Race day and it was blowing a gale on our balcony. The forecast was for rain so it was in contrast with the last time we came to the Canadian GP when it was so scorchingly hot that we hid in the shade as much as we could.
The race organisation here is fantastic. Despite having to move tens of thousands of people around the city to descend on the same small island, there were barely any queues. There were plenty of security people around, keeping you moving but in a friendly way. At the circuit there were plenty of amenities - stalls selling burgers, dogs and poutine as well as more diverse dishes. In the stands, sellers carried trays of drinks on their heads so you could buy a beer without even moving from your seat. We noticed that some of the people had foam sheafs on their beer cans. We wondered if it was in lieu of a brown paper bag as when you buy wine in store it is put in a brown paper bag. It turns out drinking in public in Canada is generally not allowed outside bars, though in Quebec the law is not so strict. (French influence?)
We watched the Ferrari race and then the preparations for the GP began. This is always fascinating to see all the flags, markers, kit go out. Joan felt sorry for the poor flag girls who were in skimpy dresses and ridiculously high heels despite the cool temperatures and wind. It all feels a bit anachronistic in an era of so-called equality - though, that said, the FIA is run by dinosaurs.
The drivers' parade was great. They all had their own classic car and Jenson's was parked right in front of us. We could also see all the TV crews, in particular, DC with light coloured jeans and pin shirt! Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem were on the grid in front of us too.
The race is a matter of report elsewhere but it was great watching the pit stops and seeing the timing boards hung over the pit wall. There was no rain, only the nuisance of having to be prepared for it.
We had a great view of the podium celebrations but it was also interesting to see that by the time the interviews had finished, Lewis's garage had been entirely stripped down by the pit crew, ready to fly off to Azerbaijan next weekend.
It was a little slower getting back to the Tube station, but still remarkably efficient and we were soon back at our apart-hotel.
We looked for news about the rail strike tomorrow but there was no update. we didn't want to leave it till tomorrow morning to book transport back to Toronto so we reserved bus tickets.
Dinner was in the hotel again, with a meal of what was left in the fridge. We've done a fair bit of walking in the fresh air so it was an early night.