The last day of August was warm and bright and I’m really hoping we’re in for a nice Indian Summer after the month of rain we’re just had. All that wet weather hasn’t been in the vain though because the garden is looking lovely. To celebrate the last of the summer I headed to Hemingford Grey yesterday with Adam for a BBQ. What a lovely little village and what beautiful apple trees. It was all I could do from preventing myself from scrumping!
The weekend is over now and it sure is quiet now that Mum has left. The flat was beautifully polished and tidied but I’ve been making a significant effort to create washing up to give it a homely feel of sorts. On the way home today I stopped by the Farmers Outlet on Lensfield Road to pick up a quiche for dinner and reminded myself of what great shop it is. And what a delicious quiche. I’m using the excuse that it was sort of small to explain why I ate it all. I did manage to cycle some of it off when I raced to meet Andy and Ciara at the cinema in the Grafton Center. We went to see the Expendables – not the sort of film I’d pay to see but you’d be surprised what I’ll watch if it’s free!
I’m sipping tea in the Arts Picture House and enjoying their very free internet. Nothing like cafe living! It’s a very calm place and I’m sitting at the back surveying the people and wondering if I can write something fantastic for the next Free Inkers meeting next week. The cafe is like a huge film lovers sponge. It absorbs people about 30 minutes before a film and then they are squeezed out into the dark screen filled rooms and the places is empty tabled and silent chaired for an hour or two. It’s the sort of place you meet people you know which gives it a lovely homely feel.
I met up with the Humanists at CB2 again for the Cappuccino Club which is now such a success. I found them inside among the bookshelves and had to face up to the official end of summer. I guess the leaves will be falling soon. I should get out and about with that camera of mine. I’m already making plans for the long winter. Having discovered that Tesco Clubcard vouchers can be used for Open University Level One courses I’m planning to sign up quick sticks. Just need to decide what to learn. If you’re bored I really recommend studying with the OU. Their course material is of a high quality and it’s much easier than you’d think to study on your own.
To ignore the November blues I’ve just signed up to do the National Novel Writing Month and so now I can’t wait for winter!
Here is comes – the new shiny website of the Cambridge Free Inkers. We came up with the name – thanks to Yuko last Sunday over crepes and coffee in the Arts Picture House. Now we have a name it seems only right we have a logo and Denise is working on one right now. Check out the site but perhaps give it a few days as there isn’t much on it yet!
Gareth is a dark horse indeed – turns out he is an all singing all dancing kind of teacher. Check him out at garethrowan.com.
Posted in Comedy, Music
|
After days of rain and no waterproof coat due to an unfortunate incident with someone who needed one and my bike panniers, the sun has finally come out for our writer’s group today.
Our last meeting at CB2 was very successful in terms of people and amazing literature and today we’re going to try the Arts Picture House in search of the perfect quiet venue in Cambridge.
I’ve been doing a tiny amount of writing over the last month as work has been consuming vast chunks of my days. In an incredible show of support Mum, Jon, Sim and Tim have all been working hard decorating the flat and it’s now a veritable vision of new curtains, cream walls and polished floors. The ’70s wallpaper has gone and the smell of new paint lingers. I’ve supplied cups of tea, dinners and a hint of a tint of help but have to confess without them the wallpaper stripper would probably still be in its box. Talking of which I owe a big thanks to Elly who kindly lent me the machine and who braving the rain clouds hosted a delectable charity tea party in her garden yesterday. Thank you from my walls and my tummy!
On Friday some of us from work went for lunch at The Punter where they still do a great £5 lunch on weekdays. The food there is amazing. It totally spoils you for eating elsewhere. It is by far the nicest pub in Cambridge.
Yesterday I lunched with Alex and Mike at the Patisserie Valerie and we were lucky enough to get the comfortable chairs by the windows. I happily munched down the croque monsieur with a pot of tea and would recommend the food there. The place is manic on a Saturday, huge queues and hungry people. Cambridge is in desperate need of more lovely cafes. Please come and open some!
Web work continues apace. The new computer is so lovely that I think you all deserve to see a picture of it. I’m planning to change the Gunns Apartments site and give it a new look and have made a few changes to Sheffield Massage but I’m hoping the new project will be for our writers’ group – so watch this space.
Ellie, Jon and his girlfriend have all come to visit and have spent the entire day kindly stripping the stairwell of wallpaper. I came home to find the job unexpectedly done, the house looking all spick and span and my dinner in the oven. What a nice thing to come home to. After dinner we took Jon’s new inflatable canoe out and pumped it up. It only takes about 10 minutes to get ready. Being careful of the all the rose bushes we manoeuvred it out of the garden and down to the river where we proceeded to take turns paddling up and down the waterway. On one trip we spotted Mike and coerced him into the canoe for paddling fun. After a good hour and a half we packed up and traipsed home with bits of willow in our hair and only very slightly damp clothes.
Had a lovely time in the Castle pub with Nic, Yuko and Ellen last night. Much fun was had by all as we discussed the differences between America and England, the benefits of not owning a TV and a million and one other things. Ellen is travelling all over Europe and you can read her blog here.
Last day in Grenoble. We went to buy supplies from the food hall Sainte-Claire Les Halles and the outside market. We decided such exertion deserved cake and some we went to Pain et Cie to share a Tarte Tatin and check out the wifi connection. The internet is quick and free and the cake was delicious.
After chilling out in the garden at Citdines we headed back into town to the Musée De L’Ancien Eveché where we borrowed free audio guides in English and wandered around. This time we went underneath the old palace to see the remains of the Roman wall and the 4th century Baptistry which you can see marked out on the pavement in front of the museum and the cathedral.
If you’re looking for a quiet spot in Grenoble to drink tea and surf the web then check out or Grenoble Life which as a review of some of the good places to get wifi.
K and I spent a very pleasant day. After shopping for some much needed shorts for K, we went to do some web work in Le 5 and found an excuse to eat Gratin Dauphinois – the famous potato dish that comes from this region. It was delicious – Le 5 make it simply and wonderfully. They served it with a generous salad and the ubiquitous bread. We passed a good four hours in the restaurant and divided our time between the outside terrace and the inside warmth. The sky has clouded over today and it feels like rain. We’ve just come back from a walk around the centre of Grenoble – a somewhat depressing place to be. It’s full of people and places to sit but isn’t the most desirable of cities to hang out in. I should imagine sitting up at the Bastille looking down would be nice but I’m way to lazy to walk up the hill in the dark and a bit too scared to go up in the cable cars.
I spent a very pleasant afternoon in the Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Grenoble. Situated in the Jardin des Plantes it is a cool, calm, polished wood, C19th kind of place. Entrance costs €2.20 if you have a job, €1.50 if not and young people pay a joyful €1.10. You can get an audio guide for €1.50. It’s full of stuffed animals, minerals and fossils from the Alps. Some of the information is in English which is useful.
Right now I’m working in Le 5 – one of my favourite places in Grenoble to drink coffee and surf the web. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere conducive to study especially between 6pm and 8pm. A coffee cost no more than €2.50 and they have no problem with you sitting there for hours slowly drinking a coffee and using their free wifi. Ask for “un carafe d’eau” for free tap water to keep yourself hydrated!
