Sooo.. anyone planning a holiday this/next year?

Wildrover · Post by **Wildrover** » Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:46 pm

We've just got back from 5 days in Pooley Bridge staying at MYF's parents' cottage which overlooks Ullswater. It was a little chilly due to high winds (though not as bad as in Scotland apparently). We had a fabulous trip around the lake on the little steamer and some very special food at a Michelin starred gastropub called the Dog and Gun. I had a cheddar and black truffle souffle and MYF had roasted scallops with celeriac for starters both of which were delicious but paled into insignificance in comparison with the wonderful chateaubriand we shared as a main course with buttered cabbage, broccoli and parmesan chips as an accompaniment. I'm not normally big on desserts but we had millefeuille and it was absolutely amazing.

MYF and me on the Ullswater steamer (though we took this on last year's trip)

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Tue Feb 21, 2023 2:23 pm

I didn't even know that Parmesan chips were a thing. Sounds delicious.

Wildrover · Post by **Wildrover** » Tue Feb 21, 2023 4:21 pm

It really was delicious and I thought it was very reasonable for a "special occasion" meal - the three course option was a fixed price of £59. When I was working I took clients out in London for meals that were twice the price and nowhere near as good.

OurCreature · Post by **OurCreature** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 12:47 pm

That food looks lovely, WR!

Having made contact via Facebook I drove down to Sway (a village in the New Forest not far from New Milton and Lymington) this morning to have a look at a cat hotel there; it turned out to be just down a lane from the 218 feet tall Peterson's Tower which I understand is the highest building made from unreinforced concrete in Europe. The cat hotel turned out to be nice, so that is where They will be staying (at a total cost of £270 including the deposit) while I am away in Iceland.

The drive took me 40 minutes, but next time I shall know where I am going so it will be nearer 35 minutes; that will not bother Them. I shall take their own kibble as well but the cat hotel will provide their Felix. The hotel also provides what Alyson (the owner) calls Maine Coon beds and the bedding to go with it, but I shall leave the cat basket that they like to curl up in as well plus 2 or 3 toys for them to play with.

Problem solved!

OurCreature · Post by **OurCreature** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 2:54 pm

Here's a link to where They are staying if anybody is interested.

https://www.cottagegardencats.co.uk/

Post by **merry** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:22 pm

I was very interested!

We have houses suitable for single cats, double houses for pairs

- they will be in a house for two?

I note all rooms have a 'view' - including of a dovecote!

surely that must be like me standing outside a cafe where they are roasting pork, with my nose pressed to the window?

It looks lovely, OC, really nice

Post by **merry** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:23 pm

WR that food looks glorious. You and YYF picked ALL my favourite things. The chateaubriand and the parmesan chips, especially! £59!!!! that was a snip, I've paid nearly that for three takeout pizzas from Domino's lol.

Furby · Post by **Furby** » Mon Mar 06, 2023 7:09 am

Cheesy chips have a!ways been a thing at chip shops but not many of those left now. I think food in england should not be allowed to have non english names just so they can pretend it's posher. I had to look up millefeuille and it's a vanilla slice. It doesn't seem 5 minutes since the last holidays are workplaces ok with all these holiday days. I suppose it's can't get the staff these days so they are.

I have been driven to Lymington hospital once but the new forest is all the same. Roads with trees with no where to stop or turn round for hundreds of miles. I hope the tower helps oc find it again though with sat navs and phone maps it's easier these days. Poor cats being made to share a cat house and not getting one each.

Wildrover · Post by **Wildrover** » Mon Mar 06, 2023 10:12 am

Millefeuille in our case was chocolate but I take your point BF; if it had been vanilla it would have been what our school dinners would have termed a "custard slice". It was generally a great trip for food - we also had one of the best pub meals I've ever had, a sausagemeat and black pudding Wellington with a port and brandy gravy. Delicious meal for £13 - prices seemed so much cheaper up in Cumbria than down here.

OurCreature · Post by **OurCreature** » Mon Mar 06, 2023 4:36 pm

Poor cats being made to share a cat house and not getting one each.

Don't waste sympathy on them, Furby - they have always shared a billet and I think they are happy enough. There is a divide between their sleeping quarters with only a small gap in the partition, so they will have their own space when they sleep.

mimosa · Post by **mimosa** » Sat Mar 25, 2023 1:39 pm

Wildrover wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:46 pm We've just got back from 5 days in Pooley Bridge staying at MYF's parents' cottage which overlooks Ullswater. It was a little chilly due to high winds (though not as bad as in Scotland apparently). We had a fabulous trip around the lake on the little steamer and some very special food at a Michelin starred gastropub called the Dog and Gun. I had a cheddar and black truffle souffle and MYF had roasted scallops with celeriac for starters both of which were delicious but paled into insignificance in comparison with the wonderful chateaubriand we shared as a main course with buttered cabbage, broccoli and parmesan chips as an accompaniment. I'm not normally big on desserts but we had millefeuille and it was absolutely amazing.

MYF and me on the Ullswater steamer (though we took this on last year's trip)

oooh, that looks really awesome. And delicious.

Thinking of gastropubs...my husband's cousin's daughter and her husband own The Black Bear Inn in Bettws Newydd...is that Wales? She's Canadian, and he's obviously from over there....but they met while working at Ellsworth in Paris.

ME

OurCreature · Post by **OurCreature** » Sat Mar 25, 2023 2:18 pm

Mim, how could I not help you with this? Bettws Newydd is in Monmouthshire in SE Wales, and here is a link to the Black Bear Inn website.

https://www.theblackbearinn.co.uk/

And a picture as well. It's a highly rated gastropub.