Back from a fantastic, relaxing, sun-filled holiday in the tiny Portuguse island of Porto Santo, next to Madeira. It has a rocky north coast but a long, sandy beach along the length of the south coast.
I didn’t pack my squash gear but by the end of the second week I was getting itchy and wished that I had.
Porto Santo has two small squash clubs, one of which is at the demanding, Seve Ballesteros-designed golf course, so I don’t need to say any more to recommend an ideal holiday destination for those of you who love their golf as much as their squash.
It’s a three-hour direct flight from Gatwick. And check out the excellent Pestana Hotel, situated right on that beautiful beach I mentioned.
Exotic
Apparently, Real Madrid’s former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is a frequent visitor to Porto Santo. The locals told me he has bought a plot of land near the beach and is planning to open a seven-star hotel and restaurant called R7.
I suggest he thinks again about the name. It sounds like an exotic gentlemen’s club.
Rain, pain and gain
Back to typical Wimbledon weather. A heatwave followed by torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning.
As I pack the sun chairs into the garden shed to avoid the downpour, and come indoors to watch the one match playable under the new Wimbledon roof, it’s time to start planning my post-holiday summer training schedule.
Back to my spinach diet, I quickly lost the seven pounds of lard that I accumulated during my all-inclusive five-star holiday. Now it’s time for some serious stretching and warm-up work before I begin pounding the hills in Mote Park.
It’s taken me a year to get over the painful spasms that caused the muscles in my right leg to stiffen up last summer and the holiday sunshine certainly helped in the healing process.
Now, before I get too old, too fat and too slow, it’s time for one last attempt to get back to match fitness.
I can coach all day long, but matches hurt and take days to get over.
Bring it on.