Elissa

Friday morning I slowly completed a 5k fort run race well-organised by Bahrain Road Runners. The first part of the loop was enjoyable running around the scenic Bahrain Fort, especially pleasant with a downhill path, but unfortunately the loop then extended towards Seef Mall and without shade and breeze and running on the hot road any feeling of exhilaration quickly evaporated, and whilst dreaming of an ice bath and ice packs it was a slow return back to the fort.

I ended the race as a completer rather than a competitor but as all my previous runs have been ‘5k fun runs’ I happily received my first finisher’s medal and told myself it will be easier next time with the weather cooling.

Meanwhile, the eldest son was off to the IGN convention, its fifth year in Bahrain, an event that is eagerly anticipated by Luke who hasn’t missed a year since it first came to Bahrain in 2013.

This year his highlight was meeting Euron Greyjoy, Pilou Asbaek from TV’s Game of Thrones. Pilou Asbaek was exceptionally friendly and approachable and asked my son and his friends lots of engaging questions

Two of my son’s big and small screen favourites of all time are Star Wars and Games of Thrones, and he has become a keen collector of pop-culture memorabilia. When the actor proceeded to ask if he could try on my son’s custom made Clone Trooper’s helmet (purchased a few years ago at IGN) and confided that he has always wanted to act in Star Wars, left them laughing and scheming for a ‘House Skywalker’ and left my son and his friends even bigger fans.

Then in the afternoon, my husband and I, headed down to Durrat to a friend’s house. Durrat is always worth visiting, an alluring part of Bahrain that offers breathtaking sea views and perfect sandy beaches. It was a glorious afternoon with friends and leaving paradise was hard but we eventually tore ourselves away and headed back to reality.