Fun in the Sun: Davis Cup, Croatia.

[supergran]

Prologue: Packing and Departure: I had made a decision. We were to take one large suitcase and two carry-ons. Clothes laid out and I started. For years SG and I have packed our own cases but gradually this has fallen to me.:confused:Not sure when he decided he was unable to do this but I now have been packing for both of us for the last four holidays. I packed the case, I unpacked the case then packed again.:laugh::laugh: We weighed it and although within the limits it felt heavy. So the second case came out and I started again!:whistle: Eventually by Wednesday morning I was satisfied!! We were leaving Wednesday afternoon.:big grin: We left home by taxi for Manchester Airport at noon for our BA flight to Heathrow at 15.30. It was drizzling when we arrived so no surprise there.:sad:After check in we went to the Executive lounge and had a quick lunch and then made our way to the gate. Landing at Heathrow we made our way to the shuttle stops and soon we were on our way to the Novotel. We had never stayed there before but it was very nice and we enjoyed a lovely dinner, with two drinks each for about £65.:shocked::shocked: Then to bed as we had an early start in the morning.:sleepy::sleepy:Thursday morning the shuttle picked us up and soon we were back at the airport. I hadn't booked breakfast at the hotel as we had decided to eat at Heathrow. Soon after we had eaten we met Pat, James, Liz and Susan and made our leisurely way to the gate. We were on our way to Umag to cheer on the DC team and really looking forward to it.:cheer::cheer::cheer:

[Jennan]

Thanks SG, been looking forward to reading a blog from the DC tie.

[supergran]

Thursday 12th September: The journey to Umag begins. 11.10 flight from London Heathrow to Munich. Landed at 14.15 then Munich to Trieste at 15.20 arriving at 16.30. The plane to Trieste was very small with a propellor!:nailbiter: I am much happier in a big plane with TV, pillows and a well-stocked drinks trolley.:boogie::boogie: We were given a meal of some sort of meatball on the Lufthansa flight and I had a glass of wine and on the Trieste flight we were served ice cream which was a first for us!:):) Waiting for it to defrost was fun but it was delicious. As the plane was so small I imagined that most of the passengers were going where we were going which turned out to be the case as we boarded the coach which awaited us at Trieste airport.:):) It was a very long journey, travelling through Slovenia and into Croatia but the sun was shining and Pat and I chatted away on the back seat while Supergramps snoozed.:sleepy:I am going to call him Alan from now on as indeed that is his name and I've known him a long time. I have other names for him, some I can't say on here so Alan will suffice for the rest of this blog.:whistle: Now the drinks reception where we would receive our tickets from Gavin Fletcher was to be held at the Melia Coral hotel from 6-8pm and we all guessed that we would be late arriving there. We got to the Sol Umag, checked in and made a dash to our rooms to freshen up quickly and then get in the mini-bus which was waiting to transport us to the reception. The taxi cost 100 Kuna..it seemed no matter where you went the cost was 100 Kuna. I remember Susan paying. I think that she is a wealthy heiress from Edinburgh but she wants to keep it secret.:oops: We were anxious to get there as by now I think it was about 7.30. We knew we'd get the tickets but some of us were worried that they might run out of alcohol.....it had been a very long day.;);)

[supergran]

Drinks Reception No 1: The Melia Coral was the hotel where the team was staying along with LTA people, press and a few from the forum if I remember correctly. I'm sure as I go along I will be helped out, corrected and even contradicted but I welcome input from fellow DC supporters in Umag.:big grin: We were shown outside where quite a crowd of people were milling around, drinks in hand chatting and socialising.:yak: Going straight to the table where Gavin sat I gave our names and then had to explain we were part of the Andy Murray Fan Forum before he found the envelope containing the tickets. He then told me that one person was to collect them all for distribution. I nominated Pat Moren!! I'm not saying she was thrilled to have the honour but she did a great job of allocating seats which we kept for the three days.:thumbup::thanks: A young, glamorous woman approached us and asked why we didn't have a drink. Susan and I asked for white wine and Alan requested a beer. She brought us drinks, very small measures in quite large glasses and we thanked her. I'm talking about the wine here, not the beer.;);) I then moved to a table where I introduced myself to a young couple standing there. Kelly had won the trip in a competition:clap: and was with her partner Charlie but they were leaving on Sunday. Strange prize for a three day tie but they were happy to be there.:cheer:Susan and I went for a refill and persuaded the lovely young barman to fill up our glasses!!:wino::wino: I'm not really sure we talked to many other people that evening as we had got there so late and we needed to get back for dinner. Forgot to mention that we were given free Davis Cup t-shirts. Alan said he didn't want one but when I reminded him I had promised to get Caro one he went and got his!

[Genbrit]

Woo Hoo, love your blogs....:thanks: :thumbup::GBsmile:

[lynne]

"Love It"......I could read your stories(blogs) all day long........:thumbup::thumbup:....you should branch out into Audio.....would love to listen to you telling your "tales":thumbup:

[Caro]

Woo hoo, a supergran blog!! :thanks: Very entertaining and detailed already which is just what I wanted in lieu of actually being there! Keep it coming.

And a million thanks for getting your DC mad friend a t-shirt :hug: I sincerely hope to be sitting next to you wearing it at our round 2 WG tie next April ...... :cauldron:

[Elizabeth]

Thanks so much Maureen, loved reading your blog and trying to imagine it all.

[karanga]

Thanks Maureen. :thanks: As always a most enjoyable read. :thumbup: :wino:

[cazza99]

Super blog Supergran. Looking forward to the rest :)

[supergran]

We went back to the Sol Umag in a minibus that was waiting outside. We were joined by another couple from the reception and the woman kept saying that the taxi was paid for. Her husband and I kept insisting that we had to pay. When arrived at our hotel they walked off as the driver said 100 kuna please. They were nearly through the door when I shouted them back.:grrr: "50 kuna please" I said and believe it or not she said "But isn't it paid for?" :grrr: Her husband paid me and we went to our room. The room was very nice, quite spacious with a large window that opened onto a balcony which had a table and two chairs. Our balcony overlooked the front of the hotel but the rooms at the back must have been really lovely overlooking the terraces and the bay.:surfing::surfing: We then went into the dining room where we found our group already seated, wine on the table and everyone looking very relaxed. ;):wino: We met our waiter who was wearing his name badge - Ivan. He told us his name was Eyevan not Eevan; so that was us told as we had been addressing him as Eevan. He looked to be in his 60s but one can never tell these days. I mean look at Cliff Richard, he's almost 73 and there's Harry Goodman, the actor who is 10 years younger than Cliff...I mean you really can't tell these days.:laugh::laugh: He was comical and was prone to pour wine into anyone's glass regardless of whether they wanted it or not. He would also share someone's bottle with anyone.:laugh: The food was interesting..not cordon blue nor fast food but somewhere in between..edible but not inspired.;) The salads were nice.:big grin:

