Dining out.

Today was the last day of the half-term holiday and I think we were all thankful! I kept busy all day and it was great to leave at 4pm and look forward to the weekend.

I was out tonight with Lynda and Fiona and we'd booked a table at The Royal Oak in Cogenhoe. I had a bath and then watched an episode of Monica Galetti's A Cook Abroad. She was in the Jura, and the countryside looked beautiful. In the past I've driven though this region, but have never stopped. It was gorgeous!

I decided to drive myself tonight. Keith's cold is terrible and I didn't want to have to drag both him and Sophie out later in the evening. We had arranged to meet at Lynda's house for a drink and Fiona was there when I arrived, looking very pained because of a bad back.

It was the first time I'd met Lynda's partner, Al, and he was certainly an acquired taste! He didn't hold back and had some very forthright opinions! We left to go to the pub just before 8pm and walked into a busy lounge bar with locals having a drink.

We were taken through to the dining room and we all ordered the same thing! A sharing platter of bread and olives, as well as a slate board of "East Meets West" - Spanish ham, spring rolls, samosas, lived and delicious dips

Our starter

For our main course we chose the Fritto Misto di Mare - a platter of whitebait, prawns, cod goujons, crab cakes and croquettes, served with chips. I ordered a bottle of Chenin Blanc to drink. The food was good but I think we would have all appreciated a salad to go with it.

It was great to catch up as the last time we'd all been together was February. I gave Lynda and Fiona a lift back to the house and headed home. It was only just after 10pm so a nice, early night!

Back home I sat with Sophie and Keith and enjoyed a glass of wine before bed. Yippee! It's the weekend!