A day out at last

I haven't been out doing my usual kind of shopping and socialising for three weeks, mainly because of work, and I was getting a bit desperate. Fortunately I managed to meet up with my friend Joanne for a relaxed lunch at Boulevard in Wellington St, Covent Garden.

Mixed salad starter, tasty cold trout fillet and perfect potato salad, followed by a very smooth chocolate tart. The white rioja was quite lemony and went very well with the fish. The service was friendly and good and the bill came out at what I call mid-price (about £30). Recommended.

London was relatively quiet - maybe people are leaving their return from holiday till the last minute. We parted company after a bit of browsing in shops and I strolled slowly to the National Gallery which I haven't visited for a while, and never before in girl mode. There's something about 15th century Italian painting that's very calming - everything seems so still, even the scenes of tragedy.

I went home reasonably early and was pleasantly surprised by a man at my local station who asked me, "Do you have a cigarette, love?" I don't smoke so couldn't oblige (just as well as he was pretty scruffy) and that was the end of our conversation, but it seemed somewhat affirming.

Back to work tomorrow, my last full-time week, which I'm glad of. But it was good to get out and about at last.

Sue x