[supergran]

We enjoyed a convivial meal and I took some photographs to mark our first evening in the Sol Umag and one by one people went off to bed. It had been a very long day,travelling for most of it and fatigue was very evident.:sleepy::sleepy: Except for three people...Can you guess who bought a second bottle of wine? Dear reader, you guessed correctly.:thumbup: So then we were three: Alan, Susan and I were still at the table although Alan was drinking beer. We took our drinks outside and it was very lively. Tables covered in white linen as were the chair backs and people being served dinner. The lamps were lit, candles on the tables and music and a vocalist entertaining the quite large party. Then my old, tired husband went to bed uttering those well-worn words "Don't be late." Bless him. He knows me too well. :boogie: Susan and I had a lovely time. I remember we laughed a lot!:laugh:She is very knowledgeable about tennis and has a very good memory. We talked and laughed until we noticed that it was after 1 am so decided to go to bed. We were getting up early and going to the Stella Maris Centre around 10.30 to watch practice. And so the long day came to a happy if slightly squiffy end. We looked forward to Friday and the beginning of the very important Davis Cup Tie.:GBsmile::GBsmile:

[lynne]

:laugh::laugh:Just brilliant!!!:thumbup:

[Linda]

Thanks SG - looking forward to hearing about Friday!

I'd worked out when you mentioned Alan on another thread that it must be SuperGramps, but who is Susan?

Every time I read 'Stella Maris Centre' it makes me think of Walsingham where there is a building of the same name (it means 'Star of the Sea' and is one of the many titles given to the Virgin Mary).

[Caro]

Yes, I was just thinking to myself "who's Susan?". I was also thinking to myself that 1am was early for you Mo! I'm looking forward to the next episode, it's my daily lunchtime treat at work :)

[supergran]

Thanks SG - looking forward to hearing about Friday!

I'd worked out when you mentioned Alan on another thread that it must be SuperGramps, but who is Susan?

Every time I read 'Stella Maris Centre' it makes me think of Walsingham where there is a building of the same name (it means 'Star of the Sea' and is one of the many titles given to the Virgin Mary). Well, of course I know it is a title of Our Lady and means Star of the Sea but you have jumped the gun. All would have been explained when we got there.

[supergran]

The next part could be entitled "Who's Susan?".:confused:;) Some of you need to exercise a little patience.:) All will be revealed as the story unfolds.:GBsmile:

[patmoren]

If you had read my daily reports from Umag you would know who Susan was!!!

[Linda]

Sorry Pat, I was in Spain at the time - what thread were those reports on?

[supergran]

Friday: Singles: Woke up to a lovely sunny morning. Had breakfast quite early and arranged to meet and walk to the tennis centre about 9.30 or just after. Susan who is Howdie65 on the forum, a new member who booked the package rather last minute had earlier walked there and back so was able to tell us that it was a short and pleasant stroll and to show us a short cut.:thanks:The entrance we used was not the main one but was quite near the practice courts. :tennis::tennis:As we walked on I noticed a statue of Our Lady, Star of the Sea and pointed it out to Alan. It's unusual to see such things at a tennis club but it didn't surprise me as the name Stella Maris means Star of the Sea and is a title of the mother of Jesus.:) The next thing I noticed was a bar surrounded by tables and stools and a seating area under shade complete with comfortable looking seats.:big grin: When we got to a practice court we saw Colin and Jonny practising and we all called out "Good morning" Colin gave us a little wave. We watched then for a while and then moved on. Pat had to give out the tickets which were laminated with lanyards, Quite posh really though I was very disappointed that we could only access Centre Court and not the Players facilities!!:shamed: As play started at 11 am three of us went for a refreshing drink before making our way to our entrance and seats. After the ceremony which we watched from a walkway we made our way down to Row 5. Absolutely fantastic seats behind the umpire and the team. We were so close.:swingin::swingin: Suddenly I spotted Ross looking very dapper in a suit to I rushed down, shook his hand and said how lovely it was to see him. He grinned and asked me how I was. :big grin: I said never mind me, how are you, you look wonderful. He said he felt well and I let go of his hand and went back to my seat.;);)

[supergran]

The Match: I'm sure everybody, like I was, had been looking forward to seeing how the 16yr old Borna Coric would measure up against our boy.:GBsmile: I had read a lot about him, knew of his success at the US Open and realised that he was probably a future star in tennis.:trophy: But I and others around me were taken by surprise even in the first game. I could imagine his feelings playing the double Grand Slam Winner, Olympic champion and World No 3...I imagined that he would be thrilled but nervous.:nailbiter::nailbiter: Well, if he was nervous there were no signs. He ran, he returned lobs, he retrieved and made some great shots and that 57 stroke rally was just thrilling and nerve-wracking for us. At 2 all both players were running around, panting. To watch Andy's face it was clear that he didn't underestimate his opponent but he seemed to be getting a little irritated with him.:laugh: And no wonder! Andy's tactics were spot on. He wanted to tire Coric though I certainly did not want a five setter. He got the break and served for the set at 5-3. Brilliant play from Andy and he had the first set.:yahoo::yahoo: At 3-0 in the second set Andy was showing his superiority and class and went on to win 6-0. :yahoo:The vocal support was tremendous;cheers, chants, noise, applause accompanied every winning shot from Andy. It was just wonderful to be part of it all.:dance::yahoo::cheer: The third set was better from Coric and he fist-pumped and roared with every winning point but Andy didn't yield and got out of difficult situations with flair. Andy won the first Rubber 6-3, 6-0, 6-3. Everyone went mad. Team Murray were high-fiving each other, we were dancing up and down...well Alan wasn't. He's never been much of a dancer!! The cheers and the chants of We Love You Andy resounded round the stadium. 1-0 to GB.:GBflag::GBflag:

[supergran]

