After more than two and a half years of no international travel—we arrived home from overseas only days before Australia closed its borders in March 2020—we’ve finally left the country.

Almost two months later, we’re back in Sydney. Here’s a quick rundown of where we went and what we did.

This trip was ostensibly a catch-up mission with UK family and friends we hadn’t seen since the start of the pandemic.

But rather than flying in to Heathrow, which has had a lot of problems with luggage, plus getting to our friends on the southeast coast from there isn’t easy, Christina and I opted to land in Europe, travel around for a week or so and fly to Stansted Airport on the cheap.

Landing in Frankfurt, we stayed there for a few days enjoying the local mid-week markets and getting back into the European vibe.

We stayed at the Mercure Hotel Kaiserhof, which was conveniently close to Frankfurt’s main train station but far enough away from the dodgy bits of town like the nearby red light district around Taunusstraße.

Taking one of the amazing OBB trains, we travel through southern Germany and into Austria to explore the elegant city of Vienna. It’s a long train journey—over eight hours in fact.

But choosing the comfort and romance of a first class compartment carriage makes the trip more enjoyable.

We talk a bit more about the best way to travel through Europe here.

It’s also the most affordable option–at about €140–compared to flying or hiring a car.

We arrive in Vienna at 8.30 in the evening. We drop our bags at our delightfully old-school hotel—the Graben just off historic Stefanspatz in the centre of town—and go exploring.

From the Spanish Riding School stables and the State Opera House in the west of the city to the art weirdness of Hundertwasser House in the east we clock up a lost of steps in the one full day we’re here.

Our Essential Guide to Vienna is here, check it out!

But all too soon, we leave the towering white Baroque streets of Vienna to hop on another train. This time we’re only on board for about two and a half hours, hopping off in Hungary. We’re finally getting to see beautiful Budapest.

We’ve always wanted to see this great city, split in two by the mighty Danube. And it does not disappoint.

In fact, looking at our step-counts on our phones, we realise we’ve hit Hungary hard: over 48km in three days (compared to Frankfurt – 34km and Vienna – 19km)—it feels like we’ve walked the whole city!

Thankfully our hotel room at the Arcadia Hotel Budapest* is comfortable—though they’ve switched the aircon onto heat mode throughout the hotel because it’s supposed to be winter; we’ve been enjoying 24ºC days this October!

But after all the walking, all the spiral steps to the tops of church towers, all the amazing food, rivers, culture, history and even more walking, it’s time to hop on what’s probably the cheapest flight to the UK from mainland Europe.

Our Budapest-to-London Stansted flights are AU$134 total.

*As of 2024, the Arcadia Hotel Budapest was permanently closed. Perhaps the heating bill was too much for them. Sad to see places shut like this though.

Once in the UK, we’re on a mission to see as many people and places as we can—though there is an element of relaxation we really want to enjoy too of course.

We start off with a trip away with my mum and dad to the pretty Suffolk town of Southwold before heading to our amazing friends—more like family in fact—Clare and Dave, and their fur-babies Flo and Ruby, where we’ll be based while we’re in the UK.

But trips to Kent, Brighton, London, St Albans, Hatfield Forest, Oulton Broad, Harwich and Cambridge keep us on the road quite a bit over the next few weeks.

We also manage to squeeze in a quick trip to Italy. It’s so close, we just can’t resist. We fly down to Puglia to check out a town we wanted to spend more time in when we were last here in 2017: Monopoli.

Things have changed a bit on the last five years, but it’s still as beautiful as ever. We spend our days wandering the cobbled streets of this charming harbour town and our evenings exploring the little trattorias, bars and enotecas.

We’re thrilled to be able to revisit our favourite find in Monopoli—a ceramics workshop and store called Giu In Lab run by a lovely local couple. Amazingly they remember us and we chat for a while.

Their background is in architecture but they moved back to their hometown a while back and started crafting beautiful pottery using the forms local to them; ricotta pots, seashells, sea urchins, little seed pods.

Anna and Gianni have moved things along quite a bit since we were here last too, trialling new techniques no one’s tried before and creating new even more beautiful designs. Seeing these guys again has been the highlight of our trip to Puglia.

We’re also amazed at how warm it is still in Puglia considering it’s now early November. Instead of winter clothes, we’re in swimmers. In fact Christina even goes for a dip at the beach in Monopoli. The water’s still over 20°C.

Back in the UK, with just a week left until we begin heading back to Sydney, we travel to the Midlands with my mum and dad for one more outing.

In fact, this is a bit of a busman’s holiday for us as we’re heading to Harrington in Northamptonshire halfway between Cambridge and Birmingham.

In this quiet little village in the hills is Warner’s Distillery. We’ve worked a bit with Warner’s over the years. They produce an excellent range of gins and are about to extend their reach in Australia even further with a fascinating collaboration with a distillery here.

Three of Warner’s Gins – there’s also Rhubarb, Raspberry, Apple & Pea, Honeybee, Elderflower and Sloe gin, and two 0% gins: Juniper Double Dry and Pink Berry.

We meet several of Warner’s superstars, including owner Tom Warner himself.

Mike Nield, the international commercial manager, kindly takes time out of his day to show us round where we meet the distillery’s groundsman Martyn Bachmet, one of the distillers Kundai Chakonda guides us through a tasting and we even get to meet Merlin, one of the distillery dogs.

After our site visit, we pop next door with Mike to the Tolly (The Tollemache Arms) for an excellent lunch where we’re joined by Tom and the distillery’s fascinating conservation and sustainability manager (and beekeeper) Jonny Easter.

L-R: Christina, Tom Warner, Jonny Easter and Mike Nield from Warner’s Distillery, Edi, Ken and Jim

We’ll tell you more about our visit another time, but we’ve had such an interesting visit to Warner’s. In fact a few of their gins are available in Dan Murphy’s now.

Then, all of a sudden, we’re on the Eurostar zooming under the Channel to Paris.

We’re staying at the absolutely superb Hotel de Sers in the 8th Arrondissement not far from the Champs-Elysees. Part of the B Signature Hotels and Resorts collection, which is still a family-owned brand, this hotel is driven by its superb level service and luxury as well as its incredible location.

We’re lucky enough to meet the director of sales (and granddaughter of the founder of B Signature Hotels and Resorts) Agathe Jousse, who tells us a bit more about this hotel and the company in general.

We also chat to the Hotel de Sers’ incredible Clefs d’Or Concierge, Cédric Gazou. You can find his secrets to Paris here.

Check out our full review and video of this beautiful hotel here, with its unrivalled concierge service, its glimpses of the Eiffel Tower and its truly enormous bathrooms!

Staying true to our MO, we walk, munch and swig our way round Paris, clocking up another hearty 48km in the three days we’re in town. As well as seeing the sights, we even get to catch up with our friend Alex, who we missed in the UK because he works in Paris three days a week.

Paris is a lot busier than we expected for mid-November though. There are queues everywhere—even to get in to look at churches. I think everyone’s getting in as much travel as they can after two years of being denied it.

Finally, we’re on the last leg of our journey: a brief couple of nights in Dubai as we head back to Australia.

It’s a quick five or so hours to the UAE from France, and we arrive in the morning at our five-star beachside hotel: the exquisite Andaz Dubai The Palm. My new friend Mustafa very kindly lets us check in a full eight hours early, which is a life-saver.

Our room—a suite actually—is massive.

It has a full kitchen, a lounge, bathroom and separate powder room, a workspace that also doubles up as a vanity, and views from the windows next to our super-king bed look out over the marina of the enormous tree-shaped manmade island that is the Palm.

Here’s our full review and video of the Andaz Dubai here.

But before we get too comfortable, we have a safari date with Platinum Heritage, a company that’s been running experiences around the Dubai for a decade. Our guide, Austin, meets us in a beautiful Range Rover and drives us to the meeting point an hour out of the city at the edge of the Arabian Desert.

