Thai cup and saucer

I have no idea if cups and saucers are routinely used in Thailand, but I think perhaps not.

Today I enjoyed yet another lovely day out in Cheltenham with my friend Dave. We worked together briefly some 8 years ago, and we still enjoy getting together. Steve drove me over, via Stancombe Beech farm shop and Birdlip: the country route. For once, it was a lovely day! Then Steve went off to the dentist and I met Dave, starting with coffee at the Swallow bakery, whose building used to house the Office Angels temping agency. I was amazed at the scrumptious cakes, and reasonable prices (Choc brownie for me, and banana cake for Dave).

After a bit of shopping, we ended up at the Wilson, the new extension to Cheltenham's museum and art gallery, which not only houses a Rodin sculpture (the Kiss) as part of the Embrace exhibition, but also works by Chagall, Stanley Spencer, Chris Offili, and Jake and Dinos Chapman, among others. I feasted my eyes, and vowed to go back to check out the Arts and Crafts furniture gallery, which includes work by William Morris.

Then it was time to head off to the Thai Emerald, which I wanted to see because I had read some reviews of the carved wooden interior. I was not disappointed: there was more carved wood than you could shake a forest at! The food was good too. We were celebrating (belatedly) my birthday so we pushed the boat out. We did, however, both agree that the fish cake starters were in fact tofu cakes, but were too polite to say anything! The fish and seafood courses were definitely aquatic, though, and the coffee cups were blipworthy. We were sitting under a glass roof, and could see blue sky above: a very welcome sight.

After much wandering around Cheltenham to dispel the effects of drinking at lunchtime, we eventually ended up at Nero's, where there was just time for another coffee, before I rushed off for the bus. Just realised that means I've had four coffees today, so shall probably never sleep again, as well as not needing to eat for the next fortnight. All in all, it was a great way to pass a half-term day, and I did not get rained on at all. Thank you, Dave, and thanks, too, Mr Blue Sky!