After the match I left for a loo break. Now the only toilets we had spotted were by the bar which we had visited after practice. It was quite a walk from our entrance to Centre Court so I rushed. On my way back I became aware of someone walking quite close to me. Turning I saw a young woman with a very large microphone and a bloke with an even larger camera!:yikes: I was dressed in my Davis Cup shirt with a Union flag neckerchief and on my head was my Union Jack cowboy hat with signatures on the brim.:big grin::GBsmile: She stopped me and asked if she could talk to me. Here we go again, I thought...memories of that Wimbledon Final on the Hill being interviewed by Radio 5 Live and The Sun.:wimbly:The first question she asked was why was I there:barmy: I told her I was supporting the GB team and she asked where I was from. It meant nothing to her. She then asked if I had watched the first rubber!!! :facepalm: When I said that I had she asked for my opinion which I gave.:rolleyes: I can't remember everything we said but it was quite a long conversation and I was wanting to get back to watch Dan and Dodig. I do remember her asking me who would win the Tie and I promptly and firmly said that Great Britain would win to which she responded "Oh, can you tell me why you think that. I then launched into a paean, extolling the merits, class and ability of Andy,Dan, Colin and Jonny. You can imagine that Andy came in for a fair old slab of praise here.:thumbup::yahoo: She then asked me for my full name. When I said Maureen she repeated it, said mm with a expression that I can only describe as if she was sucking a lemon.I gave her my surname and to my utmost amusement she finally asked me if I was in a relationship with Andy Murray.:laugh: I kid you not..those were her words.:barmy: I told her that I was just a loyal fan. We said goodbye as she informed me what time this interview would be on and on which channel. Thank goodness I didn't see any of it.:lol:

[supergran]

Dan's match had started when I got back and it was soon evident that this was going to be a hard fought rubber. Dan was playing well as was Dodig and at 3-3 we were cheering the boy on as loudly as we could having to compete with the noisy Croations to the left of us. Eevan or Eyevan is a very aggressive player and comfortable on clay and he soon got the break. He played really well and won the first set 6-3.:sad: Early in the second set Andy returned and sat next to Ross to cheer on Dan. They looked so happy together...quite lovely to see them like that.:hug: Dodig was running away with the set and at one point Dan threw his racquet, Dodig complained about a call but despite our singing, cheering and full-throated support the set was gone and Ivan won 6-2. Would we have a miracle come-back by our come-back kid? We fervently hoped so and roared him on in the third set.:cheer::cheer: Dan was doing his best but Dodig was so much better. Some of his serves were so powerful that there was no answer to them. Dodig won 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. We cheered Dan lustily but he looked so disappointed and annoyed. He needn't have done. He was beaten by a better player on clay. Well done Dan!:thumbup: So we were level and looking forward now to the doubles the next day with hope, a few nerves but mostly confidence in Andy and Colin.:GBflag::GBflag:

[supergran]

We had enjoyed an exciting day watching tennis.:tennis::tennis: The sun had been beating down on us:fanning: and the atmosphere has been electric. I had spoken to Ross, Leon and Treacle, taken photographs of Treacle and James Ward, then after Andy's match had taken photos of him talking to Annabel angling my camera so as to eliminate Ms Croft from photo!;) It had been a day of euphoria and disappointment but we were all in high spirits as we drifted away from Centre Court and ambled back to the hotel.:) On one side of our route back was the bay, the afternoon sun shining on the clear, calm water and to our left were a few houses and a couple of bars and small shops. One, with open frontage enticed us to it. Ice cream was being purchased by quite a few people. Haven't had an ice cream cone for such a long time and they were delicious.:big grin:We sat down at a table facing the sea while finishing off our cold treat then strolled back to the hotel. Alan was very tired by now after sitting in the sun for such a long time and he wanted a nap before dinner.:sleepy::sleepy: He got into bed and I sat on the balcony for a while. Then, feeling a little drowsy I went to lie on the bed and fell asleep. I was woken up by Pat Moren phoning me about meeting for dinner. Explaining that I had been asleep I said I would see her later and promptly fell asleep again. It's tiring supporting the GB team. I must have had more exercise that afternoon jumping up and down continuously than I'd had for a few days.:jitterbug::swingin:

[patmoren]

Maureen just borrowing your blog to say I have uploaded some pictures onto Photo bucket if anyone wants a look. No sure what I need to do so that people can access them tried to paste a link but that didn't work.
http://s711.photobucket.com/user/patmoren/story/12905

Link finally works, hope you enjoy the various scenes during our 5 days, I'm not a very good photographer.

[supergran]

I woke up after 7 and roused my sleeping spouse. He'd sleep for ever if I didn't wake him!.;) Quick showers then dressed for the evening. Nice change to be out of GB clobber and into skirt, jacket and top with my trademark pretty scarf plus wrap for later.:boogie: We went downstairs and a group was waiting for us in the lounge area. Said hello to Pat, Susan, Liz & Rob apologising for keeping them waiting when I suddenly spied Ros sitting in the armchair next to me.:GBsmile:I was so surprised and delighted to see her as she jumped up to hug me. I introduced her to Alan and then we started chatting nineteen to the dozen. She was covering the tennis and was staying at the Melia Coral with other press folk. She had been in an interview with the GB team sitting directly opposite to Andy. She showed me the picture and it was fantastic. Team GB seated on a white sofa and there was Ros on another white sofa chatting to Andy!:worship: Well, she said he was looking at her as if to say "Who is this?:laugh: He'll get to know soon enough.:lol: The others went into the dining room and we stayed chatting and catching up for quite a while. It was lovely to see her and to know that she come from the other hotel just to see me.:thumbup: After saying goodbye Alan and I went into the dining room. We found the others and I sat next to Liz. She had ordered wine but I had decided not to drink much that evening. I can do that, you know. I have gone weeks without alcohol many times!!:halo::halo: Ivan appeared at my shoulder and despite my protestations proceeded to pour me a glass of wine from Liz's bottle! Liz's face was a picture...not sure she appreciated Ivan's actions.:laugh::laugh: Of course, she didn't begrudge me the wine but the way Ivan did it was so comical. He tried it later but my hand was firmly over the glass.:big grin:

[supergran]

Maureen just borrowing your blog to say I have uploaded some pictures onto Photo bucket if anyone wants a look. No sure what I need to do so that people can access them tried to paste a link but that didn't work.You are very clever Patricia...would not have any idea of how to do that. Sure someone will tell you.

[patmoren]

It took me all the morning, wish I could put the one of the four of us on here. Great blog by the way, brings it all back!!! Link now working see previous post

[Linda]

Lovely photos, Pat! :clap: :clap:

[supergran]

Great pix Pat.:bravo:

[Howdie65]

Had a very busy couple of days so just catching up on the blog just now! Am thoroughly enjoying reliving it all again. You're doing a fab job of remembering all the detail. Great photos from Pat too. I haven't even had time to do anything with my photos yet - I'm useless really - can't ever seem to find enough hours in the day to do everything. Work, annoyingly, gets in the way of doing nice things! Looking forward to the next episode.......

