Icecream

Just in case you were bowled over by the cultural overtones B's last post...

...it is important that you know that London was not all business, Chihuly chandeliers (go see this link for very good images of the exhibition at the V&A) and general high brow culture.

No, we also had time to squeeze in a purchase of cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy and coffee beans from the Monmouth Coffee Company plus an icecream from Scoop!...

...see?!

I believe that the item being consumed in the photo on the left is Fruits of the Forest, Rice and Pistachio. The image of my icecream is over on my knitting blog. Yum.


It was a really good week. We spent time together, we cooked for each other, we both worked, we hung out with some of my family and friends. We went to the South Bank to see Beowulf in 3-D at the i-Max (which we both loved, I think) and then...

...we went for dinner, followed by coffee and desserts.

I think that we may have set a partnerhip precedent here: one bottle of wine and platters shared in one restaurant (Pain Quotidien), followed by coffees, cocktails and desserts in a completely different restaurant (Giraffe).

(Now for this restaurant swapping action alone, B could become an immediate, honoury life member of my family as we are notorious for this kind of food action.)

At Giraffe, I had one irish coffee. This was a charmingly presented, yet lethal, caffeine affair comprised of at least two shots of expresso, a slug of whisky and an artistic smear of cream, set off with 3 artfully arranged coffee beans on top. Frankly I drank one, choked over its strength and switched to mohitos.

I then, womanly, matched B, drink for drink. So I had about 4 mohitos in total and resigned myself to a hangover as they were drunk on top of the Jamberoo Shiraz at Le Pain Quotidien.

Now manfully, B decided to stick with his irish coffees...

...oh yes. He must have drunk about 5 in total. What's that? About 10 shots of expresso?

I understand from B that he spent most of the night pacing the house and the back yard. He tells me that at about 2am, his heart was racing like a thoroughbred's after the Grand National.

As for me? I slept like a baby fed copious red wine and mohitos! :-)

It was a good preliminary visit as B got to meet a few of my family and friends in advance of his visit at Christmas. It takes a bit of pressure off us both?

Actually, I have sent B his itinery for his UK Christmas visit. Y'know, very luckily for me, he hasn't seen it and cancelled...yet being the operative word?!

However, to reward us both for good Christmas behaviour (surviving the obligtory visits with family and friends in the run up to, during and after the 25th), I have booked a cottage in Wales for us to escape to at the New Year.

It's quite remote (please read, it is very remote). However, it does boast underfloor flagstone heating, a wood burning stove and a CD player, so at least we won't freeze. If the flagstone heating fails and B cannot light the fire, I will just put on a CD that we both like, so that we can dance to keep ourselves alive.

Please note that the cottage does not boast a TV, an internet connection or any mobile phone signal (apparently it is a 10 minute drive or a walk up a steep mountain to get any signal). So we will be on our own - completely and utterly.

I wonder if we will get on?! It's okay, I have started to stockpile emergency CDs, books and alcohol as a distraction!

Mind you, when I say that I have rewarded us with 'time in a remote cottage exclusively for us', it is fair to point out that the cottage is quite convenient for drives out to places that I want to show B from my childhood - also, it is a 40 minute drive to the town where my other parents live.

Apologies B - but it is hardly fair to introduce you to one set of my parents without introducing you to the other set too?!

All I know is, roll on Christmas, 'cos, you know what? I am missing my fella.