We’ve got lots to tell you about this incredible experience, but let’s just say it was an evening we’ll never forget. Camel rides, falconry displays, feasts in a royal oasis and pyrotechnical acrobatics. And of course a safari drive amongst the flowing dunes of the desert.

The full story (and video of course!) of our desert safari in the Arabian Desert is all here.

Back in the city, we catch up with our mate Michaela, who moved to Dubai ages ago. It’s lovely to catch up.

We’re having dinner together on Bluewater Island in the lavish Alici. Highly recommend this place. The food and service are just brilliant, and with views out across the marina to the Palm Jumeirah, where our hotel is, and out across the Persian Gulf, you can’t really go wrong.

Across the road from our hotel is a skyscraper—the tallest one on the island—that has a viewing deck and rooftop, brilliantly called The View At The Palm. From here you can look out across the city and, more importantly, over the Gulf.

Short of a helicopter ride (which you can do in an Uber here!) this place affords you the best views of the Palm Jumeirah. We can even see our hotel.

You have to pay extra for rooftop access, and it’s only small, but it’s entirely worth it. Especially when the bored security guard up here does a whole photo shoot for you when you ask him for a single picture!

He even poses us and moves us around the roof, gets people out of shot and takes multiple angles. I think he’s missed his calling!

As we fly back to Sydney, we’re excited to be home again. I think we must be out of practice with this travel malarkey!

The post We’re back, baby! Frankfurt, Vienna and Budapest, England, Italy and Paris, and Dubai too appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

The Lake District. Where ancient villages top hills like sprinkles and long lakes shimmer, filling deep valleys and thrutches; the donations of indomitable glaciers, now water once again.

It’s also home to the country’s tallest mountain, and her deepest and longest lakes.

This area has been the residence of different peoples for at least 5,000 years. Celts, Angles, Romans and Vikings all lived here, and the latter brought many of the current names around the Lake District, including Windermere and Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak.

In modern times, the Lakes have brought us some of our most beloved household names too. William Wordsworth, Coleridge, Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome were all either born here or lived here, and they were all inspired and influenced by the lakes, and their mystery and romance.

How to get to Windermere and the Lake District

Obviously, the easiest way to get to the Lakes is to drive. Windermere’s an hour and a half from Manchester and about four and a half from London, traffic permitting.

But if you don’t want to drive or don’t have a car, there is another option.

Trains run really regularly right into Windermere from London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and a few other hubs. You can book your train tickets ahead of time here.

Then, to get around locally, there’s a rental car service called Co Wheels that lets you hire a car for as little as half an hour and as long as a day.

A bit like Go Get on Australia’s east coast, you need to register for an account which comes with a credit card like access card that unlocks the car you’ve booked and away you go.

The Co Wheels car at Windermere is right in the station car park.

Where to stay in Windermere

There are an enormous number of hotels, inns and B&Bs in Windermere and neighbouring Bowness, but choosing where to stay is often guided purely by availability.

For the best B&B experience though, stay at Denehurst Guesthouse in Windermere. Here’s our review of this charming old-school bed and breakfast.

Where to eat and drink in Windermere

As you’d expect from a busy tourist spot, there are so many places around the lake to refuel.

It’s worth noting though, that after about 6.30, especially on a week night, lots of places seem to just close their kitchens in Windermere, even the pubs.

Thankfully there’s a really good Tandoori Indian Restaurant—the Prince of India—that is open late otherwise we’d have had a hungry night.

Closer to the lake (ironically, Windermere town is not particularly close to its eponymous lake) in Bowness, there are more options.

If you go anywhere, make sure you go to the Hole in t’Wall Tavern while you’re in town. The oldest pub in the area (it’s been serving beer since 1612) gets its name from a gap in the brickwork of the surrounding wall.

The gap appeared back in the day when the blacksmith next door to then named New Hall Inn wanted easier access to a beer while he was hard at work. New Hall became Hole in t’Wall (Hole in the Wall) and the name stuck.

The Hole in t’Wall is as packed with character as its name suggests. The food is excellent, the beer’s even better and the service is so warm and friendly you’ll never want to leave.

Things to do in Windermere

Of course, there’s a whole host of hiking to be enjoyed around the lake and its neighbours (there are 16 lakes in total here). In fact, the Lake District is England’s largest national park with an area of 2,362km2, so you’ve got a lot of ground to explore.

But just within Windermere town, Bowness-on-Windermere and this section of Windermere (the lake), here are some ideas.

Explore Windermere lakeshore

It might seem obvious, but walking the shoreline of England’s biggest lake is a lovely way to enjoy the view.

From Bowness Bay where the steamers, daytrip boats and other tourist vessels leave, you can walk south to Cockshott Point then further down to public ferry wharf.

If you have time, you can even take the 20-minute ferry ride across to Far Sawrey on the western shore for as little as £1 per pedestrian passenger.

Take a boat trip on the lake

Of course, a boat ride on Windermere is a must. There are amazing private sailing experiences you can go for like this or you can take a cruise around the lake.

There are lots of options for cruises on bigger ships on the lake—Windermere Lake Cruises seems to have the best range though.

Visit Beatrix Potter World

Taking so much inspiration from her home in the Lakes, author Beatrix Potter is synonymous with the region.

If you’re a fan of Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Jemima Puddleduck and kin, there are two attractions in Windermere and Bowness that are made for you.

In Bowness, the World of Beatrix Potter brings her characters to life and tells their tales through video, animatronics and displays. Buy your tickets at the door.

The other Beatrix Potter experience is to visit her actual house Hill Top. This National Trust exhibit allows you to step inside the life of one of Britain’s most loved authors and illustrators.

Buy your tickets to Hill Top House via the National Trust here.

Alternatively, there are packages like this one that not only include Hill Tops House, but also a cruise on the lake, a visit Wordsworth’s village of Hawkshead and other Lake District hotspots.

Book your tickets for this experience here.

Visit The Ro Hotel—at least for the view

The Ro Hotel—formerly the Hydro Hotel—is an easy walk from Bowness town centre and has impressive views out over the lake from its beautiful gardens.

This magnificent white mansion was renovated and reopened in 2021, and reminds us of the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, and not just because of the name.

This hotel was once a spa just like the one in Australia. It also has stunning views and you can even come in and dine here if you’re not a guest of the hotel.

Explore the little streets and pubs—especially the Hole in t’Wall

I know I’ve pushed the Hole in t’Wall pub already, but you seriously need to experience this little gem of an inn. Low ceilings are slung with tankards and walls adorned with all kinds of paraphernalia. From old photos and giant magnums of Champagne (sadly empty) to taxidermy and china plates.

This is the kind of thing you should expect in the Hole in t’Wall. Can you see the fox?

There are a number of other pubs worth a visit too though. The Royal Oak, The Craft Baa, Churchill’s Tavern, The Angel Inn are all great.

But avoid the Flying Pig Pub in Bowness and the Brookside Inn in Windermere. They’re both a bit weird (imho!).

Lakeland HQ

If you’re into kitchen gadgets and homeware stuff, you’ve got to check out Lakeland just next to Windermere Station.

There are Lakeland stores all over the country, but this is the OG, hence the name. And it’s massive. It’s a good job it was closed when we went to have a look. I don’t think my luggage allowance could’ve coped!

The post Top Of The Lake District — things to do in Windermere, Cumbria appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

In as much as travel broadens your mind, it also gives a place a chance to reveal its secrets. Even the quietest, sleepiest little hamlet in the middle of nowhere has its stories. And without fail there’s an interesting story to find in every destination.

It happens almost automatically to us these days. Whenever we’re somewhere new, Christina and I tend to find the little quirks that make a place what it is.

