Good things, in list format

[dolorosa_12]

I'm still extremely ill with this ghastly cold, but that didn't stop me enjoying the remainder of my holiday, which ended up being packed with nice things. These included:

notasapleasure staying with us for a few days while she wrapped up things in this part of the world. She made vast quantities of apple curd from our windfall apples, we watched melancholy Georgian (or really Georgian/French) films, and she left us with loads of chili plants.

Swimming in the outdoor pool in Cambridge under clear late summer skies.

Going out for a meal with Matthias at a gastropub we've only ever visited in the dark of winter. Going in the summer was a revelation: a gorgeous garden with a pond, fountain, trellises heavy with roses and wisteria, and birds everywhere. We could have sat out there drinking Australian shiraz all afternoon!

Meeting up with DrLRoach and cait.de.roiste, and their two lovely little daughters for Sunday roast in the beer garden of one of the village pubs nearby.

So, all in all it's been a week filled with sunshine, friends, and very good food. I'm exhausted and run down, but it was definitely worth it.

Comments

[luzula]

I have never heard of apple curd! Interesting.

On my shelf right now is a pot of what will become rowanberry cordial--it's supposed to stand for two days before you drain it off. It's the first time I try it!

[dolorosa_12]

I'd never heard of it either — I've had lemon curd, and passionfruit curd lots of times, but had no idea it could be made with other fruit. But notasapleasure basically said that if a fruit existed, it could be made into curd. It was nice, but not as sour as other types of curd.

That rowanberry cordial sounds really nice!

[naye]

That sounds like a truly marvelous week. And I love the magic that is going someplace in a new season - especially the kind of transformation you experienced with the gastropub!

[dolorosa_12]

It's such a wonderful thing to experience. I like the food and indoor atmosphere of that pub, but I'd had no idea that it had such a nice outdoor area!

[corvidology]

Sounds gorgeous to me!

[dolorosa_12]

Thanks! It definitely was a great way to spend the past few days.

[chestnut_pod]

Ah, that sounds like a lovely week, despite the cold!

[dolorosa_12]

It definitely was lovely, although I could really have done without the cold!

[scintilla10]

Aw, that sounds like lovely late summer adventures! And apple curd sounds delicious.

[dolorosa_12]

It was the perfect way to spend the last of the summer. And the apple curd was great — I'd never have thought to do that with apples, so I was glad to have notasapleasure around to come up with the idea!

[trepkos]

That pub garden sounds amazing!

[dolorosa_12]

It's really beautiful! I'm so happy I finally saw it in the daylight.