Paella and Bovril

A recent trip home was always going to have a trip to see a Raith Rovers, when checking out flights the second tab one the screen is the fixture list for the coming weeks, priorities. I  wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of seeing the Livingston game as they had been our opponents the past few times I had been back to Fife but hey ho beggars can't be n all that.  Now the Scottish game doesn't have the best, if any reputation, for quality and entertainment here in Barcelona and the only teams anyone can name are the obvious 2 (however I do have student who is a hearts fan and has a few strips he wears at our local gym) but, in my opinion, this season "his been nae bad like". After watching a recent Athletico Madrid champions league game and almost passing out with boredom comments were made that just because it says champions on the tin doesn't mean it is quality. So why are some stadium around  Scotland experiencing a dip in numbers. If teams are playing ...

First of all, a bonny welcome to 2016 to all, second I have no excuse for my terrible posting laziness. It seems that half marathon and Christmas gave me the perfect unacceptable reason to neglect the posting. Also it has been weeks since I last watched Raith Rovers play, weeks! I suppose you could say I am fair weather blogger. As a Scot can you really be called a weather wimp growing up in Scotland's interesting and variable climes.   I started to write a post about the usual weather stricken fixture list. All seemed too familiar I remember a post from back in 2013. Mother Nature was again reeking  havoc with the weekend's games and supporters were u-turning on their way to games left right and center.  A few years on and for as long as I have been a supporter of the Scottish game winter has been the main player during the months of November to March, that is a substantial chunk of the season. Wind, rain, snow and frost regular visitors to the pitches and grounds...

Well it has been way toooooo long between posts. I must admit that not having the deadline of publishing in the programme has slowed the creative juices. So it seems I work better under pressure. With that in mind I have kicked myself up the butt and given myself the goal of a least one a month. Hope the wait has been worth it...... Adios Please and Thank you Many a time I have tried to explain the 4 seasons in one day (plus some seasons you can't quiet name) style Scottish weather to the friends and students here. Recently Barcelona has decided to provide me with some fantastic visual aids, the weather here has been interesting to say the least. With the rain comes the loon-icy, pavements becomes greasy play grounds for the breaking of bones, umbrellas get put up to eye poking height at the slightest dribble from the sky, and the roads become a cacophony horns, screeching brakes and rush hour goes from 60 to 180 minutes. Some of the verbal exchanges wouldn't be out of...

Born in the U (unbelievable) S (sums of) A (advertising) Having never crossed the pond I was not going to miss the opportunity a family wedding gave me, an excuse to visit the U.S of A and “oh Canada”.  During my time here in Barcelona the accumulation of friends from different nationalities has been endless, Lichtensteinian, Panamanian, Australian and the occasional Brazilian. Being part of this group of “extranjeros” has seen a lot of people come and go. This holiday would give me the chance to catch up with some old amigos, and there was no way I wasn't going to a sporting event in America. “Take me out to the ball game,Take me out with the crowd”.  After an small lifetime on a plane across the Atlantic, a good few hours drive ( and including a pit stop at a gas station where they did sell Twinkies and leopard print revolvers at the same counter), destination one of six was reached. With my knowledge of America being drawn from ‘Friends’, movies and rather too much satirica...

We did it. #triing4therovers has completed it's 2015 challenge.  

All smiles before the MARnaton Still smiling 2000m down only 77,000 more                                                 All smiles and sweat! We did I it we completed an Olympic triathlon  Hola from unbelievably hot Barcelona, no Scottish person can help but melt in 35°.  This portion of #PaellaandBovril is a wee side dish of something new with a massive serving of seconds on a previous edition. However it is all in a good cause the  Raith Supporter's Trust .    I am almost there, the challenge of doing a #TRI of events to help raise funds and awareness of the great work of the  Raith Supporter's Trust  is almost at meta! ( for this year, who knows what next year will bring. Did someone say 70.3?) One more event then I can have that first mojito of the summer!  A few weeks back I completed a goal I set myself last year when...

We did it! After a lot of training, sweat, tears and a few drops of blood I completed my first, and not my last, Olympic distance triathlon, the second event in this year's TRI of events for TRI-ing for the Rovers.  Details of how to sponsor me and the great work of the a Raith supporter's trust check out my swim bike and run post.