Very, very delicious!
Ian was with us for most of last week, having been in London for the first part of it. So thre was, of course, much magnificent food. The most magnificent I think was the seafood risotto that he made for us on Wednesday evening.
Friday was his last full day with us, so I took the day off so we could all have a holiday day together (I had been at work all week, and Ian was also at work - just working from our dining room). We had a lovely lunch at The Nettle and then met Tabitha, Gareth, Freyja and Simon in Sheffield for a late dinner. It was a good evening. Except I think we stayed rather later than the staff were expecting us to :-S
Saturday was rather a rushed start. Ian and The Builder took Ian's hired car back to Sheffield to deposit it - and found that the Avis office isn't actually where the Avis website says it is!! In the meantime, I went for a swift haircut. Breakfast, then off we headed to Manchester to deposit Ian at the airport, and for us to head down south for a weekend in Salisbury.
Right, said I. How about if we head to Ironbridge for lunch. We could have another look at that pretty bridge, have a bite to eat and then mosey gently on down to Stoford. A good plan.
Except that every 30 or 40 miles or so, the M5 would come to a halt. We would negotiate our way through whatever the blockage was, but it was never near an exit. Around the exits, the roads were clear. On we perservered .....
Then we got to Ironbridge. Only to find it was closed!!!!!!!! And it wasn't clear it was closed until we got to a mini-roundabout with security people turning everyone back - and with a huge 4 wheel drive sat in the middle of the mini-roundabout making it almost impossible to do anything at all!!!! We managed to get round it and went back up the way we had come. The pubs on the outskirts of Ironbridge either weren't serving food or weren't even open. Sigh!
On we went. No food for us :-( Eventually we stopped at a farm shop and bought the makings of a picnic. Then we turned down a side road which led to the banks of the river Severn. Where we found a picnic ground, a foot ferry -- and a pub which sold food all day!!!!!!! Never mind. We ate our picnic, watched the ferry and enjoyed the nice, warm sunshine.
Then we moseyed on down to Stoford, not on the motorways, and arrived at The Swan in time for one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. And I have, it must be said, had some significantly good food in the last few weeks. I keep saying that I've just had one of the best meals I've had in a very long time - The Nettle, Bragazzis, Ian's seafood risotto, other meals in other places. But dinner on Saturday night topped them all - even if only just! They were very busy in the pub on Saturday night. I believe it hadn't been so busy on Friday, but it's good to see people coming in and enjoying The Swan. They've branched out and have taken on a sister pub near Romsey. Must wander out one day when they're properly up and running and see what it's like there.
And so to Sunday. It was a beautiful day. So we went into town and collected The Builder's mother and went off to Longleat to look at the lions and the tigers in the safari park. We looked at lots of other animals as well. It was a great day for it. Then we went off in search of lunch, and accidentally found The Prince Leopold down by the river, where we had yet another of the best meals I've eaten in a long time. I'm beginning to feel quite spoiled by the number of good eating experiences I've had lately!
Although what we are really beginning to feel is financially stretched. And none of my clothes seem to fit. I suspect The Builder of washing them all in boiling hot water! And someone seems to have packed a large pillow in my tum. I think another austerity drive might be called for!
The AFL Grand Final was a very exciting draw (I don't follow either of the teams who are playing so wasn't really fussed who won). There is no provision for extra time or an extra quarter or anything in the event of a draw. So we all meet again next week. Same time, same place. But without, I assume, all the lead up celebrations.
Ian is back in Melbourne. HIs luggage was so taken by the excitements of Doha, that it decided to have another couple of days there. I think it's been rounded up and is now on its way back to Melbourne
The photos from Bragazzis are here. And the rest of the weekend is here
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