Visiting the UK recently, we were based in Essex, just east of London. While we were there, a friend in Sydney asked us to go to his sister’s to pick something up for him.

And so we found our way to Great Dunmow, a pretty little town nestled in the in the countryside of East Anglia, about 35 miles northeast of the City.

It turns out Great Dunmow has a very unique tradition that not only asks how much a married couple love each other, but even rewards the most devoted couple with a whole side of bacon – the Flitch.

This is the Kicking Dickey Inn in Great Dunmow. I’ve always loved the name, which is the old Essex word for a male donkey. My family and I would drive by this pub (and occasionally stop in) on our way to my grandparents.

The Dickey, which has been a pub since at least the 1870s, has rooms available as well as being a very welcoming, classic English pub. So if you’re in town for the Flitch Trials, here’s a good place to stay.

I don’t know if they have a fridge big enough for half a pig though, so if you’re on trial, check for storage options in case you win!

How much do you love your wife? The Great Dunmow Flitch Trials

Since before Chaucer penned his famous Canterbury Tales in 14th Century, the town of Great Dunmow has carried out this tradition of a couple proving their devotion to one another. Chaucer even alluded to the Dunmow Flitch in The Wife of Bath’s Tale.

If a married couple can prove that they have “not wish’t themselves unmarried again” within a year and a day, they win a flitch of bacon.

But who are they proving it to?

Left: winners of the Flitch Trials 2016 Mr Atkinson and Mrs Atkinson-Wood. Right: The Flitch from Great Garnetts. Records go back to 1445 when Richard Wright from Badbourge, Norwich won. His wife’s name is not recorded

Images courtesy of the Dunmow Flitch Trials website.

Every four years, the whole town of Great Dunmow comes together for a procession through the town to the ancient market square. On stage, the couple are quizzed in a trial for an hour by a real judge and barristers in front of the crowd.

More importantly, the couple gives evidence to the traditional jury of six maidens and six bachelors, who decide whether the couple is worthy.

If the couple wins the trial, they’re carried through the town on a ceremonial sedan chair to kneel ‘on pointed stones’ to take the oath and receive their Flitch.

Here are the words of the flitch oath:

“You do swear by custom of confession
That you ne’er made nuptial transgression
Nor since you were married man and wife
By household brawls or contentious strive
Or otherwise in bed or at board
Offended each other in deed or in word
Or in a twelve months’ time and a day
Repented not in thought in any way
Or since the church clerk said amen
Wish’t yourselves unmarried again
But continue true and desire
As when you joined hands in holy quire.”

Legend has it that this ritual started with a couple, after their first year of marriage, came to the local priest to renew their vows. The prior was so taken with their devotion to one another, he renewed their vows and also gifted them a flitch of bacon.

It was then that the couple revealed their true identity as lord and lady of the manor, and were so impressed with the prior’s generosity that they granted him land, but with one condition.

Every four years, the prior had to maintain the tradition of awarding a worthy couple a flitch of bacon on proof of their happiness in marriage over the same period of a year and a day.

The Flitch Trials website has a wonderfully documented, full history you should check out.

The next Flitch Ceremony will be held on Saturday 11 July 2020.

Other strange laws of Great Britain

The UK has a long list of strange legislation, bylaws and customs that still apply to this day. Here are some of my favourites.

– Presumably due to narrow streets in the capital, it’s been against the law to carry a plank or ladder along the pavement since 1839.

– Thanks to King Edward II, who ruled England in the early 1300s, all beached whales and sturgeons belong to the reigning monarch and must be presented to the head of state before being dealt with.

– Until 1960, every Englishman between the ages of 17 to 69 was required to keep and practise with a longbow.

– In the 16th Century, it was illegal to stand within 100 yards of the monarch without socks on.

– Applying a postage stamp with the monarch’s head on upside down is considered to be treason.

But a least you won’t get the death penalty for treason anymore; the UK repealed that law in 1988. Those Millennials don’t know how easy they’ve got it!

The post How much do you love your wife? The Great Dunmow Flitch Trials appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Sparkling ribbons of glacial lakes with quaint towns nuzzling at their shores are guarded by towering mountains – the source of inspiration for poets and novelists through the ages. The Lake District is iconic and unique in its beauty.

Lake Windermere, the easiest of the lakes to get to and possibly the most popular, is also the largest lake at over 18km long.

Its 19 islands, neo-gothic shoreside castle and sweeping views down through the valleys and fells of the national park make Windermere the premier destination of the district.

Because of its popularity, Lake Windermere has plenty of accommodation options, but here’s our top tip for where to stay in the Lake District.

Where to stay in the Lake District – Denehurst Guest House

Lake Road, which winds downhill from the town of Windermere to the shores of its lake, is lined with guesthouses and bed and breakfasts. Further down in the lakeshore village of Bowness-on-Windermere, there are even more hotels and accommodation options.

But halfway between Windermere town and Bowness’s waterfront is the Denehurst Guest House and the most homely, welcoming place to stay you’re likely to find.

Owners Ken and Cindy Ravenhall are quite possibly the most hospitable, welcoming people you’ll ever meet.

From the moment you set foot inside their Victorian lakeside home to that reluctant last step as you check out, Ken and Cindy’s attention to detail makes for a very comfortable, memorable stay at the Lakes.

Denehurst Guesthouse

The six rooms at Denehurst Guest House are all en-suite with large, comfortable beds, good wifi, complimentary toiletries, coffee and tea, and even a DVD player – though there’s so much to see outside I don’t think you’ll need a movie to entertain you.

The communal living room is replete with comfy, squashy sofas and plenty of information to help you on your time exploring this beautiful part of the country. Mind you, better than the leaflets, Ken and Cindy, who are always on hand, are an absolute mine of information.

Give them your interests, time and fitness parameters, and they’ll have the best recommendations for you.

Breakfast at Denehurst

Denehurst is much more than a bed-and-breakfast guesthouse. Having said that, these two elements are at the fore, judging by my excellent night’s sleep and how full I still was by lunchtime.

When you first check in, Ken and Cindy ask you to select a time you’ll be down for breakfast the following morning and what you’d like to eat. For us it was simple: it had to be the full Cumbrian breakfast.

While we waited for Cindy’s masterpiece, we snacked on the cereal and fruit bar in the smartly dressed dining room.

There are other options to choose from for breakfast. Cindy and Ken can knock up an eggs benedict, a plateful of smoked salmon and scramble, even homemade waffles and maple syrup.

But when Ken arrives with our dry-cured bacon, Cumberland sausage and free-range eggs (all locally sourced), sauté potatoes, fried mushrooms and grilled tomatoes, not to mention a rack of toast, we know we’re made the right decision.

Denehurst’s location

A block back from the main road, Denehurst Guest House pretty much guarantees you a quiet night’s sleep. That and the polite request that guests don’t use the shower or long flush in their en-suites before 7am.

Door to lakeshore is about a 15-minute walk downhill through the bustling centre of Bowness, where you can hop on a ferry to explore Lake Windermere or find your way to the wilder western shore.

In the other direction, it’s another 15 minutes on foot to the town of Windermere, full of shops, cafés, bars and the train station.

Alternatively, you can leave your free parking spot outside the guest house and drive to either spot in a couple of minutes. Though even when it’s raining (Ken can lend you a brolly), the walk is much more pleasant.

As for your nearest pub, the Brookside Inn, which is poised over a lake-bound stream, is only a five-minute stroll away.

Denehurst Guest House

40 Queens Drive
Windermere
W: denehurst-guesthouse.co.uk

Have you been to the Lake District? Have you ever stayed in a guest house that you never wanted to leave? Tell us in the comments!

The post Where to stay in the Lake District – Denehurst Guest House, Windermere appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

The past nine weeks we’ve been in the UK and Europe have been pretty busy. There have been plenty of things we’ve wanted to share with you but just haven’t had the time or space in the stories we’ve published. 

