In search of Tolkien

We started the day with a good breakfast at a coffe shop called ‘Industrial Coffee’. It’s a place Toria’s wanted to visit for sometime.

Our next stop was the Botanical Gardens, it was full to bursting with half term holiday children so we headed to Winterbourne House and Gardens. Much more peaceful. We enjoyed the gardens especially.

A short walk from the gardens was Birmingham University. ‘Old Joe’ is the world’s tallest clock tower standing at 100m tall. It dominates the area and is famously believed to have been the inspiration for the tower of Orthanc, the black tower of Isengard, in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
We admired the paintings in the Barbour Institute of Fine Arts at the University.

After dropping the car off at Toria’s we took a bus into the town centre. Our first stop was for a cuppa. I shared a chocolate and passion fruit tart with Toria. Another walk to the next food place was Connlly’s. Toria had been working there for a year. We chose a delicious Australian Pino Grigio to go with 3 types of cheese.

It’s been a good day. We’re all feeling full and sleepy now, but it didn’t stop us collecting a Chinese supper in the way home…..