[Linda]

Oh, I totally understand - I'm just the same. Sometimes it takes me months to get my photos uploaded. But not as long as Davech :lol:

[hfwardhouse]

:lol:

[supergran]

Another pleasant meal with much chat ranging from the tennis, jobs, interests and lots of talk about Andy and Dan! Alan and I went outside, found a comfortable sofa and listened to the vocalist who was singing our kind of songs. Songs that had been sung by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald...you get the idea. She did sing in Croatian but these were sung in English and she had a lovely voice. We were joined by Charlie. Kelly had gone to bed, and then by Susan. Earlier that day Susan and I had taken a photo of each other with Andy. In mine the darned cowboy hat obscured part of Andy's face:oops::lol: We were talking about the photos and I said I was a bit disappointed with mine but Charlie cheered me up when he told me he had taken that photo also. He showed it to me and it was of Andy and me looking into my camera held by Susan and I could see his face.:GBsmile: Charlie kindly sent it to my e-mail address.:clap::) Alan and Charlie retired for the night and it was just the two of us again. But we were sensible. Everyone had made plans to do something different on Saturday as play started at 2 pm. Most of us were going into Umag to have a look around the town. So around midnight we said goodnight. Day 1 over and what an exciting day it had been.:GBflag:

[Linda]

'sensible'? What has happened to the am.com DC cheering crowd? Where are the drunken celebrations, the headaches and lost handbags in the morning, etc.? I find 'sensible' hard to recognise. Or was Alan a sobering influence?

[supergran]

'sensible'? What has happened to the am.com DC cheering crowd? Where are the drunken celebrations, the headaches and lost handbags in the morning, etc.? I find 'sensible' hard to recognise. Or was Alan a sobering influence?I mislaid my handbag ONCE and it was not I who had a headache or who had to be taken to her room Miss Linda!!:laugh::wino::laugh:

[Linda]

I've never had to be 'taken to my room'! :lol:

[supergran]

Saturday morning: After breakfast we got a taxi into Umag. 100 Kuna!! It is a lovely town with a picturesque harbour and quaint narrow streets. When we got to the main square we made a beeline for the church. We like to visit churches and cathedrals in every city we visit and we have seen a lot. From the opulence of St Peter's in Rome to the stark but awe-inspiring cathedral in Nuremburg and the grandeur of St Patrick's in NYC plus many more over two continents. We like to have some quiet time, light a candle and admire the architecture pondering on the workmanship and the time and effort it must have taken to build these huge edifices to the glory of God.:halo::halo: I went up the rather steep stone steps to check if it was open. I pushed the heavy door and it was open so I turned to tell Alan I'd come down to help him. But, he couldn't wait:grrr: and there he was sprawled on the steps!:facepalm: Luckily a young man rushed to help him up. Where I tend to buy a souvenir...a fridge magnet or a tea-towel he tends to fall. In fact over the last 3 or 4 years he has fallen in most countries we have visited; in hotels in the UK and abroad, at sporting events,on an escalator, in pubs, on a cruise ship, in the garden and up the stairs!!:big grin:

[hfwardhouse]

Oh dear - poor Alan!

[supergran]

He rested in the church for a while and then we continued our tour. I did indeed by a couple of souvenirs and we decided it was time for some liquid refreshment.:beer: It was about 1045 when we sat down outside a cafe bar on the sea front. The road was lined with vintage cars which were attracting a lot of attention. There were cars of every description and vintage and we wondered why they were there. We ordered two cold lagers and sat in the hot sunshine people watching.:):) I then noticed two women who were in our hotel and part of the tennis group. One was drinking a large white wine and the other a coffee. We started to chat about the matches and about Andy. Before we left the wine drinker was on her second one so perhaps this is the drunken supporter that Linda wants to hear about.;);) More about her later. I had asked the waiter where we could get a taxi and he wrote down an address and a phone no. We walked up a side street and I decided to pop into a gift shop and ask where the street was. The owner asked me if I wanted that taxi and I told him that any one would do. He then called Alan inside, got a chair and told him to sit down and phoned for our taxi.:thumbup: How kind was that? He was lovely and so I bought another souvenir...the least I could do.:):) The taxi arrived and we said goodby to the very kind Croatian gentleman. We got out at the hotel and the driver asked me for....not 100 kuna, not 90 kuna, not 80 kuna but 72 kuna!! He got a tip!!:clap::clap:

[Linda]

28 kuna?

[xenon21]

Loving the blog Maureen! Great feel of the people, tie... :)

Lovely pics too Pat!

[Genbrit]

Great blog, really enjoying it.

Pat, thanks for the pics as well. Nice to see where it all happened.

[supergran]

Some information regarding Centre Court: Our seats were behind the umpire, slightly to his right and behind where the GB team sat. Pat, Susan, Alan and I were in row 5. Behind us were Kate and her sister, Lankster and James. Across from us was Liz and Rob was nearby though I'm not sure where as one day I spied him on the front row. In front of us were two rows of young people who were connected to the LTA. One of the young women was giving out shirts and those things you blow up to make a noise:big grin::big grin: This group had chants and songs and were, to a certain extent leading the support. That did not stop our little group from starting vocal support and with Chris's voice we were certainly equal to theirs. We weren't in competition but did notice that when they started we joined in but when we began something....they didn't!:shrug::shrug: Because our seats at the front were next to the players' tunnel there were only five seats in each row which was very convenient.;) Behind us and to our right were rows of GB supporters many in GB colours. There was also a group at the service end on our right in colours and with flags. To our left across the tunnel were the fanatic Croation supporters. Two men stand out. They were on their feet, shouting throughout the tie and very often risked the wrath of the umpire as they carried on when a player was about to serve.:grrr: It still surprises me when supporters just sit there and do not join in. They clap and probably give a little cheer but seem unable to join in with the wonderful chants of support. How can you not be part of "We love you Andy/Flembo/Evo" "Super Muzz/Col/Dan" etc?:confused: Looking around I could see them smiling at us like indulgent parents at a Primary School concert. I just don't get it!!:confused:

[Caro]

No, I don't get it either! Why would you go to DC and not want to support your team?! The noise and vocal support is what I love most about DC .... I don't usually get my voice back for a week after!

Well, I could definately hear the "we love you Andy" chant - brought tears to my eyes actually, I soooo wanted to be with you! And you're right about Chris's voice - I could pick him out on several occasions. Did you get to speak to many of the other GB fans?

I can't open the photos at work Pat, but will have a look when I get chance at home.

[Yorkie]

fantastic blog SG. I'm sure all who did not attend are as jealous as I am after hearing all bout your exploits. I'm looking forward to further installments.

