Tuesday 20^th February, 2018 1400

The Italian sausage sub? I should have stuck with the tuna! The one glaring omission I noticed on their menu is that it is completely devoid of any form of pate. It was actually quite a cold evening (remnants of overnight snow were still evident when I got up this morning) and I actually regretted not donning my hat, which, incidentally, I have worn but once and that was for the self portrait I took on the day I bought it! I think I will take it tonight though.

In the small hours Adriana contacted me on Facebook. She was inviting me out for dinner today, I assume from guilt over the last time. With a date already arranged I had the choice of demurring or making this evening a quartet rather than a trio. We shall be four unless anyone is a no show.

Wednesday 21^st 1445

One week of holiday left.

Last night the four of us made the two-bus, ninety minute trip across town. We were all keenly anticipating one of those enormous prawns, sashimi, sushi and anything else we fancied salivating over.

The sodding place was closed.

I was crestfallen. There were Chinese restaurants open but we had our hearts set on something different. Instead we ended up in Pizza Hut. It wasn't my choice but the American contingent were hell-bent.

I think the best thing to be produced were the sharing platters of various starters. Annie and Stephanie ordered massive pizzas, special spring festival ones meant to be lucky and with a diamond-shaped hole cut in the middle so they resembled ancient Chinese coins. I did have my camera but never bothered taking pictures. Adriana was more modest and ordered a small pizza while I plumped for the Hungarian goulash with rice.

Well, mine was about as far removed from Budapest as it gets. It tasted nothing like goulash and they should have called it Gristle Goulash – the beef was inedible. Perhaps you are getting the scenario – three of us had a whale of a time, I did not. Annie and Steph were in heaven, there was plenty left at the end for a takeaway box apiece. If I ever make the mistake of visiting PH again I think I will order a salad. It wasn't cheap either.

Just to rub salt in the wound, on our return in a taxi we spotted that whilst it was closed the night before, the gin bar was open again! The girls were too tired and simply wanted to sleep so I never even had that small pleasure!

The terrible twins are coming tomorrow for the lasagne in my freezer, with not having to cook I have been mulling ideas for dessert. I may just see if I can put together some doughnuts, I found an easy recipe but that's not always a guarantee of success.

I was going shopping today but I don't feel 100% so it will wait until tomorrow.