Now we’re back in Sydney and we’re just waiting for dust to settle again, we thought we’d put together a few of the other highlights from our trip we didn’t get a chance to tell you about before.

From big barbecues and beach time to vegan burgers and the most dramatic doggy make-over you’ll ever see, here’s our Weekly Edition Extra!

Summertime in the UK always means barbecues. And this old thing has seen some real action in the field.

It doesn’t take much convincing to get our mates Dave and Clare to bring out their catering-grade charcoal and fire up the braai!

While Dave’s cooking down the charcoal and getting everything set, Christina and Clare bring out the big guns. And by that I mean this monster bottle of Taittinger Champagne.

Clare won this huge bottle of bubbly a while ago and has been waiting for Christina to come over for a ‘valid excuse’ to open it!

And while all this is going on, I’ve decided to go big too with this massive cigar! I’ve been saving this Partagas Lusitania for quite a few years now – it’s a cigar that requires a fair bit of time commitment, taking between 2 – 2½ hours to finish. Well worth it though. One of the best cigars I’ve had.

Back in the kitchen, Chef Dave is blanching the fresh octopus we’ve sourced. In fact, today’s whole cooking carnival was inspired by a conversation about barbecued octopus, so this part of the meal is really the linchpin.

To barbecue octopus properly, you need to gut and parboil it before you even think about the grill. If you try and just barbecue octopus, it just turns to rubber.

Some recipes call for adding a wine cork to the pot when you’re boiling the octopus. I don’t know why. But adding a little vinegar helps to break down the proteins and make the meat more tender when it comes to grilling.

Chef Dave is now at the grill, barbecuing the pieces of octopus on the hotter part of the coals. The idea is to crisp up the outside before the meat inside dries out too much.

Well done, Dave. 100% success – the octopus is perfect. Tender yet crisp, full of flavour and texture.

Things don’t get much better than this. A sunny afternoon and long evening in the garden, bellies full, plenty to drink and the best friends you could ever hope to have. Cheers!

Today, I’m out and about with my mum and dad to one of their favourite places. About half way between the towns of Ipswich and Sudbury in Suffolk, East Anglia, Hollow Trees Farm is home to one of the best farm shops and cafes you’ll find.

The shop has its own deli counter with amazing cured meats and cheeses, a fishmongers, a butcher’s counter where you can even see cuts of meat being dressed, and shelves and shelves of delicious condiments, pickles, jams and ingredients.

After a quick shop, we head into the cafe for lunch. My baked spud is robust and packed with filling, and the three of us waddle out of Hollow Trees feeling very full.

Today, Christina, Mum, Dad and I are all at the beach. Frinton-on-Sea is a little seaside town on the north Essex coast that we’ve been coming to for years. It’s a funny little town, full of strange old bylaws and locals who don’t like change much.

The upside is the town’s well-kept and quaint, and its esplanade is lined with cute beach huts.

It’s midweek and early in the summer season, so lots of the beach huts aren’t in use today. The beach itself is quite quiet, though there are few people swimming and sunbathing.

There’s something about this photo I absolutely love. Christina has taken about a million shots of the beach huts today, but this just resonates.

It makes you wonder about the people who were only just recently sat in these chairs. Where are they now? What made them get up? When will they be back? Can I get in a sneaky sit down before they are?

We decide it’s time for lunch. One of Frinton’s many bylaws was that there shall be no take-away restaurants and no pubs. In recent years, clever business owners managed to get around the bylaw and there is now a pub (though it’s not very nice apparently) and there is also a fish and chip shop, which is excellent.

If you ever get a chance to visit Young’s Other Plaice, do so. Service is great and the food’s delicious.

We sit outside and enjoy a meal – Christina has this pile of whitebait, Mum goes for garlic mushrooms, Dad has an enormous haddock and I have my customary cod roe. You can’t get roe and chips in Australia, so I’m filling my boots while I’m here. Love the stuff.

After lunch, we wander Frinton’s busy little high street and explore some of the quirky shops we find.

But we can’t go on for ever and stop in one of the cafes here for a brew. Bird and Bean is a fun little place and serves surprisingly good coffee. The food also looks great here, but we’re still too full.

Service is attentive and professional – highly recommend visiting.

This is Flo the springer spaniel. Clare and Dave’s springer spaniel actually. Today is an important day for Flo. It’s time for her annual haircut – and not before time.

The summer’s coming on fast. Her thick coat is hot and getting hotter, so Dave’s unpacked his canine clippers.

Flo’s lies back and lets Dave shave her chest and belly. As he works his way round, she doesn’t move a muscle – an incredible feat for a springer!

Look at that face! Flo’s in heaven – she feels like a different dog. In fact…

She looks like a different dog! How’s that for a before-and-after? Not only does she look 10 years younger, she acts it too. almost nine years old, Flo instantly becomes even more puppy-like than she did before her haircut.

It’s an amazing transformation – and right in time. This week is set to be one of the hottest on record.

This evening, Mum and Dad have brought Christina and I to one of their all-time favourite places.

This is Cradle in Sudbury, Suffolk. It’s a plant-base and vegan restaurant, but one that also makes its own bread, pastries, nut milk, and everything else too. It’s a remarkable restaurant run by some remarkable people.

Ordinarily, Cradle is only open for lunch, but every now and again, they have special dinner events.

You can’t book for lunch – it’s a walk-in kind of deal. But dinners you have to book.

We featured Cradle a little while ago in our round up of places to eat in the English countryside.

To get things started, we crack a couple of beers Cradle has in the fridge. As with everything in this restaurant bakery, the beers are from sustainably minded breweries that refuse to compromise on flavour or quality.

Gregor Mendal – a cloudy, American-style pale ale from Lab Culture Brewery in the Midlands – is full of hoppy flavour, yet crisp and drinkable. The beer’s name comes from the father of modern genetics, Gregor Mendal, who worked out the structure of genomes in peas.

Lab Culture shares Mendel’s passion for the clever use of agriculture – they brew their beer from the waste heat of a nearby vertical farm!

I also give Cradle’s collaboration beer a shot. Together with the Little Earth Project microbrewery associated with the Edwardstone White Horse Inn up the road in Mill Green, Cradle has created a very novel brew.

It’s a sour beer, made using leftover sourdough and starter from the bakery’s own (absolutely delicious) bread. Its name – Pain in the Glass – is right in so many ways.

Pain – being French for bread – is a nod to co-owner Christophe Vigié’s homeland. And I’m sure his partner and bread master Holly Sutton feels that making beer from her sourdough was a bit of a pain in the proverbial!

The beer itself is a work in progress, but full of promise. If you like sour beer, you’ll love this one. And there’s definitely room to amplify the bready flavour that comes through that will balance out the sourness a little.

Looking forward to trying it again.

But the main reason we’re here is for the burgers. Holly, whose skills lie in baking the bread at Cradle, has crafted these amazing vegan beetroot brioche buns. They’re so vivid and deliciously soft.

The funny thing is, if this weren’t a vegan burger, I think the red buns would make the meal somewhat gruesome. But the lack of meat or animal products on the plate allows the buns to give colour and fun to the dish.

Holly makes all the bread for the bakery. Her sourdoughs have become local legend, which is only fair as they are about as local as you can get.

Cradle mills its own flour and only uses Maldon salt, made 25 miles down the road (and our favourite salt too by the way).

The burger itself – a mushroom and walnut patty – with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and a vegan Boursin style cream cheese that gives the impression of melting is a very intelligent dish. And filling too.

The question is, will there be enough room for dessert?

Yes. There’s room. But only one between two! The Eton Mess Cradle crafts is rich and delicious. Foraged berries, crunchy meringue, vanilla ice cream and a berry sorbet fills the pots and then our stomachs to bursting point.

