And in the blue corner ‘Jugular Jim’ Murty and in the red corner ‘The Clones Cyclone’ Barry McGuigan.
We ought to start at the very beginning here when a sallow cub reporter was sent by his news editor to talk to the boxing champion.
Barry was appearing in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and I asked the former World Heavyweight champion which dwarf would he be playing.
Take that: Barry in action against Eusebio Pedroza
He bristled before regaining his composure.
On returning to the office my news editor fell upon the idea of us putting on a pretend sparring session.
All of which circling around the ring brings me onto the return of boxing in England this weekend.
There won’t, of course, be a crowd but one of the upsides is that we’ll be able to hear every thud and grimace more clearly.
Which you can only really do otherwise if you’re ringside.
Which I was lucky enough to be in my spell as a boxing writer in the Nineties covering the likes of Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn and Pat Clinton in Glasgow https://peoplemakeglasgow.com/.
A broad canvas: The Garden
Of course the Mecca for boxing is the US and it is every boxer’s dream to fight at Madison Square Garden and Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.
I’m not sure what the rules are for outdoor swimming pools in Scotland (probably because in the Frozen North nobody ever considered it a thing) but the English are dipping their toes back in today.
Swimming is one of the staples of many people’s holiday although I confess that I spend less time in a pool now than when I was a kid, preferring instead to sip cocktails by the bar.
In some places you can do both. Here are my five top pools on my travels.
Bim-ming pool
Swim up
Sandals, Barbados: The ultimate in luxury where you can drink your Strawberry Daiquiri in the middle of the pool.
And then swim up to the island pool and have another. OK, waddle over.
A game of volleyball with the ultra-competitive Americans becomes even more fun after all that. You try spiking a ball with a cocktail in your hand.
Kuramathi, Maldives: And you can’t beat an Infinity Pool where you feel you are swimming right into the Indian Ocean only for the end of the pool to stop you.
You’ll have to get out of the pool to get your cocktail though.
On a one-mile island surrounded by the Indian Ocean you would think you’d be in the sea all the time but I leave that to the fishes.
And instead dip into my own private pool which comes with my cabin and check out the restaurant pools. Where you’ll have company with the island’s herons.
And if you see a pair of red-rimmed sunglasses there would you let me know please?
Swimming in the fjords
Stormer: In the fjords
MSC Preziosa, Norwegian fjords: How’s this for a bracing swim? The Norwegian fjords.
You didn’t think I’d be dipping my toe in the isthmus did you?
But still I was fairly pleased with myself at taking to the pool in the Nordic drizzle while everyone (my professional photographer wife among them) hanging over the side taking piccies.
And herein a lesson to us all. I altruistically opted for the alternative Jordan trip rather than leave my workmates to cover me for another week.
It did allow me to empathise with Moses when he reached Mount Nebo and looked over The Promised Land but was forbidden to enter because of a row with God.
I’ve been trying to get on God’s good side praying furiously in lockdown… I don’t want to give HIM any reason to block me.
Auld Greeky
Echoes of Athens in Edinburgh
And this one you’ll get if you’re from Edinburgh or are a fan of the Scottish capital.
The city was known as Auld Reeky on account of the smell which came up from the lochs, or lakes, across from the Old Town.
Which was dredged and made into today’s Princes Street Gardens with bridges put over the new land to the newly-built New Town.
Athens of the North
And the architecture inspired the name Athens of the North.
Yosemite slam: This is Big Country and you’ll want to reveal your hunter-gatherer.
Lake McClure at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is where to pitch tent.
And get out and fish the lake and get your heartpumping at the Exchequer Mountain Bike Park.
Before heading to Yosemite to take in the giant Sequoias.
Camping spaces can be hard to get in Yosemite National Park and that’s where Indian Flat Campground near the gates comes in.
You’ll strike gold too at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds just a mile from the Gold Rush town. See www.mariposa.com.
Norfolk Broads
Let’s cosy up in the tent
Hickling Campsite, Hickling, Norfolk (https://www.hicklingcampsite.co.uk): Of course for many of us there’s nothing better than snuggling up next to your loved one.
And here’s one we prepared earlier from Norfolk in England’s East Anglia.
You’ll get to stay in a self-contained hut.
The Norfolk Broads are one of England’s natural delights while further afield you can explore secluded beach walks and boat trips.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” – 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5.
Which may have been your wedding reading – it was ours, but on theweekend we can finally marry again I’d rather do it differentlythis time.
No, not with a different partner though I can’t say if the same goes for herself.
