well, it's Saturday

and it's raining. Again.

we trundled over to St Marks, to visit Bristol Sweet Mart, purveyors of fine things, and to have brunch at Cafe Maitreya over the road, one of our favourite feeding places.

calamity - they're no longer opening during the day. Wah. So we went to Howards instead. Howards used to be one of our favourites, until we had a bad meal one evening, and never went back. It changed hands a while back, and I thought they were doing a sort of brasserie thing at lunchtime.

they weren't - and I was unimpressed with the menu. I don't *want* my chicken to have a champagne froth, thanks all the same, nor a perfectly nice fish to be smothered in a heavy sauce. Nor did I want to be given a choice of dishes starting at (I think) £11.95 for lunch, come to that. They did produce a lunch menu when I asked, but I don't think I should have to ask.

perlmonger had a wood pigeon from the a la carte, which didn't seem that special to me for 14 quid, and I had sossidge and mash with onion gravy, which was actually very good, and much better value at £6.95.

then we nipped (or popped) down to Nailsea to collect my new glasses which, being varifocals, feel very odd indeed. And I think I'm going to have to move this monitor to match the specs.

in other news, at *last* BegoniaWatch has revealed five of the little buggers - just need to see the other seven now. But I can't blame any plant in the garden for staying under the ground - it's bloody wet out there.

tonight is beef stroganoff, english strawberries and Doctor Who - something to look forward too.

and now - on with some enhancements to Nibblous - but first, more tea, I think.