Tuesday 18 March 2014

Lincoln Tea & Cake Adventures Part 1

The plan is that at some point we will be leaving Lincoln to start afresh in another city. Being here has begun to feel a little bit stale. We both went to University here, which is subsequently how we met, but it was over 18 months ago that I graduated and it just feels right to move forward with our lives.

With that in mind, we have decided that we need to visit as many places as we can before we get up and go. A friend of mine said she would meet me for tea and cake, and so it was born: The Lincoln Tea & Cake Quest, in which we will endeavour to visit as many cafes and establishments that we can that I have not had the former luxury of paying a visit. I figured it would make for decent blogging material ;)

First stop: Cafe Portico


I didn't even know this place existed. It's just off from the museums The Collection & Usher Gallery which can be accessed by cutting down the alleyway (which isn't really much of an alleyway) next to Pizza Express on the high street. It has a modern interior with quality food and good service. Apparently they often have various special acts on in the evenings too.

We decided to get lunch as we were both feeling rather peckish. As you can see from the below photograph, it was that good that I forgot to whip out my camera. Oh well you can see that it was enjoyed anyway. There is an extensive menu which I struggled to choose from as everything sounded so good(!), including sandwiches, soups and fuller dishes. We opted for sandwiches which came with a side of  seasoned salad and white cabbage - delish! I left a tiny bit of it but only to keep some room for a nice slice of cake!


We had just as hard a time of choosing which cake we'd like to sample as we did with the sandwiches. There was a lot of choice on offer. In the end I opted for a slice of toffee cake, whilst C opted for coffee cake. They barely touched the sides in all honesty. Mmm.


It isn't the cheapest place to dine, but nor is it overly expensive. Then again I do like to try to keep costs to a minimum as I am the biggest cheapskate going. I believe my drink and meal came to around £7-8 and the cake was £3.50, so it did come to over a tenner which is probably about average really but there we go.

Friday 7 March 2014

Things That Make Me Smile


Sometimes it's nice to reflect on the things that make us smile without thought.

Here are some of mine:
  • Cats
  • Being silly with friends
  • Reading
  • Victorian culture
  • Pay day
  • Shopping
  • Tea & cake outings
  • Feeling safe & secure
  • Going to new places
  • Dressing nicely
  • Feeling motivated
  • Making someone's day
  • Being kind & having that reciprocated
  • Birds
  • Silhouettes, especially in the twilight
  • Trees
  • Homewares
  • Freshly baked cakes
  • Putting thought into gifts for others
  • Writing and receiving letters
  • Making things
  • Baroque & Rococo
  • Getting the sewing machine out
  • Going out for a good meal with friends
  • Deers
  • Buttons and pretty fabrics
  • Filigree
  • Curly hair
  • Autumn
  • Ticking off 'to do' lists
  • Pizza and garlic sauce
  • Getting tipsy on cocktails with friends
  • Fresh bed sheets
  • Morning sunshine
  • Greys & reds
  • Floral prints
  • Nostalgic music
  • Wearing corsets
  • Beautifully applied make up
  • Festival atmospheres
  • Mastering new skills
  • Lazing around with the other half
  • Giggling like an idiot over simple things
  • Intricacy