It’s another of Christophe’s creations that puts Cradle in a unique position. With Holly’s expertise in the bread department and Christophe putting his extensive professional cheffing skills into practice, It’s little wonder Cradle is so good.

Christophe has worked all over the world for prominent venues under names like Michel Roux and Jean-Christophe Novelli, and made a name and craft for himself in pastry and desserts. It makes sense that he and Holly have carved their niche in the world with a place like Cradle.

We’re just lucky that Mum and Dad found them.

Here’s to many more trips full of tales and forays filled with food.

Cheers – Jim, Christina, Ken and Edi! 

The post And one more thing… some UK extras appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

It’s always hard to say goodbye to England. Knowing that we won’t be seeing friends and family again for a little while is never a pleasant thought.

These are our last few days in the UK before we head back to the short, chilly days of the Australian winter. There’s still time to get a few more good meals in, see some cool things and spend a bit more quality time with a few special people. 

In this Weekly Edition, Christina gets in one more quick trip to London, we go deep into the beautiful Essex countryside and we strap in for our flight home. 

While Jim’s getting some quality time in with his mum and dad, I’ve popped into the city to catch up with my dear friend from school, who lives in London. 

I do love London and I always make sure I get into town as much as possible when Jim and I are in the UK. There’s something about this great city I just can’t get enough of. 

Perhaps it’s scenes like this. Double decker buses, and a huge corner store for walking sticks and umbrellas. Is there anything more British?

First stop on this trip to London is to the Tate Modern. A new exhibition by Olafur Eliasson is on and ever since seeing his installations in Sydney, I’ve been curious about his work.

This current display covers his early work as well his his exploration on society and climate change. It’s interactive and great for all ages though it can get busy at peak times, which can impact the experience of his art. 

You have plenty of time to catch this as it’s on until January 2020 and well worth a visit. 

The Tate has a range of bars and restaurants and if you head to the Kitchen & Bar on level 6, you’ll get this sweeping view of the Thames and St Paul’s. It’s a venue we’re definitely adding to our list of unique perspectives of London.

My friend and I take a seat in the restaurant and plan our next move. 

The food and drinks options in the bar here are surprisingly good. So often, the offerings at such popular tourist spots can really let a place down. Thankfully, not with the Tate.

London in the summertime is one of the happiest places on earth. With blue skies above, we head out on foot to explore nearby Borough Market and mingle with the tourist crowds.

I’m definitely putting together a post of some of our fave London spots but if I can suggest one thing it’s to explore on foot. The tube is efficient but you end up coming across the best finds when you just wander.

All too soon, my London jaunt comes to an end though. Thankfully, there are good things waiting for me back with Jim, east from the city…

Now that Christina’s back from her trip to London, she’s keen to get a bit more of the countryside before we head home to Sydney. Where my parents live in Suffolk, the fields and woodland here are beautiful.

Early this morning, Christina’s decided to go for a wander and has discovered these sheep, all standing in a row watching her. It’s somewhere between being quite picturesque and a little unsettling.

Perhaps these sheep have heard that there’s a pub nearby called the Shoulder of Mutton!

It’s our last full day with our amazing friends Clare and Dave. Unfortunately, Dave’s had to go to work today, but we’ve brought Clare out for a spot of lunch at the Wooden Fender. This pub, near the village of Ardleigh in Essex, has been here forever and has always done good food.

My Sausage and mash is delicious, made with all locally sourced ingredients. The Wooden Fender’s menu is great, but its weekday lunchtime specials are a real win.

We somehow convince ourselves that dessert is a good idea even though all three of us are stuffed.

It turns out we’re right though, especially when Clare’s creme brulee comes out looking like this, still flaming and sizzling. 

As if we haven’t eaten enough, I’ve decided to make moussaka for dinner with my signature rosemary roast potatoes and a Greek salad.

The reason for the moussaka is that Dave roasted a 2kg leg of lamb on the charcoal barbecue for dinner last night and there’s still over half left. I’ve chopped up the meat into fairly small pieces then cooked it for about 3 hours in a tomato base recipe by Rick Stein.

The result is the meat is still in chunks, but when you touch the pieces, they fall apart. It’s better than the traditional mince method and really worth trying… the next time you happen to have a kilo of charcoal barbecued lamb leg hanging about!

We leave Clare and Dave’s – our home from home – feeling quite sad. But our mood lifts when we get to my mum and dad’s place, where we’ll be spending our last night. 

We’re driving deep into the countryside for lunch. The country lanes through Suffolk and Essex are just so beautiful. My dad calls this the tunnel road – and for good reason. The embankments either side of the road are over eight feet high and the trees knit together above us.

Even more amazing is this is a two-way street. Thankfully no cars are coming the other way today.

And here’s our lunch spot – The Henny Swan in the hamlet of Henny on the Essex-Suffolk border. I haven’t been back here since I was a boy, and it’s still as pretty as I remember. 

Mum and Dad both say the pub’s changed a bit, but not for the worse, which is usually the case. It’s a curse my dad suffers from all the time where he takes us to a pub he loved going to years before and it’s either shut or has been turned into a McDonald’s.

Not The Henny Swan though. This is still a wonderful place to come for a bit to eat next to the river, deep in the Stour Valley.

The food at The Henny Swan is still excellent. Mum’s garlic-roasted flat field mushroom with a herb crust and stuffed with toasted goat’s cheese is a work of art. The drizzle of pesto and balsamic really mades the dish.

My dad has the chargrilled polenta steak with a capsicum coulis and chips, and Christina goes for the chickpea and felafel burger with sweet potato fries.

They’re both good, but are they as good as my juicy 6oz smoky cheeseburger? The paprika mayo and hand-cut chips make it a worthy contender for some food envy at the table.

After lunch, we wander around by the river and the pub’s unique beer garden. 

From here you can catch a ferry along the Stour all the way to Sudbury. Even better, there’s a kayaking trip you can take – a round trip of about four miles – to Sudbury. I think Christina and I might have a look at that next time we’re here.

It’s been a lovely trip back to the UK. We’ve managed to spend some real quality time with my mum and dad.

All aboard. The time’s finally come for us to fly home to the winter. Our first flight from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi is only around seven hours, but is not very comfortable. 

The plane is cramped and quite old, and the service, quality of food and entertainment options have really taken a hit on what must be budget cuts at Etihad Airways. Perhaps the second leg will be better.

Whether it’s because we’ve slept more this flight – the 13 hours from Abu Dhabi to Sydney – or the fact I’ve got a window seat, the second flight is a bit better. 

The service, food and entertainment are the same (even down to meal options) and the plane is if anything even older than the first. Either way, I don’t think we’ll be flying with Etihad again. 

It’s good to be home, in spite missing our family and friends already. Arriving early in the morning has meant we’ve had to fill the day to stay awake.

Christina’s been to her hairdresser Stevie English for a cut a colour, while I’ve been shopping a running errands. 

Now we’re regrouping at our local – the East Village in Balmain – for a couple of beers and dinner. Steak, salt and pepper squid and a bucket of chips. Perfect!

This morning, the jet lag begins its tiresome routine of waking me up too early. Christina has slept well though and makes me come out to look at Sydney Harbour in the daylight. 

It’s good to get some fresh air, but now I’ve done that, it’s time for the sofa and my new binge-watch on Netflix: The Last Kingdom. Christina doesn’t like it, but that’s ok. 

If you’re interested in Britain’s early history, vikings and Alfred the Great’s efforts to unify England, this is your disco.

We hope you’ve enjoyed following us round the UK and Europe through our Weekly Editions. There’s more to come and, of course, what we get up to now we’re back in Sydney. 

