Chilly With A Chance Of Grand Canyon

In my last post I was busily stacking up outfits for the Going Out dates in my diary.

I wasn't prepared for an impromptu date that wasn't in the diary, so what the heck was I going to wear?!!

On a whim, The Photographer invited me out for Sunday lunch. 

Well, not so much on a whim, it was more out of desperation.  We'd had a baked pasta bolognaise dish on Wednesday.   I'd made so much of it that, with the addition of extra vegetables, cheese or gnocchi each day, we were still eating hearty bowls of the stuff on Saturday.   Add to the mix a robust cabbage soup introduced around the same time which kept going too.

So I think by Sunday TP wanted to eat something different.  And so did I! Anything other than smelly cabbage soup and baked pasta bolognaise, done oh so many ways!

Do you find that?  Some dishes just won't end, to the point that after about 4-5 days you find yourself (wastefully) saying, "You know what, I'm just going to ditch this last portion"?  So I did.

But back to the What T Wear panic.   Yes, despite the diehard pasta bake and soup experience, the lunch still took me by surprise!

And as nice as all my skirt and dress outfits were, it was a bit too cold (3-4c) to grab and go with one of those.

And this is where the beauty of berry jeggings really comes into play.  Just dressy enough for February Sunday lunch, yet warm.

A grey side-rouched jersey top and a cosy scarf completed my OOTD and I was good to go.

Nah, just hold on there Pout, it's cold, you're not going anywhere without a cardi!

Turns out I was pleased I listened to nagging old Cardi Pout because I didn't take the cardi off for the rest of the day.

A wool cape coat and Gabor boots tops a warm and cosy Feb outfit.

And off to lunch we went.

TP had booked us a table (this one) at the Old Government Hotel, a nice "our age" type of place!

Starter sized crab salad and new potatoes  for me - I find that this is just the kind of dish and size that suits me these days.  I indulged in a "socialising" glass of wine too.

TP  discovered his fave Dover Sole was on the menu, here being taken off the bone for him.  I had a morsel of it, a delish fish indeed.

Double espresso, a distant sea view, 

listening to softly played piano music (pianist's head just visible in the far corner!) ... all that this meal needed as its finishing act.  A perfect lunch.

So it was a cold day.

 But it could have been much colder.

This popped up in my timeline.  Yes, exactly ten years ago we were togged up for REALLY cold weather at the Grand Canyon.

A la perchoine

Nails and Tummy Pampering

Hello, dearies.  I gave you heads-up in the previous post that my nails were going to get some Sunday pampering ...

... and here they are, post-pamper.

 

When it comes to the world of manicured nails, I am a neophyte.  A newbie.

My severe gardening "breakages" turned out to be nothing more than lifting nail gel.  That is apparently what it does over time.  Never mind, the tea bag repair exercise was useful.

  I am now all tutti-fruitied up (that's the name of the shade), this time in shellac (there's a difference, though I don't what). 

My impromptu survey yesterday on my patio revealed that 3 out of 3 ladies of diverse ages had worn (2) or were wearing Tutti Fruiti shellac (1) on their nails.  How amazing is that?  I hit on a shade popular with the younger set, for 2 out of the 3 surveyed were some 25 years younger than your researcher of quantative behaviour, a.k.a. Nosy Pout!

Yes, my nails have again been dressed ready for photographs.

Here draped around a wine glass; and here, resting on a dahlia. 
I can almost forget that my fingers are old and arthritic when my nails are tutti-fruitied.

The spa was recommended by DIL.  So nails, done.  On a Sunday.  And that doesn't feel bad.

For the hidden dividend of a Sunday spa visit was that The Photographer popped his head into the salon to tell me he'd booked us in for lunch in the hotel's brasserie.  #didn'texpectthat!
(I'd dressed for a manicure - quick check, yup, reasonably presentable  but who's gonna check out my garb when I'm wearing the Tutti-Fruiti eye magnet?!)

So, the nails and their proud owner were here at The Old Government Hotel and Spa.

 

And they met TP here.



We ate early and the bistro was empty, I expect most want a proper lunch on a Sunday.  Never mind, it felt like we had staff!

The hotel is set in the centre of Town so had rooftop and sea views from the balconies.

I loved the décor of the conservatory and took away a few ideas for my humble abode. 

I did not take away this massive light fitting - I would have to move out to fit this into my conservatory!

Such a tastefully elegant place to eat.  And the added bonus is that piano music wafted softly in from the bar next door.   From the style of playing, I would guess it was a certain Mr Paul Tongs.

I drank coffee as I perused the menu.  Even a simple cup of coffee is served elegantly.



 My eyes wandered around the beautifully decorated conservatory as I menu-browsed.

But were drawn back to my tutti-fruities.  Enough of the nails, Pout!

OK, I'd pretty much made up my mind when I saw Lobster Roll was on the menu, but I perused elegantly anyway, just for show!  Have you become a fan of the Lobster Roll?

We didn't want a full-blown Sunday lunch in one of the hotel's several restaurants, preferring something from the "light" bite conservatory menu, more suited to our pensioner appetites.  A Lobster Roll fits the bill.

Surrounded by a sea of lobster, chips and wine.  How happy am I? 

And I was even happier when I got to the loos!

Yes, I am the sort of gal who takes a camera with her on loo visits. 



And I am the sorta gal who's so happy with the décor that she takes loo selfies.

I loved the fresh simplicity of this cupboard.  I kept returning to it for more shots.

Farewell, powder room!

Do you take photos of hotel and restaurant loos? I hope I'm not alone on this one.

A marble stairway down to the conveniences, with solid brass hand rails.  #loveoghloos

#Iloveoghlightfittings

So, black, gold and white décor.  How I adore that combo.

I finished my crisp sauvignon blanc in the sun on the terrace.

 

On the way back to the car, we stopped by the Police Station (it's OK I wasn't detained!), which is housed in the old Town Hospital, established nearly 300 years ago.

Oh, go on then, just one last Tutti-Fruiti shot, seeing as you've been such a good reader!

A la perchoine