return to Swansea, after another queue at the railway station in the pouring rain.

By 6.30pm, we were back at our Airbnb, with just enough time for another change of clothes (and another donut).

Then, off out again, this time to the Swansea Arena for an evening with OMD.

Two hours of singing along, jumping up and down and dancing like no one was watching. They played all the old favourites and some of their new album too – they were Sailing on the Seven Seas and dreaming on a Bauhaus Staircase; they sang about Joan of Arc and Tesla Girls; Paul had his Hollywood moment with If You Leave (from the Pretty in Pink). And they finished with Electricity – their first ever single. That’s a lot of nostalgia in one night.

And then it was time for bed – I’d had a busy day!

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50 for 50 #30: 50 posts for my 50th birthday to be posted before I’m 51.