Christmas is Coming...and I Only Just Got It....

So have had lots of thinking time over the past few days and am feeling much better. I have also had the benefit of lots of speaking time courtesy of my most wonderful friends and have had some good advice with which I can move forward.

Thursday I was taken to Vanilla Black for my work Christmas celebration and had the most wonderful lunch: baked beetroot terrine with horseradish cream and pickled fennel; followed by celeriac and sage dauphinoise, bergamot braised leeks and spinach puree; followed by sugar and spice tart with roasted satsumas and finally huge amounts of coffee with beautiful chocolate cups filled with white chocolate and Baileys. It was absolutely spectacular and such a rare experience to be able to choose ANYTHING on the menu (I rarely frequent veggie restaurants due to all of my non-veggie friends). I drank lots of wine and stumbled home to fall asleep in front of the TV.

Yesterday Will and Claire arrived from Southampton, which was exciting. I cooked us all some risotto and then we headed to the Amersham Arms to watch the band play. The gig was ace but the drinks were ridiculously expensive. Every time I spilled a drop it was like pound coins falling out of my glass. How a place in New Cross can charge £5 to get in and then £3.30 for a CAN of Red Stripe is beyond me. One good review in Time Out and they think they're the Koko. Oh dear.

Today we had a lie-in and then walked down to Forest Hill to check out the Horniman Museum. We wandered around the music gallery, the African worlds exhibition and looked at the Darwin 500 Wildlife Photography exhibition, the review of which will be the first entry in my new travel blog which is being started soon (just as soon as I figure out the last few minute details!) So exciting.

However, far from travelling, right now I am curled up in my flat in my enormous Goldsmiths hoodie about to construct a cheeseboard to have with the lovely homemade mulled cider that Will and Claire bought us. Loverly xx