A Day Out

We’re fast back to normal, with grey skies & rain. However, yesterday was quite different, bright blue skies with a touch of spring warmth in the day.

We set off to Kendal, to look at another double glazing showroom. We’re steadily getting clearer as to what exactly we’re looking for.

Afterwards we went on to Ambleside & Hayes garden centre. This is a huge place. It tends to be expensive. We wanted ideas more than anything else. For that it’s a great place. We were particularly wanting to look at garden furniture, again trying to clarify our ideas as to what we want. We got distracted by solar lighting. We decided against putting mains lighting in the garden, partially because of the expense & partially because we didn’t think we would use it much. However, the idea of a little lighting to extend a warm summer evening on the patio area does appeal, especially when the power wouldn’t cost us anything. As I say Hayes is a place for ideas. We looked at pots, too, but didn’t quite see what we were looking for.

By the time we left it was getting onto 6ish, so we decided to eat out for a change. We decided to try the Gateway Hotel just outside Kendal. We’d stopped there after seeing the double glazing – we’d felt the need for refreshment & a chance to discuss what we’d seen before going on. It must be 20 years since we last visited the hotel. It’s changed a lot, becoming far brighter & more accessible.

As for the food, we both had the mushroom starter – a hot ramekin full of mushrooms & bacon in a cream & wine sauce, with a couple of little buns of bread to mop it up. Then the Fox had the Cumberland sausage, good & spicy. My dish was more of a mystery – sea bass with shrimp risotto. I was surprised not to immediately see any rice on the plate. What it turned out to be was more of a deep-fried battered savoury rice pudding with a creamy shrimp sauce. The sea bass was grilled so the skin was crispy, not a bone in sight. Much as it wasn’t quite what I expected, it was delicious. We’ve marked it down as a place to go again. As for the roaring log fire that was a welcome sight as the evening got steadily colder.

All in all it was a good day out. Though I will admit I am somewhat bemused today not to have anything to do foodwise this morning. The Moroccan Meatballs I made yesterday we will warm up today.