[pabbers]

Great blog, SG and love the photos, Pat - the weather and hotel both look fab oh and the supporters of course and I suppose Andy looks ok too :lol:

[supergran]

The Doubles: 2 0'clock approached and in the sunlit bar Alan, Susan and I finished our drinks, visited the loo and made our way round to our entrance. It was another very hot afternoon.:) There had been some talk that we couldn't take water in with us and bags were searched. Our water was at the bottom of the bag wrapped in a flag and covered with a sweater and light cardigan I always had in there in case of a very long match and a change in the weather. Neither of which really happened over the three days.:shades::fanning: How people were being prevented from having water is beyond me as it was very hot in the stadium and, of course one could take beer and other beverages in. I used to give the bag to Alan and he used to hobble through slowly and never once was he searched. My handbag was searched!:GBsmile::GBsmile::GBsmile::GBsmile: We were really looking forward to this rubber and seeing Andy and Colin playing together. Their opponents were Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic who is only 20 years old. We were all in full voice and again had to compete with the excitable Croatians to our left and opposite. Andy served first and won his game easily. Pavic seemed nervous and there was a double fault. Game GB 2-0. Then Colin held serve 3-0. Andy and Colin were whispering instructions behind the ball to each other throughout and they did play well together.:thumbup: Dodig won his service game followed by Andy winning his to love. 4-1. We were loving this and made our presence felt throughout. Treacle kept turning round urging us on and we didn't let him down.:yahoo: At 5-3 it is Andy's turn to serve for the set and...it's in the bag. 6-3 GB!:jitterbug:

[pabbers]

Susan and I finished our drinks, visited the loo

Too much information :lol:

[supergran]

Too much information :lol:Its significance will be revealed later. Everything I write is relevant.:whistle::whistle:

[pabbers]

:lol: I might have known!!

[Linda]

It sounds like you all had a great time. I can't understand the supporters who didn't join in with the chants - surely that's all part of the fun of going to Davis Cup? (Not knowing the words is no excuse, you can just sing lalala as some of us had to do in Spain.)

Were you really not allowed to take water in? :shocked: We had to take the tops off our water bottles to take them in, but of course we just put them in our pockets and put them back on once we were inside.

[supergran]

Talking about the water. We just heard on the grapevine that it wasn't allowed so didn't want to risk it being taken from us so most of our group had it hidden.

[supergran]

Saturday cont'd: The Second & third sets: GB win the second set 6-2 after some scintillating play from all four men. Great serving and volleying from Andy, some exciting rallies between them all and great net play from Colin keeps us all on our toes....and literally on our feet.:cheer::cheer: Then Dodig's serve seems to desert him as he served at 2-5 and great play from Andy and then Colin secures the set 6-2!:thumbup: Pavic starts off the third and seems nervous. Early break and Pavic double faults and the game goes to GB. We are all fired up now. Chants and songs resounding around the stadium and the Croations are doing the same!:yahoo: Then Andy served at 1-0. Oops..a double fault, a missed volley, a lucky shot from Dodig and it's 1-1. You would have thought the Croations had won the set. Pavic was rousing his countrymen to greater vocal support:yahoo: We just increased our our support of Andy to let him know that he is our champ!:gold::GBflag: The next game Andy and Colin really turned the screw and some fantastic play from them both got us the game. This was very exciting is a little nerve-wracking. Pavic was playing well and at 4-4 it could have gone either way. Then it was 5-4 for Croatia..they were ahead for the first time. Their supporters were going wild. Gutteral shouts, klaxons,:dance::yahoo: fist-pumping and I really feared for the health of the two men to our left. I was sure they were going to burst a blood vessel or keel over!!:eek: Andy served well and it was 5-5 then 5-6, then tie break time. The tie-break as you know was very tense and very close. The sad thing is that it was lost because of a double-fault from Colin who had obviously tightened up.:sad: He looked devastated as Croatia won 8-6. We did our best to show our love and support but he was very down.:hug::hug:

[supergran]

Fourth Set: After 2 hours and 15 minutes we are into a 4th set. We go wild as they start and I think we are winning the cheering stakes. Flags are waved, cheers and noise come from the British supporters. We needed to show our boys we have faith. "We love you Andy", we love you Flembo!!!:yahoo::yahoo: Andy wins his service game after a winning volley from Colin 40-0.:dance: A double fault from Pavic with break points against and it's 2-0. Andy seems to be a man on a mission. He looks so determined and he and Colin are playing so well. :thumbup: Colin wins his service game and then Dodig wins his, 3-1. Errors from the Croations as Andy serves to love. 4-1. We are loving this. Loving the play from the two Scots, the relationship between them, the support from the team and our voices are getting strained from our loud and strident support. Don't you just love the Davis Cup?:GBsmile: Brilliant play from Colin and Andy as they power on reducing Pavic to a quivering wreck. A cross court winner from Andy and we have a double break!:yahoo:Colin served for the match and we willed him on showing our love, faith and support. And he and Andy clinched the set and the rubber. GB won 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-1.:GBflag::GBflag: It is pandemonium in the sun. We cheer ourselves hoarse as we watch the team congratulating Andy and Colin.:yahoo: A great afternoon. Alan and I leave quite quickly as he needs to sit in the shade.:fanning::fanning: We are now extremely happy and confident that the tie will be ours. Time for a cold one!!:cheers:

[supergran]

After the match: We sat down at the nearest bar quite near the players' entrance. Alan ordered a beer and I left him there while I went to wait for Andy and Colin. I met Kelly and Charlie who had a programme. Strangely a few of us had never seen a programme and didn't know where to get them.:confused: Charlie, immediately disappeared and then returned with one for me. He is such a lovely, helpful young man.:thumbup: I saw Gavin and went and had a little chat. I started talking to a young 14yr old Croatian boy who spoke English!! He asked me did I live in London. I told him that not everybody came from London;) and that I was from the North West of England. Seeing his puzzled expression I added "Between Liverpool and Manchester!" Instant recognition and he mentioned football.:big grin: He told me he lived in a village of about 2000 people and that he loved Andy Murray.:cheer: Someone then said (I can't remember who) that Colin had left; that he had walked out with his head down and just strode off. We were saying that he had absolutely no need to feel bad about the tie-break as he had played very well. I felt sorry for him if that was the reason. Love Colin.:thumbup: Went back to Alan, keeping my eye on the crowd which had gathered on the grass and he said he needed to pay a visit. Now the toilets we had been using were, if you have been paying attention, a way off so I went into the bar and asked if they had them. He pointed just over the grass to an area which had a archway entrance leading, as I discovered, to restaurants and players' facilities Very close to our entrance to Centre Court.:grrr::) He actually took Alan over there....so helpful and kind.

[patmoren]

You are doing a great job Maureen, did you take notes!!

