This Saturday I decided to try and eat healthy food but also allow myself some treats.  I was with some very special friends and thanks to the weather we were able to plan a long walk .  I did not photograph everything I ate as there was some snacking but I captured most of it.

Last night before bed, Kath and Alison made some almond Danish pastries as they needed to prove so they got them going last night.  I woke up and came down to see these beauties sitting on the side.

We had a long and leisurely breakfast.  I started with Alpen, berries and yogurt,

followed by one of those amazing pastries,

and then some brown bread with Brie and grapes.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue and we set out for a coastal walk to Broadstairs.

It was so wonderful to all be together.  We worked together 22 years ago so have known each other a long time!

How amazing that it was warm enough to sit outside in England in February!

Viking Bay was bathed in sunshine.

We followed the footsteps of one of our literary heroes

and had a coffee at The Albion, which we enjoyed sitting outside.

We visited the Charles Dickens museum in Broadstairs.

Charles Dickens fans may have heard of Betsey Trotwood, the Aunt of David Copperfield.  The museum is located in the house previously inhabited by Mary Pearson, the lady who inspired Dicken’s characterisation of Betsey.

There is a lot of information about Dickens and the museum includes letters he wrote and furniture and possessions he owned.  This is the parlour where he used to sit when he visited.

This is the view from the house towards the sea.  It was wonderful to visit the Dickens museum during his bicentenary.

Fortified with an ice-cream from Morelli’s, we left sunny Broadstairs

and walked back to sunny Ramsgate.

Time for tea, which we ate while watching ‘Bridesmaids’.

This was definitely neither diet friendly nor healthy but it was a lovely treat.

After changing in to our evening wear and toasting Kath bon voyage with a glass of Bollinger we headed off to the local pub for a drink and then dinner at a Thai restaurant, Surin.  It is fantastic being able to walk everywhere 🙂

The food was very tasty.  It was not as beautifully presented or dainty as some Thai restaurants I have been to but the flavours were lovely and the service was good.  I had Tom Kar Gai (spicy coconut soup with lemongrass, chilli, mushrooms and chicken)

followed by broccoli fried with garlic (this was amazing)

which I ate with egg fried rice and roast duck in red curry.  Yummy.

Olivia entertained us by making a chicken from the napkin!

What a fantastic day and evening.  We would have had fun wherever we went but to have spent so much time together in the sunshine was a bonus.