Amanda's Birthday - Cambridge

A day in Cambridge to celebrate Amanda's latest orbit of the sun.  A straightforward but busy drive down, arriving just before 10.00. For convenience (and because Amanda's Achilles tendons are playing up) we opted to take out a second mortgage and park in the car park above the Grand Arcade.

First - refreshments at Costa:

followed by a mooch around some of the shops in the Arcade (Amanda has yet to decide exactly what she wants from me for her birthday).

Out, and a stroll round to Cellini on Rose Crescent, where I once again took her picture outside the jewellers from which we purchased her engagement ring and our wedding rings 35+ years ago:

More walking, arriving at Seasalt, from where her present(s) and other items were purchased:

To Heffers bookshop.  Its once glorious stock of academic books has dwindled over the years, to be replaced by ever-growing selections of greetings cards, games and touristy knick-knacks.  Ho hum.

More walking - arriving back at the Grand Arcade, where we took the opportunity to store our shopping in the car, before heading back out to The Ivy for lunch:

Absolutely no prizes for guessing what I ordered:

Amanda's "minute steak":

which she seemed pleased with:

Obligatory selfie: 

Chocolate ice cream for yours truly:

and Amanda enjoyed her "Black bee honey and white chocolate cheesecake with mango sorbet, honeycomb and edible flower":

The birthday girl was presented with a celebratory (and complimentary) chocolate profiterole: 

More mooching around the shops and then home to collapse and, still sated from lunch, to decide to postpone the eating of further celebratory pre-purchased cheesecake, panna cotta and birthday cake until tomorrow...

A good day.