See you next time.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Town and country – our last UK days appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

With our last few days in European summer looming, Christina and I are getting as much outdoor time in as possible before we return to chilly Sydney.

In this Weekly Edition, we’re hitting a music festival, visiting a famous landscape garden and seeing more of south-eastern England’s historic countryside… and eating lots of food of course!

We hope you enjoy this Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

This evening, we’re all off to a festival called Wrabfest. You might not have heard of this festival, and that’s not to surprising. It started as a local village fete in the little coastal town of Wrabness, on the Essex Suffolk border.

Since its beginnings, Wrabfest’s annual summer events have grown to hold over 2,500 people. These days it has much more of a festival feel than the tombolas and tin can alleys of its provincial past.

There’s still a lovely country feel to the festival though. The six of us, Clare, Dave, their dogs Flo and Ruby, and Christina and I have created our own little enclosure in one of the marquees, sitting on hay bales and enjoying some of the local beers from Colchester Brewery.

There’s a great party vibe at Wrabfest, though as the sun goes down, these oil drum men start looking a little ominous. Somewhere between Ned Kelly and the wicker man!

As we explore the festival, Christina and I discover one of our favourite things to do when we’re travelling: a ‘faceout’! I wish I knew what was going on in this one, but it seems I’ve chosen some kind of impressionist druid Gaia bee and Christina’s a muscular Alice in Welly Land!

The festival really gets going when the Guns n Roses tribute band – apparently the best in Europe – kicks off on the main stage. They’re pretty good, but all the bands have been impressive this evening. There was one on the second stage that really impressed us. I wish I’d got their name.

This morning, the dogs are quite relaxed. I think they both enjoyed the thrill of the festival, but all the people, the sounds, smells and lights tired them out.

Ruby is in her favourite chair biding her time till dinner.

Flo, meanwhile, is still eager to play, even though she’s almost 10. If only there were a way to harness springer spaniel energy!

This afternoon, five of us – Christina, myself, Clare, and my mum and dad – are at Beth Chatto’s Gardens. An institution and home to one of the most beautiful ornamental landscape gardens in the country, the ponds, flowerbeds, woodlands and meadows of this place are perfect for a summer stroll.

But first, lunch.

The cafe at Beth Chatto’s has come a long way since the last time we were here. Clare’s ham and cheese sandwich is so packed with filling, she has to take some out to eat the sarny!

I have a baked potato with tuna mayonnaise, which is equally as generous.

We’re impressed with the vegan and vegetarian options too. Mum has the vegan ploughman’s, which comes with vegan mozzarella, humous, chutneys and a fruit-filled salad.

The mozzarella will never be as good as the dairy version, but it’s not terrible.

While we enjoy lunch, a summer rain shower soaks the gardens, making us feel thankful we’ve brought our brollies. But just as we finish our meal, the clouds break up and the sun comes back out.

The gardens at Beth Chatto’s really are beautiful. This is our favourite shot of the day. Christina manages to catch this giant bumble bee at it comes in to land.

Droplets of rainwater cling to leaves

A Red Admiral butterfly makes its move after the rain

If you’re ever in this part of England, Beth Chatto’s Gardens are a lovely way to spend an hour or two. And as you can see, the cafe’s worth a look as well!

This morning, Christina and I are in a nearby field filming a new video for Christina’s site Hair Romance, where she’s explaining the many reasons why your hair might feel like straw occasionally.

It’s quite strange to be in fields when the farmer’s finished harvesting and baling up the crop*, but it gives the perfect backdrop to the topic of the video.

You can watch the Q&A vid here.

*We did get the ok from the farmer to be here.

It’s time for lunch again, and today we’re back in one of our all-time favourite places with Clare, and my mum and dad.

Lavenham in Suffolk is absolutely packed with history, a lot of which you can see just from its buildings. This is the Crooked House and home to the best tea rooms you’ll find in the UK.

Munnings Tea Rooms does superb food and the most impressive ploughman’s you’re likely to find anywhere. Either cooked from scratch by our lovely host and Munnings’ owner Everyl Madell or sourced locally by her, the plateful you get is incredible.

Everyl also has her own blend of tea, which – even if you’re not a tea drinker – will make you ask for more hot water to top up your pot.

After lunch, we wade out into the street and explore the little streets for a while. It’s almost impossible to walk past the ice cream shop – Hadley’s Ice Cream Parlour.

Everything here is also either made from scratch by Jane Hadley herself or sourced locally. You can tell simply by the flavours – the ice cream here is remarkable.

The houses and details of Lavenham show you that this town has seen some very wealthy times. In fact, thanks to the cotton trade in the Middle Ages, Lavenham was one of the 15 richest towns in the country.

The Tudor and Medieval houses, with their signature exposed wooden frames are wonkier here than in most places because of the sudden influx of money.

With a burst the population came the need for more houses. The wood used in the buildings was too young and warped shortly after construction. It must have been annoying at the time, but it gives Lavenham a wonderfully quaint look.

It even inspired the directors of the Harry Potter films to base Godrick’s Hollow on one of the streets here.

For more on Lavenham, Suffolk, check out our post on this pretty little town here.

Tonight I’m staying with Mum and Dad, so we’re indulging in a pizza night. They’ve been talking about this place they found in their closest town – Sudbury – for a while, so there’s no better opportunity!

The pizza from the Sudbury Dough & Co is already excellent – even by Italian standards – but there’s something extra special about their menu.

I’ve never seen this ingredient before, but it adds meatiness and spiciness to a pepperoni pizza I’d be happy with as is.

It’s called ‘nduja (pronounced ?n’dooya’) is a kind of salami from Calabria in southern Italy. It’s so soft even after curing that you can spread it. Or – like at Dough & Co – you can blob it on pizzas. Genius!

It’s more than time for a walk today after last night’s pizza fest. Mum and Dad have taken me out to one of Sudbury’s many walking trails.

For such a little, out-of-the-way town, Sudbury has plenty to it. Along the River Stour and through the woodlands surrounding the town, the pathways are perfect for a stroll.

But there’s only so much walking you can do before you feel peckish again. Thankfully, I’m spending two nights round my parents’ place, so we’ve got time for a bit of a platter session.

Mum loves doing this kind of dinner. She calls it ‘picky bits’, which sounds like a light, snacky kind of meal, but never turns out to be that way. All this cheese, the platter of pastries in the background, a huge bowl of potato salad and coleslaw and a leafy salad too are just for the three of us!

It’s been a great week, and we hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what we’ve been up to.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Festivals, flower gardens and Medieval Suffolk appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Things are really speeding up on our trip now as we come to the last couple of weeks of being in the UK. In fact, we’re so busy, we’ve had to split this week’s Weekly Edition into two bits.

You’ll find part one on Cheshire and the Lake District here, but either side of our trip up north, we’re visiting St Ives in Cambridgeshire and St Albans in Hertfordshire, hosting family barbecues, eating curry and experiencing the hottest day in British history.

We hope you enjoy part II of our Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

Today, we’re in the pretty town of St Ives, not far from Cambridge – and not to be confused with the St Ives in Cornwall. We’re meeting up with my sister for a bite to eat and a look round.

The town’s based around the Great Ouse River and this remarkable bridge. Flowing beneath the bridge, the river looks very welcoming – it’s incredibly hot today.

Up and down the Ouse (pronounced ‘ooze’), cruisers and canal boats go up and down. As we stand admiring the day-to-day of the river, thermometers around the UK are climbing. It’s a real scorcher.

In fact, it’s looking like it’ll be the hottest day on record. And where is that high temperature happening? Right here in St Ives and Cambridge.

We take shelter from the sun in the River Terrace Cafe next to the bridge of St Ives. It’s a shame it’s so hot today. It would be lovely to sit outside and watch the river here. Instead, we’re hiding indoors.

