Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 22 degrees, warmish, sunny and slightly overcast.
Saturday, thank goodness for Saturdays!
A day when I can organise my thoughts, simply by having time for myself, without thinking about classes, blog posting, etc. It is so lovely to get up in the morning and not worry about the time or what needs to be done.
Exercise early, followed by a short walk to Kingswinford. I had spoken to Julie earlier and told her that if she wanted to meet me for a coffee, I would be nearby. Today is sunny, but a little chilly by Brazilian standards, though it’s quite all right. I walked from Wordsley to Kingswinford and met Julie in the village.
There are three or four cafes in the village, and ‘The Pig and Pickle’ is probably the most sophisticated or the best in the village centre. Julie has been there several times, but I hadn’t, and we thought it would be a good idea to go for perhaps breakfast. Just from the outside, you can see quality and sophistication; it doesn’t resemble the old, greasy cafes of the past.
It is situated in a contemporary modern building, an adapted house. It is not part of a normal line of High Street shops; it is set back, which already makes it different and distinctive. It is also clear that a lot of money had been invested in the enterprise before you even enter.
We entered through an impressive wooden door into a spacious cafe, with a massive counter on the opposite wall. Tables and chairs were arranged around the walls of the room, with two beautiful traditional sofas facing each other near a fireplace and a wooden trunk, or box, placed between the sofas to serve as a coffee table. Next to the sofa area was a small round table with two leather armchairs, which would be our seats for the next hour or so.
What interested me was a stand with a sign just as you enter, in front of the doorway asking us to wait to be attended, as if it were a high-class restaurant and you were waiting for the maitre d’ to come and show you where to go.
There were no tables or chairs in the middle of the room; you could walk in a straight line from the front door past the sign, where to queue until the main counter.
A young waitress approached us and showed us to the table for two, which I later thought was one of the best spots in the cafe. We settled in the corner; our seats were two extremely comfortable leather armchairs with a small, charming side table to hold our drinks and cake.
I ordered a cappuccino and Julie a Chai latte; I don’t know exactly what it is, but it was better than mine, even though both drinks were very good. After much deliberation, we ordered a carrot cake that was more of a fruit cake than a carrot cake, but again, it was sublime—probably one of the best cakes I’ve eaten since I’ve been in England.
Our conversation turned to what we were going to do later, and I suggested we go and have dinner at the old Wharf again. Even though it is a little pricey, Julie was surprised and asked me why. I told her that we both deserve it. I called the old Wharf, and we were lucky that there was a vacancy for later in the evening.
Julie picked me up around 6:30, with Austin, the man of the moment. The dinner reservation was at 8:15, so the plan was to arrive at the old Wharf, walk along the canal for about an hour, and then for the three of us to go to the inn for dinner. Austin was very happy to see me, and the walk along the canal was extremely pleasant.
Even at 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. in spring in England, there is light, and it isn’t too chilly. It only gets dark after 9:00 p.m., so you are blessed with long afternoons and evenings, and it isn’t even summer yet.
When we arrived at the pub, we opened the door and walked in; it was chock-a-block, full of people, and it was literally heaving. There were some couples with dogs, and, again, Austin behaved impeccably. We ordered drinks: Julie had a half lager and lime, and I had a glass of Malbec.
A waitress or bar girl approached us to say that our table was ready on the other side of the lounge. It was a round table that could comfortably seat four people, situated in front of the window, which was lovely, and the nearby fireplace made it even better.
Since we were in one of the room’s corners, there was space between Julie and me for Austin to stay calm and well-behaved without disturbing anyone else. Again, we were fortunate enough to have probably one of the best tables in the house, but all the tables in the old Wharf are excellent; honestly, everything in the old Wharf is excellent.
The combination of rustic rural charm and a hint of contemporary minimalism works very well; it creates a calming, welcoming space, especially in the evening, with the warmth and flickering flames of the fireplace and the cosy, subdued lighting.
Julie ordered the chicken schnitzel that I had eaten last time, which was very good, and I ordered a bacon burger. Since it does not come with fries or chips, the bar girl suggested a small portion of traditional roast potatoes with sour cream, and it was perfect!
The food arrived at the perfect time. Julie loved her chicken, and my burger was one of the best I’ve had since being in England. The roast potatoes were a pleasant change from ordinary fries. The night was delightful, soaking up the atmosphere of a warm, homely place with happy people having fun, enjoying above-average food and washing it all down with a glass of wine. Being in such exceptional company makes everything better than good, bordering on surreal and sublime.
We ordered a chocolate crumb dessert with a coffee-flavour chantilly to share, which was the cherry on the cake for what we had experienced. Again, the combination of the ambience, food, drink, and company all come together to create a quite special evening, especially since it was not planned; sometimes, expectation can spoil an event.
It was closing time when we left. We walked back to the car parked in front of the canal, and Julie took me home. That was the worst part of the night, parting after such a special day and evening.
In bed by midnight.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