[supergran]

Suddenly Andy appeared and I was shocked to see how everyone, adults and children alike simply mobbed him. I could not believe how they were pushing, shoving each other and jostling him.:shocked::shocked: He tried to keep on the move as he signed and was photographed. I felt sorry for him. I moved away from the eager fans and got in front of Andy but didn't crowd him. I managed a shot of him signing someone's programme and then as he moved towards me I held out mine and asked would he sign it. He scrawled something across his picture. I managed to say "Congratulations and good luck for tomorrow" whereupon he looked at me and said "Thank you" and walked away still being trailed by his fans. I was quite happy and went back to join Alan and have a drink.:wino: A little later I visited the loo and when I came out there straight in front of me was Annabel! Now, most people on here know I have no love for this young woman and the reason why. BUT she smiled at me..I mean I'm in full GB support dress and so she probably thought I'd be pleased to see her. Then she spoke to me asking if I'd enjoyed the doubles.:GBsmile::GBsmile: I told her I had and how brilliant Andy and Colin had been laying the praise on with a trowel!! She's like a doll...stick-thin, very brown, lovely hair and this modulated voice. She looked very glamorous in a slim-fitting cream dress around which was a very expensive looking brown leather belt. She wore very high wedged sandals and she towered over me.:grrr: Her ankles were very slim I noticed to my chagrin as by now mine were swollen. :crying: She said she hoped that I'd enjoy Sunday and said goodbye. Under my breath I whispered something I can't put on here and went back to my husband and my wine.:big grin::big grin:

[supergran]

You are doing a great job Maureen, did you take notes!!My time spent on the balcony during Alan's naps was when I jotted things down re the tennis. Other info I am doing from memory which could fail any time now.

[karanga]

Maureen - wonderful accounts of your fun in the sun. Thanks for taking so much trouble over recounting your experiences to us. The blog is really appreciated especially by those who were not able to travel to Croatia.

I'm happy that you had such a fun trip. :thanks: :wino:

[supergran]

We got back to the hotel and Alan went straight to bed. I had a leisurely time getting ready for the evening. Showered and dressed I sat on the balcony with a head full of rollers! I had noticed the hairdressing salon in the hotel and on Friday evening had asked at reception when it opened. I was told 9.30 so on the dot of 9.30 I went to make an appointment. I knew we had time as the tennis only started at 2 pm and hopefully we could still visit Umag.:) I walked in and saw the stylist attending to a client. I asked if I could have a blow-dry and she said she had no appointments. I told her it would only take 20 minutes but she said the next free space she had was...:doh:Tuesday!!:sad: So there I was sitting on the balcony hoping that my hair would look OK for our Saturday evening. We went down for dinner about 8 pm and most of the group had almost finished. :yak: I remember Pat going to her room to check on the other results and come on here and after we had finished our meal we went outside. It was really lovely sitting in pleasant surroundings while being entertained by music performed by a group. Armed with a bottle of wine we sat at a table where there was room for a group of us.:party: Charlie and Kelly were there as well as Susan and us. I recall Liz turning up with her friends from the US Open Sarah and her mother Sandy and then they left. I think they were going to eat somewhere and I wasn't sure if they would see Lankster. He, Sarah and Sandy were not staying at our hotel. Then Alan went to bed and we carried on drinking and taking photographs. Then Liz came back and joined us as did three Austrian gentlemen who had been sitting behind us and were laughing at our photograph-taking.:laugh: They kept miming to Susan and me to lift our chins for a photo. Cheeky blighters.:lol: They had all travelled by motorbike for a boys' break and we tried to persuade them to come to the tennis on Sunday. They were very impressed to hear that Andy was playing.:GBsmile: Soon they were sitting in our group and we were all having a laugh. We decided to teach them "We love You Andy!" which we sang with gusto much to their amusement. I found out the next day that Rob, who you know on here as Bob from Spain, had been trying to get some sleep as he had a long journey home on Sunday. He mentioned to someone that he had been woken up by the chorus of We Love You Andy.:shamed::laugh: I have no idea what time the party ended though I'm sure Susan, who has a good memory and is younger than I could probably tell you.:wino::wino:;) I do know that once again Susan and I were the last to go to bed.:big grin:

[supergran]

Sunday: The Reverse Singles: At breakfast as on the previous mornings food was snaffled from the buffet for our lunch. Bread rolls, ham, cheese, salami plus butter and fruit secreted in our bags. So really we had full-board, not half-board!!;) It was another hot and sunny morning as we made our way to the Stella Maris. Pat walked ahead with James and Rob and the three of us took the short cut again. We went straight to the practice court and there he was...Andy... practising with Leon and Ross.:thumbup: We walked right round to where there were just a few watching and sat on the front row. He definitely saw us but he obviously couldn't single us out for a warm greeting.....The crowd on the other side would have been a bit upset.:lol: I did give a little wave!:swingin::love: We watched and took photographs. It was lovely to see Andy and Ross together and though they were working hard they were were obviously enjoying themselves. After they finished we made our way to our favourite bar and ordered cold beer and cider from our usual barman. It was getting very hot!:cheers: Now the routine in the bar, as in most foreign places is to order and then pay as you leave. The only drawback is one has to wait until the barman comes to you so you can settle the bill. As there were not many people in he came quickly and was paid.:halo: Then Howdie65. she of the good memory asked us if we remembered paying the day before.:confused: We sat there pondering and then I said that she and I went to the loo so Alan must have paid. He said he hadn't as he'd gone to the Gents. We then remembered that it wasn't the barman but a woman who'd served us.We felt a little guilty, but not that much obviously as we left and walked round to our entrance to Centre Court.:shamed:;)

[lynne]

Great reading Maureen....just love your blogs.... great writing & very entertaining....:thumbup:

[supergran]

Andy came out to full-throated cheers from the GB supporters.:GBflag: We cheered Andy on with every winning shot and supported him even louder when Dodig went ahead. This was an interesting set as along with great shots, there were errors from both men. Andy broke in the first game and went up 2-0 but Dodig got the score to 2-2. Two double faults from Ivan and Andy lead 3-2.:thumbup: Andy held and it was 4-2. We were all so excited and pumped up. We were chanting, banging, cheering, waving flags and generally going wild.:cheer: Andy served for the set at 5-4 and Andy served not one double fault but two..score 30 all. But being Andy he served an ace and a winner and the set was his!!:dance: Dodig started the second set incredibly well getting the first game with two awesome smashes.:eek: Andy upped his game determination etched on his face. It was clear what this meant to him and the support from the team and the spectators must have helped him.:yahoo::GBsmile: That's not to say that Dodig wasn't playing well. He was and there were some very tight games. The Croation supporters were going wild and games see-sawed back and forth. Drums were banged, horns blown and the guys to our left looked and sounded like mad men. But Andy secured the set after screaming "Yes" when he got the double break at 5-2. Two sets in the bag.:yahoo::yahoo: Just one more Andy we were praying!:thumbup: In the third set Dodig seemed to fade and falter at times as Andy just played superbly to get to 3-1. Dodig pulled back to 3-2 but to us it seemed liked Andy was in the driving seat and was driving the team to the World Group.:GBflag: 4-3 then 5-3 followed by a good game from Ivan and it was 5-4. The last game was, if you recall, quite dramatic. Andy was serving for the match when at 30-30 a call was disputed. Ivan thought it had got the line....the umpire overruled in Andy's favour and Dodig was absolutely devastated as were the supporters. The dispute lasted for a few minutes and when Andy was serving at match point the Croations booed, hissed, shouted and did everything possible to put Andy off.:grrr: But Andy was not to be denied and one match point needed and the tie is in the bag!! Andy punched the air as we jumped in the air with high fives and hugs everywhere.:highfive: The whole team were celebrating with a group hug on the court.:grouphug: A wonderful moment. Great Britain through to the World Group, and in no small measure, thanks to Andy Murray our Champion!!:GBflag:

[supergran]

Dan played Mate Pavic in the dead rubber and it was a very competitive match. It was obvious that Dan wanted to win and we cheered him on enthusiastically.:cheer::cheer: No tension, no nerves, everyone was just so happy to support Dan and cheer him home. He won the first set 6-4 and the team were cheering and applauding as well as the GB crowd. To give credit to those Croatians who stayed their support was also very loud and very vocal at times. The same men shouting, standing, gesticulating.....wouldn't like to meet those two on a dark night.:lol: The second set was fiercely competitive and went to a tie-break. Think I remember lots of deuces but I didn't make notes as I didn't have time afterwards. Dan won 6-4, 7-6 and the weekend's tennis ended on a gloriously happy note. There were a few mad scenes. Croatian children jostling frantically for signatures, adult fans waving cameras at the team. Liz, Susan and I.... yay we were at the front waving and taking pictures:boogie: and when Liz spotted the Union flag they were holding was upside down the two of us gesticulated to Leon andthe others, calling out "It's the wrong way!":lol::GBflag: Bless 'em, they looked confused but turned it round.:GBflag: Susan and I were thrown balls from one of the team. Mine nestles in my Wimbledon cup on a table in my lounge. I will take it to the next tie I attend and hope to have it signed. Eventually, as the celebrations were winding down Alan and I left the stadium. He needed to have a sit down with a beer after the heat, the excitement and the euphoria. Well. he wasn't euphoric....he was more phlegmatic but very pleased for the team obviously.:GBsmile: We sat down at the nearest bar and waited for everyone to come out of Centre Court.

[supergran]

Soon there was quite a crowd on the grass outside the players' entrance and we met up with our group. People were saying that there was to be a reception at the players' hotel and we were all getting a little excited. Eventually one of the LTA bods told us officially that we were invited as a thank you for our support. We were told to be there at 6,00- 6.30.:excited: We decided to try and get there before 6 and when we got back to our hotel Pat went to reception and booked a car. We all went to get ready. Alan and I were downstairs early and we met Rob. He's a lovely guy and very interesting to chat to.:) It was the first opportunity I'd had to talk to him and I loved hearing about what he was doing in South America and Spain. He was leaving to travel home straight after the reception. He had already packed and left his car quite close to the Melia Coral for a convenient getaway. James and Pat appeared and we waited for Susan and the car. We noticed a people-carrier outside and then some supporters getting in it. I wondered aloud if that was ours but it drove off. When Howdie65 came down our transport has still not arrived.:facepalm: Eventually I went to reception, explained about the booking and asked could he check for us. He phoned and said there was no reply. I asked him to try again. Same answer. Time was passing and our plans for an early departure were in tatters. :banghead: So I asked him to phone a car for us and eventually it turned up. I still think our transport had been taken by those others who probably blithely thought that it had been arranged for them.:doh: We arrived at the Melia Coral, walked outside and it was packed with people. This time we made straight for the bar. The young barman recognised Susan and me and soon we were in possession of two large wines.!! The others got drinks and we made our way outside again to socialise and to enjoy a bit of a do,:shelebrate: courtesy of the LTA.:thanks:

[supergran]

I saw Ros standing with other press guys and went over to her. We had a lovely time chatting to them all about the tennis. I remember Alan talking to the chap from the Independent and telling him he was a Telegraph reader. He didn't look impressed.:lol: After a while Alan went to sit at an empty table where he was joined by Pat while Susan and I mingled.;) Ros told me where I could find Neil Harman and I went to chat to him. He was lovely, saying it was good to meet me at last and sign my hat. Yes, DC fans....the hat was with me as was my programme. We had been told the players might be there.:faint: Ros had lent me a pen and she was quite overwhelmed when I asked her to sign my hat.:lol:;) She wasn't staying long as she had work to do and an early flight. With my maternal hat on I advised her to have a sleep before her flight and she said that was a good idea. We saw Lankster, Liz and other fans we had talked to during the weekend. Everyone was having a jolly time and those press people do enjoy their wine!!:wino: Then Leon appeared and stood on something to speak to us. He thanked us for travelling and for our wonderful support. It was really lovely of him....he is such a lovely young man.:drool: As the evening wore on more people were sitting down. There were two tables, one where Alan and Pat were seated and another which filled up with a group of ladies. These ladies sat quietly and someone mentioned that the Duchess of Gloucester was there. Turning around I saw her amongst these quiet, dignified ladies. "I think I'll go and speak to her" I said, "I've never spoken to royalty." And with that I moved towards her much to the amusement of the others.:boogie:

[pabbers]

Come on SG.....my suspenders are under tension!!!!

[hfwardhouse]

:lol:

[lynne]

Oh! heck can't wait.......talk about a "Cliffhanger".......:laugh:

[pabbers]

Methinks we've played right into her hands :doh: :rolleyes: - could be a lengthy wait :lol:

[Howdie65]

Popping again to catch up with several instalments of Supergran's blog. Sometimes I'm chortling with laughters and at other times I'm "aww"ing with memories of a lovely time. Someone (Bob in Spain maybe?) asked me if I would be doing a blog and I said "probably not" (knowing how rubbish I am finding time!). So glad I didn't commit myself as there is no way I could have gotten anywhere near close to the brilliance of Supergran's! :bravo:

[JAMES4578]

Fab and enertaining blog Supergran! Impressed with the photos Pat! Some of my pics of my own here, though far from perfect! Umag Trip (https://www.facebook.com/JAMES4578/media_set?set=a.10151891824228024.1073741826.51828 8023&type=3)

[supergran]

Great pix James. Thanks for putting them on here...makes it more real for those who weren't there.:thanks::thumbup:

[Jan62]

Thanks for the great blog SG - but don't leave us hanging like that! Can't wait to find out what happens next.

thanks to those who have posted pics, looks fantastic.