The food at the River Terrace Cafe is worth travelling for. My reuben sandwich is excellent and Christina’s beetroot and goat cheese salad with caramelised walnuts and extra halloumi is lovely too.

My mum has the same as Christina, but my sister orders a cheese and ham sandwich. It sounds simple, but when it comes, we realise just by the thick-sliced sourdough that it’s far from it.

In fact, Christina reckons it’s the best cheese sandwich she’s ever tasted. Praise indeed.

After lunch, we try a stroll around town, but it’s so incredibly hot. We try to stick close to the river hoping the water will keep us a little cool. It’s not working.

We do enjoy the views of the 15th Century bridge though. The building in the middle is in fact a little museum. Once a chapel, it’s one of only four in the country to have this design.

Further into the town, my sister takes us to her favourite cake shop here. Tom’s Cakes is a bit of a local institution and serves up some of the best-looking and tasting cakes we’ve seen.

My pecan pie at the front is absolutely delicious – perfect pastry, generous filling and that maple syrup flavour from the pecans.

Meanwhile, Christina tries to tackle the caramel beauty on the left. Crumbly base, a generous, silky caramel filling and a thick coin of tempered chocolate on top defeat her first attempt. She’ll finish it off on the car ride home though. And then fall deep into a sugar coma.

St Ives really is a pretty town and we wish we had more time to explore. It’s also way to hot to be anywhere by air conditioning today. As we drive home, the temperature in the sun reaches 41ºC.

We get back to our friends’ house and relax next to the fan. Later, clouds come over and the most intense electrical storm hits the whole of the country.

Here’s one photo of many that Christina takes of the lightning. I don’t remember seeing so much fork lightning in the UK when I was a kid. In fact I don’t think I saw any at all until I moved to Australia.

If that’s not a sign of climate change, I don’t know what is.

While the weather’s still warm (it’s looking like we’ll have cooler temps in the days to come) we fulfil our promise of a return visit to the Beehive Pub in Colchester.

We came here a little while ago and enjoyed it so much we’ve decided to do it again. We have to dodge inside when it rains a bit, but thankfully the late summer sun comes out in time for our desserts.

Great ale and food, a classic English beer garden and lovely company. Can’t ask for more.

After quite a bit of organising, we’ve managed to get everyone together for a bit of a family reunion. My aunt and uncle, cousins and kids from my dad’s side have come over for a barbecue.

It’s great to see everyone and there’s far more food than necessary.

My mum and dad, who moved into an enormous motorhome a few year ago, are hosting the day. Initially we thought they’d be downsizing from the family home. We were wrong!

Along with all the barbecue food, our mate Clare has knocked up one of her cheesecake masterpieces. It was Clare who came up with the genius plan of a Tim Tam cheesecake recipe last year.

This year, she’s somehow stepped things up yet another notch with double-dipped choc strawberries on top of this work of art.

It’s lovely to see everyone again. I hope it won’t be too long before we’re all together again.

It’s at this point that Christina and I take off up north to see our friends Nickie and Wez in Cheshire, then on to the Lake District to check out Lake Windermere.

You can read all about our adventures here.

On our way home from Cumbria back down to Essex, we pop in to see our mates Charlotte and Alex in St Albans. It’s a flying visit, but we still managed to get in a spot of dinner at The Meating Room, a very cool little gourmet burger joint in town.

The menu is simple yet satisfying, and the burgers are all really well-made. My St Peter’s comes with a choice of cheese and the option to add anything you like to it. Of course, I go for jalapeno chillis, but this burger doesn’t need anything adding to it.

Christina hits the halloumi (I knew she would), which comes with a thick slice of mushroom and some grilled marinated peppers. It’s a worthy veggie option – one of the three they offer here.

The Meating Room has a good range of soft drinks, including some very tempting milkshakes, and a no-corkage BYO if you want a drink drink.

This is a pretty small and very popular venue, so even mid-week it’s a good idea to call ahead and book.

Down the road, Craft and Cleaver has a healthy array of craft beers on tap, and we work our way through a few of them.

Service here is friendly and the atmosphere is perfect for a catch-up with Charlotte.

Craft and Cleaver has some lovely spaces and the decor is as fun and friendly as its staff.

The food they do here also looks like it’s worth a try. They have a proper barbecue smoker for low and slow cooking. Think ribs, pulled pork and – my favourite – beef brisket.

Back at Charlotte and Alex’s, there’s enough time to have a play with their gorgeous little girl ‘Miss S’ before we’re on the road again heading for Colchester.

To make sure we’ve made true use of our time in the UK, we’re out with Clare and Dave to a local curry house for an Indian meal.

The Bengal Diner in Ardleigh, Essex. We order well and soon have a table full of subcontinental delicacies. Best of all is the tarka daal – just ask Clare.

It’s been an epically excellent and excellently epic week full of fun, friends, family and of course food!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this extra Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Hot St Ives, cool St Albans and so much food appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

It always surprises me how little of the UK I’ve seen. I know it’s often the way of things – you explore your own back yard least and last.

The same way Australians see more of London than their own country, I’ve seen more of the southern hemisphere than most antipodeans. But whenever we come back to England, Christina and I love to find new places neither of us have been to.

It never takes too long.

For some reason, I haven’t spent much time in the north of England. Perhaps it’s the run-off from my dad, who’s from North London, telling us kids that there was nothing worth seeing north of the Watford Gap.

So when we managed to finally get dates together to visit our friends Nickie and Wez in Manchester, Christina and I were excited to be seeing more of the country.

We hope you enjoy this special northern Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

We’ve made it to our friends’ place in Congleton, Cheshire. The canal that runs through this pretty little town gives it a sense of being far from any of the big cities of the north.

In truth, Congleton is within the commuter belt, 20 miles from Manchester and trains taking you directly to Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham and even Leeds.

As walk along the towpath alongside the canal,  it’s lovely to see the old longboats moored up or chugging along.

It reminds me of childhood holidays on the river with my parents.

We’ve walked to a nearby pub that’s next to the canal. The Queen’s Head Hotel is a real classic pub with a giant beer garden and some good ales on tap. They also have an impressive range of unusual gins available too.

The food’s great here too. Christina’s meat pie looks amazing (she doesn’t offer a taste, which is a clear telltale it’s good) and the chips they do here hit the spot too.

After dinner, we all head back home along the canal, the long English summer sun taking its time to set.

Back at base, Wez and I work through a few beers. Apart from the American IPA from Shipyard Brewery in Maine, USA, all the beers we’re drinking are English, and all of them are excellent.

We bookend our evening with two Robinson Brewing beers. It’s is a local Cheshire brewery, and its Trooper starts us off well, while the Old Tom (at 8.5%) is a the perfect finisher.

The threatening looking Nightmare porter from Hambleton Brewery in north Yorkshire coats us from the inside with its silky dark texture, and the two very unusual beers from Eagle Brewery in Bedford play with our tastebuds.

Eagle’s Waggle Dance is a honey beer, whose honey notes only come through once you’ve enjoyed the malts and the bitter floweriness of three types of hops.

Their Banana Bread Beer really is a work of art. You can taste the banana, the bread and the beer all at once. A remarkable brew from beginning to end.

By the way, I’ve featured all of these on our sideline Instagram account Beer Romance.

The beers flow as richly as the conversation. It’s lovely to see Wez, Nickie and their little boy ‘A’. I went to university with Wez and it’s been too long since we spent this much time together.

We talk (and drink) long into the night, all the while we’re joined by Nickie’s beautiful cat Dilly. She’s more like a dog and loves having her belly rubbed.

This morning, we head out for a look at the canal again. It runs off the River Dane, which flows from the Peak District all the way into the River Mersey and into the sea.

We make our way to Astbury Mere for a walk and to enjoy the weather while it’s still sunny. Things are due to change before lunchtime.

