Here we are at Dick Barton: The Quantum of Porridge at the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon. Richard took the photo. Janice was there as well.
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Here we are at Dick Barton: The Quantum of Porridge at the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon. Richard took the photo. Janice was there as well.
I spent December 2009 in Prédefin and Sterry came out for a week or so as he has ‘plenty of time on his hands’ at the moment. This post should really go under ‘holidays’, but as I only came back with one photo, I decided to put it under the ‘friday night is curry night’ category. I’m wearing the first Accutron watch I ever bought with ‘NO’ on the back meaning that it was manufactured in 1960. And it’s still humming strong!
It’s December 2009, it’s cold, it’s raining, it’s freezing. But that’s no reason to miss a photo opportunity like this one and a picture of Sterry next to the wall letter box on the wall of the house just across from us. Note all the carved graffiti on the wall some of which probably goes back to the first world war.
My first foreign letter box and this one being in Peratallada where we went for lunch on Steve and Pilar’s Barcelona/Girona trip.
Holiday to Barcelona and Girona organised by Steve and Pilar. Here are some of the places where we eat:
Friday lunch, 23 October in Cerveseria Catalana in Barcelona. Really nice, upmarket tapas restaurant recommended by one of Steve’s clients who lives in Barcelona. Note the colonial uniforms worn by the waiters.
Friday evening, 23 October in Cafè Le Bistrot (yes, cafè with a grave accent) in Girona. Beautiful location in the old part of town. We all went with Catalonian pizzas.
Saturday lunch, 24 October in Hotel LLafranch in a little bay of the same name. Alan will particularly remember the paella. Beautiful little bay and the hotel has an interesting history:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/spain/article3458475.ece
Sunday lunch, 25 October in El Pati (restaurant) in Peratallada. I’ve never photographed my choice of food before, but one thing I’ve now learned, is to do so before you start eating. What looks like a complete pig’s ear on the plate is in fact pig’s trotter pie and I simply had to try it having dined out often enough on having eaten Pierre Koffman’s signature pig’s trotter dish at Tante Claire and then Marco Pierre White’s homage dish to him when he was cooking at Harvey’s. I had no idea what to expect and it came as round pie without crusty sides and with what seemed to be a burnt topping as you would expect on a crème brulée. It was served simply with a baked potato to offset the richness of the meat. Sublime. End October and still clement enough to eat outside. Couldn’t ask for more.
What else to remember from the trip: The Gaudi influence in Barcelona, the Dali Museum in Girona, Pilar’s all-terrain stiletto boots, Ally’s love of all things Catalonian and kindness in speaking German with me, Steve and Pilar’s hard work in organising the holiday and the well thought-out itinerary, Kevin not keeping to the agreed shared-room code and not bringing striped pyjamas with him, Amelia’s excellent driving skills and keenness to improve her English, and Alan’s gratitude to me for looking after him when he was ill. Great trip.
Here’s a box that Tom has brought to my attention. I have asked him where it is. I just love the short post that it is fixed to.
Sad. Here’s the clip that everyone remembers with the blonde jumping into the E-type in the closing credits. Scroll to 5 mins in.
I spent August in Prédefin. No car. Walking, hitch-hiking and cycling. Here’s Kevin’s picture of the house:
AOD, Kevin and Sterry came out for long weekend and here’s a couple of restaurant photos. First one is in Aux Amis de la Route on the Rue National towards Hesdin
And here’s one taken in L’Ecurie in Hesdin, which remains our favourite restaurant
Martin and Ozlem came out on the last weekend and I travelled back with them. Here we are (again for me) in the Aux Amis de la Route Routier. They also thought it was a great place. The restaurant offered new variations (to us) on Kir Royales/Kirs. Kirs with sparking wine (obviously cheaper than champagne) and with a peach syrup as well as the usual blackcurrant. Nice!
To go to my French conversation, I go to Shortlands station next to which there is a lovely wall letter box in a wall of the estate agents there.
The guy inside kindly took a photo of me next to it. Nice VR box with a lid over the aperture to stop the rain going in. I must measure it next time and see if I can identify it more accurately.