What a good birthday! - Abumdance!!

Well…. What a birthday it has been! A three day orgy of food and wine!! So lets begin at the beginning. Thursday this was and a trip to Ealing to see Robin and have lunch in Carluccios, a pleasant affair - and nice spaghetti with clams and stuff. And lots of chatter and a waitress who kept calling us ‘boys’ I don’t think it was amusing- me 60 something and him 70 something and ….
Well I don’t like that sort of over friendly approach.

Ealing looked depressing, I am glad I moved away, it just doesn’t have a positive feel about it these days. But my hairdresser (at Pure Barberism! – a great name!!) was good and though she does not talk much, very pleasant – and it’s a lovely haircut and it only cost £16 – far better than the £28 I paid in the City just before Christmas.

And so after that – and a herbal tea in a depressing coffee bar in Ealing - the one I used to go to when I was depressed and it never failed to make me worse!! - I set off for Waterloo and Doggetts pub by the river at Blackfriars – or rather the other side of the river from Blackfriars.

Peri and Quynh were there and we were soon drinking wine and chatting about the times when we all worked together – jolly and such good people to see socially. Food was a disaster though- I avoided the Steak and Kidney Pudding which I had had last time and was awful and had another pie which was equally unappetizing! Oh well - should know better. Came back to find Claude and Greg eating what looked like appetizing food! Wish I had had some!

And that was Thursday – Friday started well with opening the bedroom door and finding a card and a little pile of presents and it was such a lovely (and unexpected) feeling that it was a good start to the birthday proper!

Dinner with Nick in the evening- Chez Gerard in Charlotte Street – OK chateaubriand for two – and chips ….. and a hot goats cheese salad to start – ate far too much – then a tarte tatin and ….oh I was full – far too full – and what with wines and a calvados and ……. No wonder I didn’t sleep well and had indigestion.

Then it was Saturday and still more celebrations! This time with Claude – and a real treat !!! Clos Maggiore, in King Street, Covent Garden is a joy! Fantastic food and fabulous wine list. We had the taster menu – one with meat and one without – both were delicious! And we swapped so we had half each. It was a wonderful meal and made all the better by the presence of my friend and companion who was wearing a simply lovely (and very eye catching) dress for the occasion – and which I forgot to capture for the blog – naughty me!

Thence by a tortuous route to Stoke Newington and someone else’ birthday – the lovely Keza – so more drinks and ……

Well its just been a fabulous borthday – and a huge thank you to the person who made it all so very special! You!