Rum Punch

The forecast for the day had improved. Whist some rain was possible, it was unlikely to hit until evening. It was, however, expected to be overcast much of the day. After a leisurely breakfast we wandered into town. The first visit was to the bank. The Silver Vixen’s credit card had stopped working so we wanted to see if they could help. Sure enough, they took one look at the card and realised it had been locked - probably as a result of an accumulation of mistyped PIN codes. A few seconds later it was unlocked and all was well. From the bank we wandered back, stopping at various clothes shops and looking for this and that.

After that excursion we decided to walk towards Gyllyngvase and take a look at the Royal Duchy Hotel. We are very fond of the Brend Group hotels and this is one of their top-rated properties. The Gorse Fox had tried to book us in for this week, but they were fully booked.

The hotel is about 10 minutes walk from the town, up and over a small hill. We found our way (thanks to Google) without incident and wandered in. A very helpful receptionist greeted us and offered to give us a tour of public places. (Being fully booked we couldn’t see any of the guest rooms). There was an indoor pool, sauna, and spa. A gym in under construction. Then they had a series of lounges and bars and terrace lounge with panoramic windows overlooking the sea. Outside there was a spacious terrace with lots of seating and below that, a small lawn. It was very much up to the Brend standard.

We sat in the terrace lounge and had a beer (yes, the Silver Vixen had one too) and marvelled at the view and the way our polarised sun glasses altered the appearance of the sea to make it look like an emerald green, if you looked at certain angles. It was a stunning effect. We went out onto the terrace and found a quiet spot where we could call Jane and wish her a Happy Birthday. They were having a day out at Kew. Gardens. We chatted for a while, but though we were using a video call, it was so bright on the terrace that we could actually see them on the screen.

We strolled back to town, stopping at Lawrance’s Bakery and Bar again. The Silver Vixen had one of their all-day breakfast bowls - fruit, seeds, oats, peanut butter, mixed berries, Açai milk (whatever that is), and honey. Whatever it was, she loved it. The Gorse Fox had a bagel like the one selected the other day (tomato, mozzarella, pesto, and rocket). The bagel filled a hole, but was nowhere near as good as the one he had previously.

The Silver Vixen’s leg was giving her some discomfort so we headed back to the cottage, stopping on the way to book a table for dinner at “Cribbs”. Back at the cottage we had a quiet couple of hours reading - initially sitting on the quay, but it got just a little chilly so we went inside.

Cribbs is as close to the cottage as Amanzi. It is a Caribbean Restaurant. We were shown to a nice table in the window and presented with their menus. In spirit of the place (which one assumes to be rum) we both chose a rum cocktail while deciding on our food selection. The Silver Vixen had some shredded beef brisket tacos to start, and the Gorse Fox had some sticky ribs. A good choice for both of us. Then we moved on to the main course. The Silver Vixen chose the ribs ( a larger portion of the Gorse Fox’s starter) and the Gorse Fox had Curry Goat. He was expecting this to be a lot more spicy than it actually was - but that is not to say it wasn’t delicious.

We had to go for a walk when we finished. It had been a lovely meal but demanded a little exercise before returning to the cottage for the evening.