Things do indeed change over lunch. We’re on the road again heading north to the Lake District. By about 4pm, we’re on the shores of Lake Windermere, the largest and most famous of the 16 lakes here.

It’s raining quite persistently, which isn’t unusual for this region, but it’s nothing to what we’ve just left. We’ll find out later that the northwest and Cheshire in particular have suffered huge volumes of rain and flash flooding since we left just a few hours before.

The town of Bowness runs right to the shores of Windermere. It’s busy, especially this time of year, but not too crazy. The rain and the tourists don’t put us off though, and we enjoy the unusual architecture of the area.

You can see our Essential Guide to Windemere and the Lake District here!

We explore as much of Bowness as our feet can stand, and we’re even tempted to take a boat out on the lake. They’re all chained up though, which makes sense. It’s really pissing it down now.

Instead, we head for a pub that’s caught our eye. The Hole in t’ Wall is the oldest pub in Bowness and definitely the most atmospheric. We really love it in this little place. It’s full of fascinating things, from taxidermy to giant bottles of Lanson. Even empty, this bottle weighs a tonne.

We have a bite to eat, a couple of delicious ales (they keep their beer really well here) and then head back into the rain.

As we explore Bowness and Winermere town, we try quite a few other pubs. The Hole in t’ Wall is definitely our favourite.

We find ourselves back at the lake enjoying the views in spite of the clouds and rain. It says a lot of a destination if it still holds its looks when the skies are grey.

One thing we’re really struck by by lake Windermere is the incredible wealth of hydrangeas. They’re everywhere. I think Christina’s taken about a million photos of them – but these are just two of our favourites.

The narrow lanes through Bowness and Windermere are so pretty, even in the rain. It’s hard to walk past the Hole in t’ Wall though. All we want to do is prop up the bar!

Tonight, we’re staying at the Denehurst Guest House right between Bowness and Windermere town. We were fortunate to have found this little place for a number of reasons.

As you can see it’s cosy and welcoming, but by the time we’d arrived, there were no more vacancies. In fact there’s not a guest house we walk past that isn’t full.

But what we’re not expecting is how truly hospitable and friendly owners Ken and Cindy Ravenhall are when we arrive. We often say it’s not where you are that makes a place it’s the people you meet. At the Denehurst Guest House, you’re lucky enough to find both.

Our review on this little bed and breakfast is here!

I think you can tell by my face that the breakfast here at the Denehurst Guest House is good.

Before we start on our long drive back south, Christina and I enjoy one last look through the two towns and the water.

The Lake District really is so picturesque. We now see what all the hype is about.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Weekly Edition. We’ve got lots more to tell you about the Lake District, so watch this space for more on Wordsworth Country.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post A taste of the North – Cheshire and the Lake District appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

We’re six weeks into our UK and Europe trip, so we’ve decided it’s time to keep things fairly close to home. 

When we’re travelling for longer periods of time, Christina and I have to watch for burn out. It can happen so easily, and all it takes is budgeting some time to relax and not move around too much.

This week, we’re getting back to nature with some berry picking at a nearby fruit farm, a walk through the fields of East Anglia to get to a little hidden gem of a pub and I’m getting my tackle out for a spot of fishing!

We hope you enjoy this chilled out Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

Around this time of year in the UK, finding farms that offer a pick-your-own service aren’t hard to find. But choosing ones that have good crops and good prices can be tricky.

Thankfully, the village of Boxted on the Essex/Suffolk border is home to McClaughlin’s Fruit Farm, which ticks both fruit boxes… or should that be punnets? Sorry.

At McClaughlin’s, you collect your container (they offer biodegradable ones for free or plastic ones at a cost) then head into the fields to find the finest fruit.

On the way to the orchards, there are signs to deter consumption of the berries you pick pre-purchase. It says two berries, but the staff are lovely here.

I think as long as you’re not being silly about it and turning up at the farm shop with bright red smudges all round your mouth and clearly fatter than when you started, you’ll be ok.

Not that we intend to eat more than two berries each of course!

This is the first time Christina’s picked berries like this. She’s pretty excited. Raspberries are incredibly expensive in Sydney and the quality’s never that great.

Being able to take them straight from the bush is probably something we tend to take for granted in the UK.

We found someone who is probably trying her best to eat the two-berry limit but probably won’t make it!

This ladybird is having the best time ever on this delicious-looking raspberry.

This afternoon, the six of us – our friends Clare and Dave plus their two excellent dogs, and Christina and I – are off to the pub.

It’s the perfect evening for a good beer garden, and where we’re going is one of the best. Got to get there first though…

It’s a lovely walk through fields and along the famed English hedgerows to this particular pub. The distance justifies the beer we’re about to indulge in!

The pub we’re heading to is the Beehive on the eastern edge of Colchester. It’s one of those great pubs that still has a sense of humour and keeps its beer really well.

I love this sign they have up at the bar.

We’re all very impressed with the food here too. Out in the beer garden, we’re fending off the dogs as we plough into our dinners. The steak pie, chips, peas, carrots and cabbage is about as classic a pub plate as you can think of. And it’s all made in house.

Dave has the sense to ask for extra gravy, which is thick and delicious, though I think this photo’s about as English as it comes with the Colman’s mustard pot in the background.

Christina took this amazing shot – the sun flair is coming from the shine of Dave’s knife as he gets stuck into his pie.

I think we’ll be back here before the trip’s over!

This morning, I’ve popped into Colchester with my mum and dad to help with their current phone woes. Dad managed to drop his brand new mobile in the lake on a recent fishing trip and Mum had hers run over in a car park.

Thankfully all’s sorted now though, and we’re in Tymperley’s for a coffee stop. This beautiful cafe restaurant is through an archway and is part of this amazing Tudor house.

It’s warm enough to sit outside for our drink, and it looks like we’re not the only people with this good idea.

Service here at Tymperley’s is really stand-out. Friendly, fast and attentive. The coffee’s pretty good too.

We move on, feeling enlivened by the caffeine and stroll around town. Finally we come to rest in another cafe round the corner. Cafe Twenty-One has a very European feel – especially in its little leafy courtyard.

Service here is also excellent, though the food is an added trump card. Dad and I have the halloumi burger, which really hits the spot. Love the little chipped potatoes too.

Tonight I’m staying at Mum and Dad’s for an early start in the morning. They have an amazing bird feeder setup in their garden that attracts so much wildlife. I’ve set my GoPro up on the fence to try and get some close-ups.

This one of an adult and adolescent goldfinch on one of the feeders is our favourite.

Mum tempted me over with promises of ‘picky bits’ and a film – just like when I was a kid. But ‘picky bits’ has turned into this! We’re using tonight as an opportunity to road test some of the snacks for an upcoming family barbecue.

I didn’t know we had this many people in our family!

It’s not too much of an early start this morning, but it’s early enough!

Dad and I are here for a day’s fishing. The lakes around Suffolk are absolutely stunning – especially on days like today – and brimming with fish. Let’s see if we can get some.

Dad’s catch of the day – a bream-roach hybrid

Dad’s prettiest catch – a perfect little perch

My bream – the first and possibly biggest fish of the day… but who’s counting?

My best-in-show fish from the day – this pretty little roach

It’s a pretty good day’s work – though this is course fishing, which means everything we catch, we put back. plus I don’t think any of those are big enough to eat anyway!

It’s a lovely way for Dad and I to spend some quality time together. Love it.

I come home to the smell of Dave cooking up a storm – or whatever ‘storm’ is in Spanish. The paella pan we bought Clare and Dave last year was the best and most savvy present I think we’ve ever thought of.

We are absolutely reaping the rewards!

Check out our recipe for seafood paella here.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Weekly Edition and are feeling as chilled out as we are!

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Berry-picking, walks to the pub and a day fishing appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.