Day 5, Poolside today & Baku GP

Healthy breakfast again... have I been taken over by an alien life force or some sort of entity as this is a bit out of character for me to say the very least...!!! Our plan today is for sunbathing around the pool in the morning, with a Formula One afternoon interlude in the comfort of our cool room.

We nab our favoured spot and after basting ourselves we settle down for some serious sunbathing; and it is hot... very hot!!! It was quite a while before anyone joined us, loving not having to fight for sun beds and space, even the pool doesn't

get busy, with Elaine usually getting it all to herself on her numerous visits to cool off. We're still enjoying a cloudless sky and again there's not even the slightest hint of a breeze today. As morning gently melts into the afternoon we have to consider our options for lunch and the Grand Prix...

After a fair bit of intensive deliberation, and the fact that we've eaten rather too well since we arrived, we settle for a "snacks from the supermarket" lunch to have in our room. Now after all that deliberating we still didn't think this through too well... our decision means that we now had to get dressed and actually go to the aforesaid supermarket in this sweltering heat!!! This holiday is all go go go...!!!

So we take an easy stroll down the hill to our friendly local

store, criss-crossing the twisting road as we go to get the benefit of what little shade there is. The supermarket is lovely and cool, well... it's freezing actually, and we are soon loaded up with locally made pastries, crisps, olives, fruit and drinks and now have to make our way back up that hill to the hotel... it seemed so much easier on the outward journey! We take our time with our odd, though very tasty, al-fresco meal while sitting out on our little terrace, Elaine reading her book and me making some notes for this blog while also watching the various watercraft bobbing about in the bay below the hotel.

Once we've finished there are still a couple of hours to go before the race, so back down to the pool terrace we go for some more sunbathing, and we are able to take up the same position as before, after turning the beds a few degrees to

face the sun that is now half way through its journey across this amazing azure sky. As he'd promised, Dimitris had set up the TV for the Grand Prix but we're able to watch it in our room, still tipped him handsomely for keeping his promise.

Just before four o'clock we got our things together and dashed (well trudged really) back to the room and settled down in plenty of time for the start of the race. All went well at the start with Lewis holding a comfortable lead, but Valtteri was turned around at the first turn and was ultimately lapped by the leaders. After an accident the Safety Car was deployed and he was able to unlap himself.

Next it was Lewis that hit trouble, and it was quite bizarre as he had to take a pit stop while leading comfortably to replace his cockpit surround that had worked loose on the left hand side. This obviously dropped him down the field, and he only managed to finish fifth behind the eventual winner, Aussie Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas an amazing second after being lapped and pipping Lance Stroll on the line, with Sebastian Vettel fourth after being issued with a ten second stop and go penalty for hitting Lewis

purposely during the Safety Car period because he thought he had brake tested him!

After what was a disappointing race for us we headed back down to the pool to console ourselves with a coffee and to catch the last rays of sun. We stayed on even after the sun had set, as it was now far more comfortable out of it's intense scorching heat. As we had pigged out a bit at lunch time, plus the fact that it hadn't been the most active of days for us, we weren't overly hungry this evening so just had the leftovers from our lunch... cheap day food wise!!!

Not long after our sumptuous meal we were getting very sleepy, so it was off to bed, laid down our weary heads and drifted off into dream land.