Who’d have thought it? The Fourth of July today is as big a cause for celebration (if not more) here in the UK than it is in America.
I did, of course, tell you months ago that today would be the exact day that we would be coming out of lockdown in the UK (except for Scotland, doh!).
And not just in the last couple of weeks but as long ago as April 21 Wuhoo Wuhan.
Still, when all is said and done I would still prefer to be in the Oo Es of Eh today than anywhere else.
As big an Americanophile as I am I have never managed to time it so that I am there on the Fourth of July, nor for Thanksgiving either but I aim to put that right as soon as I can.
My Travel professional friends are projecting 2021 as the year when travel to America will have begun… and see what I’m doing there giving them the slogan…. We’ve Begun in ’21.
So have a nice day and my gift to you is these American dreams courtesy of our pals, the Travel providers:
American Holidays http://www.americanholidays.com has instilled some much needed confidence with their ‘Book with Confidence’ and ‘Travel with Confidence’ initiatives.
And they have backed that up with an expanded portfolio of itineraries to the West Coast, Deep South, Canada, Road Trips and Mexico.
And you can make a great Road Trip out of either and any number of zig-zags across the continent.
Canada has been in full flow all week as they celebrated July 1 with a virtual Canada Day and Irish landmarks went red in unison. And don’t think they’ve stopped because it’s now the American national holiday.
Miami and Mexico, February 2021: Spend three nights in hip Miami, taking in Little Havana, South Beach and Miami Beach before kicking back and enjoying seven nights all-inclusive in Mexico. From €1849pp.
For glitz-seekers America is all about New York www.nycvb.com and Las Vegas www.lvcva.com and Tour America know it. As well as all the other great offers they have they can give you.
Hit The Strip in Vegas, from Sunday, January 31-February 4 is from €435pp, based on two adults for four nights sharing one room at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino.
While they’re confident that they can get you over to New York before the year is out.
The Carvi Hotel is from €546pp, based on four adults for four nights, Tuesday, December 1-4.
Southwold in Suffolk, which is about 118 miles east and a two-and-a-half hour drive from London, was recommended to me by my old boss.
And with its dainty beach huts and English Country Garden pubs it was very much like ‘somewhere different but the same’ for this Scottish family within your own country.
Which is what we’ll all be reengaging ourselves with more and more now.
That’s not to say we won’t be reflecting on those awesome outdoor drinks dats we’ve enjoyed around the world.
Beer o’clock in South Africa
The Brewery and Two Goats Deli, Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa: And this beer garden deep in the heart of Afrikans country even has a wooden hammock.
Where you can sleep off your wooden smorgasbord sample of beers and stouts.
Isn’t it great when someone throws open their doors to an unexpected visitor… and that someone is Canada?
On this Canada Day I’m reminded of the good people of Ontario (and, of course the other nine provinces and three territories).
It’s just that the Ontarians gave home and hospitality to my Grandfather, uncle and brother at various times over the last 100 years… www.mytravelanimal.com.
All of which gained me entrance to their annual bash in Dublin which they were holding downstairs from the Adams & Butler Luxury Travel https:// www.adamsandbutler.com do.
Would you Adams and Eve it: Out of Africa at the Adams & Butler event
Liquor had emboldened me to ask entry.
And before I knew it I was telling my story to the Ontarians and taking part in a table quiz.
Most of the answers I’ve already forgotten.
But I do now know that Thousand Islands Dressing comes from the 1,864 islands.
They run up the St Lawrence along that 50 mile stretch of the Canadian and American border.
Legend has it that our favourite dressing was invented for George Boldt.
And the multi-millionaire happened to be out on a cruise.
With his wife off the coast of Boldt Castle which was the centrepiece of their heart-shaped island.
You wouldn’t want to be the chef then who forgot to bring dressing on board for the greens for the menu.
Luckily for him though he was inventive and whipped up a dressing from what was lying about…
Mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle relish, Worcestershire sauce and a hard-boiled egg.
Forget the mayo
The Canadian and New York link, the latter which was important too with the plethora of New York relatives which I have, wasn’t mentioned in Chez Murty when I was growing up.
It was on the table because it was particularly popular in the Eighties.
We were broadening our tastes you see from Salad Cream and Mayonnaise.
So if you find yourself in a tizzy on your yacht or private cruise ship (although of course you’ll have people who stress out for you) here is how you put together a quick Thousand Island Dressing.
Of course this being Canada Day I trust too that you’ll have pancakes and maple syrup, catch of the day and salad, pecan pie and a Labatt Blue or Molson beer to ten to wash it all down.