[Caro]

I am really enjoying this - it's so good to get all the news and gossip as I was so gutted not to be there. :thanks: :bravo:

[supergran]

Sorry for the hiatus....son and daughter-in-law here until Thursday. They leave and then return on Monday until Friday. Hope to finish Thursday/Friday. Thank you for your patience.:thanks:;)

[Linda]

Thanks for the blog and pics so far - looking forward to more :)

[xenon21]

suspense :p

[supergran]

I'm here! Everybody in bed. So where was I? I walked over to the Duchess of Gloucester thinking "Now how do I address her? Got it..Your Royal Highness and then Ma'am.":facepalm: I may be of working class roots but I know a thing or two about mixing with the aristrocacy.:worship: I remember many years ago chatting to Lady Mavis Pilkington in the Ladies' toilets at West Park Rugby Club and she was obviously so enthralled with my conversation and finding out we were near neighbours invited me for tea at Windle Hall. So a Danish immigrant, a commoner before she married, was not about to make me nervous.:boogie:I walked to her side and bent down and said these immortal words......."Hello, your Royal Highness, have you ever spoken to a lady from St Helens, Lancashire before?" I know you are all impressed by my sparkling overture to a duchess;) but her reply was simply stunning. She glanced at me.....glanced is the operative word here.....she glanced at me, smiled and retorted with just a hint of an accent......"I may have!":clap:"Probably Lady Pilkingon" I said, "Lovely to meet you" and then scuttled off. Turning around in front of me was this tall young lady in a lovely dress so I said hello and asked her if she was a member of the LTA.:confused: She told me she worked for the duchess and we had a conversation about what that entailed. Very interesting, but our conversation was cut short as she practically jumped to attention and said"The Duchess needs me". What a job eh? She was lovely and I think her name was Phillida and I remember telling her that was a very suitable name for someone who was at the beck and call of a Duchess. She laughed....she was a nice girl.:big grin:

[supergran]

I joined Alan and Pat at their table which had filled up in my absence. Kate (Hinxy) and her lovely sister were there as well as Susan and James, who had been away mingling, Had a lovely conversation with Kate and her sister (Can you guess.... I've forgotten her name?...hopeless at names!) But she had my undying admiration as she had flown from Australia to accompany Kate to Umag.:thumbup: What annoyed me slightly about them was that every day they looked beautiful....not a hair out of place....as if they'd stepped out of a bandbox!:angel: I have now decided that I'm going to buy a wig. My hair is fine when it's been blow-dried but as I can't do it myself I look a bit of a wreck after five days. If you have thick hair, long hair, no hair, you have no worries but I worry!!!!!!!!!! I have never met anyone at the DC who can blow dry. Have made up my mind....am going to buy a glamorous wig for evenings........ We had a great evening chatting and I do hope I will see Kate and her sister again. I could be wearing a wig....competition in the glamour stakes girls!!:rolling: We hadn't eaten before we arrived and Pat decided she would go back to the Sol Umag for dinner. James agreed to go with her and a taxi was ordered and they left us. We were still ready to party!!!:party::party:

[lynne]

:laugh:..just awesome.... sat here giggling to myself, would of loved to be a fly on the wall, I really hope this is not the last as what else am I going to read with my coffee & bickies......Brilliant Maureen!!:thumbup:

[supergran]

The three of us walked over to where the young people connected with the LTA were and immediately spotted Leon and Dan. I had a lovely conversation with Leon who was full of gratitude to us all for being there. He'd a few drinks as had Dan and it seemed that Leon was Evo's chaperone that evening.:lol: Everyone was so chatty and really enjoying this special time. We had a long conversation with one of the young men. His name, and this is the only name I can remember and that's because he gave me his e-mail address, is Ben Disley. He works for the LTA and as well as being a thoroughly nice young men he's easy on the eye also.;) Chatted to Dan who hugged me. I'm sure he hugged Susan also...he was quite merry! When he hugged me I was thinking that he doesn't realise that beneath this slightly worn exterior is the heart of a 30 yr old.:boogie: Was going to say 20 but even I think that's going to far!:lol: Had a photo with him also. Arms around each other we posed while Ben took the pic. Then Dan said "Take another." Funny, 'cos that's what I usually say!!:big grin: Now my lovely husband was going to celebrate his 74th birthday the next day, the 16th and I knew that the day would be taken up with travelling. So I got everyone to sing Happy Birthday to him. Fancy having Leon and Dan singing for you.:thumbup: He was mortified!:laugh: We asked if Andy, Colin and the others would be making an appearance but Leon didn't think so. We were disappointed but understood. Well, we didn't really.:sad: It would have been wonderful to see them but as there were still a lot of people there Andy would probably have been mobbed again.:worship: I can't remember what time we left Leon, Dan and the young crowd but we started to walk out. We were talking about our evening meal and after some discussion decided we would eat there. We would at least enjoy a dinner superior to the buffet at the Sol Umag. We made our way into the dining room. There were two very large round tables full of diners and we sat at a table for four.:yak:

[lynne]

:phew:You saved the day.....bickies at the ready......great as usual!!!:)

[supergran]

We ordered our meals....starter and main course, then more drinks! I remember having a slightly inebriated conversation with Susan and Alan wondering if I had enough Kumas left. Susan, she of the good memory and loads of money said we weren't to worry as she could pay.:halo: Our meals were delicious. I remember we had fish for the main but can't for the life of me remember what I had to start with. We had a really good time and we laughed a lot, especially as I kept saying that I hoped I could pay for it.:laugh: I think we had finished dinner when I decided it was time for another rousing chorus of Happy Birthday! So I walked across to the other tables and told them it was my husband's birthday the next day, explained about the travelling and asked if they would sing.:facepalm::facepalm: Bless 'em, they seemed to take the request in their stride....even one table on which sat the quiet ladies and the Duchess of Gloucester. Standing in the middle of the room I said "After three" told then his name and the whole room sang happy birthday.:cheer: Susan was laughing, Alan's face was a picture but everyone was smiling. I thanked them and was walking back to our table when a waiter appeared with a little cake and a huge white candle which he lit and placed in front of Alan. How lovely was that?:dance: After we had finished we had more hysterical discussion about payment. I emptied my purse and did have enough money to pay. We left a tip for our nice waiter and went to get a taxi back to our hotel. It seems that I kept thanking Susan for the meal and she kept telling me she hadn't paid for us. I even did it the next day!:lol: Back at the Sol Umag we went outside and I think we had more drinks.:shelebrate: