Today, I was sitting reading at the dining table with Freya on my lap and Emma sitting beside me. I was patting Emma’s head and scratching under her chin when she looked up at me with such adoration that I had to take a photo.
In the time it took to get the camera up and ready, her look had changed.
Not that she spent a lot of time with me today. Both dogs were happily lazing around with Mirinda who was having a tech-free day. This was as an antidote to getting the time wrong yesterday, as well as underlining the completion of something.
Another thing that was completed this week was the remortgage of our house. And, because we need very little to encourage a celebration, we went out to dinner to celebrate. And, following the disappointment over the lack of bomb Alaska the last time we visited Bel and the Dragon, we had to return tonight in order to have it this time.
And we weren’t the only ones. In the back room, the Party Room, as Mirinda dubbed it, there was a celebration going on. More people than could possibly fit into the small room had been shoehorned in to wish a woman happy 50th birthday. She was wearing a sash and knocking back the fizz.
The chap outside the room is a member of staff. The birthday girl is on the other side of the room. While there were a lot of people, they were remarkably quiet.
Actually, given the early hour of our booking (6:30pm) the restaurant was pretty quiet. There were a few kids around, eating with their adults and lots of empty tables. Which was fortunate because we were initially put into a booth. I’ve always wanted to try the booths at Bel and the Dragon, and now I never want to sit in them again.
We asked our kindly server if we could move, having suffered for about ten minutes. She happily prepared us a table in the middle of the room. It was much better being able to stretch our legs and sit beyond the edge of the table.
As usual, dinner was delicious and, as the pièce de résistance, the bomb Alaska was magnificent. I think the lighting of it may have entertained quite a few other diners. Speaking of which, there were a lot more when we left as the usual eating hour swung around.
And, to be fair, we only ate that early because they were booked up later on. As Mirinda commented, if it was Spain, the place would still be empty at 8pm.
Another lovely meal at Bel and the Dragon, another celebration celebrated appropriately. Next up, February 19, our annual celebration of our arrival in the UK.
