h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Using a Peet-type 'summing up' title. My friend G came to visit this weekend, which was great. I'm rather unconfident about entertaining people at home, but because I've known him for years and years, it wasn't at all stressful.

He arrived just after lunch on Saturday: it was a bit cloudy, rain forecast for later, so we decided to go out straight away. Walked over to the historic centre and along the Backs (of the colleges). Huge carpet of pale purple crocuses outside the gates of Trinity; and similar carpet, but in a mixture of colours (dark purple, pale purple, white) along both sides of the path inside the gate. We went through Trinity and into town, and had tea and cake at Michaelhouse, a former church converted into a very nice cafe. Bought some flowers in the market for E, whose party we were going to in the evening.

It was an early evening cocktail party: great fun, with lots of people I hadn't seen for ages. G is planning a trip to Thailand, and met several people who'd been there recently, so was able to get some tips. There was a lethal Monkey Gland cocktail, among others, and enough other booze to sink a battleship. Best surprise of the evening was when we turned the corner into David Street, where E lives: there is a whitewashed wall opposite her house, and she had a projector in her upstairs front window, projecting photos of Michaelangelo's David onto the wall. This was a reference to the fact that a few years ago a local artist painted a picture of the statue on the wall, but the Council cleaned it off - spoilsports!

Later on, we went and ate meze at the local Turkish restaurant before heading home. Stayed up drinking tea and chatting, so didn't go to bed until about 11.30, which is well past my usual bedtime.

Today started off beautifully bright and sunny, so we walked again - this time along the tpwpath from Elizabeth Bridge into town, admiring the narrowboats and the rowing crews. Had a coffee when we got to Magdalen Bridge.

This lunchtime, the Sunday Lunch Club decamped to my local pub, where they were doing a hog roast out in the back garden. Unfortunately, at about 1.30pm, a sudden gust of wind knocked over one of the serving tables, smashing a pile of plates, and then there was a downpour. They rushed round and rescued the situation however, and everybody got their lunch OK.

I was going to go to the cinema this evening to see Entre les Murs (The Class), but decided to put it off until later in the week.

Went to see Entre les Murs last night - brilliant film, IMHO. Perhaps more fun for French speakers than if you are totally dependent on the subtitles. The kids act so naturally it feels like a documentary.