Summer is Here

Summer is here, or at least the long, light nights have arrived.  Monday - Wednesday wasn't bad, long, but not bad, the nights are much lighter and I caught up on a lot of sleep, we've even had highs of 20 degrees this week, (although snow is predicted for next week.) 

I was off on Thursday and went in search of petrol, yes, you read right, I had to hunt it down.  There is talk of a strike by tanker drivers and so panic petrol buying has ensued, fuelled, (pardon the pun,) by some government lunatic advising everyone to top up.  I can't tell you what the queues were like and that was only at the garages which hadn't run dry.  They haven't even confirmed a strike yet, anyway, if there is one thing us Brits can do, it's queue.

The supermarket was dry so I headed out towards my usual haunt and stopped on the motorway services to see if they had fuel.  They did, and  I topped up enough to get me out of the red, (it was the day before payday so I couldn't fill up.) 

As long as I'm half way there, and I have fuel, I carry on for a coffee, then head home.  B is picking me up so that we can go out to Llangollen for lunch at the Corn Mill, I double check with her that she's okay wasting fuel on a trip out, and she is. 

It's a gorgeous day, not quite as warm as it has  been but the sun is shining and the wind really blows the cobwebs away.  After lunch, we head out to Llandudno, which, for all intents and purposes, seems to be pretty much closed prior to Easter.  Everywhere is getting a fresh lick of paint, and I've never actually seen it so empty, then again, I don't remember going in March before.

B ponders on whether to go into a clothes shop there, then announces that it seemed a bit old fashioned the last time we went in.  I query, "the last time?" then, to confirm my assessment, we wander in and the place is occupied by the contents of a coach load of white haired pensioners.  Yes... B did buy something whilst in there, no... I had nothing to do with it.

We briskly walked up the pier, it's a lovely long pier and I do enjoy walking the wooden boards and breathing in the salty air.  We reach the end of the pier and head to the bar for our ritual drink and to freeze in the open air, as we open the doors to walk in, the barman announces that they're closed, it's 4.45pm.  Still, the walk is good for us.  B decides that we should head for a pub for one drink as it wouldn't be a trip to Llandudno without one.  We pass a couple of pubs which do not entice us in, we actually go into one, B seems happy but I ask her, "don't you think it smells like toilets?" With that... we leave.

I offer that maybe we should head into one of the Victorian hotels on the front, if they're not restricted to residents only, it might be quite nice.  We wander into the grand, Imperial Hotel and, as the receptionist is busy, I head for the bar and B follows me.  It's elegant, has beautiful lighting and dark wood everywhere.  B's hearing aid is malfunctioning so I choose a place in the bar where we can talk freely and not impinge on the other party that are in there.  The hotel was built in 1865, and sitting in the lounge with a lovely glass of chilled wine, I feel like I'm on the Titanic.  Facing me are closed, glass and wood doors through which you can see the dining area.  It's lovely and relaxing and I'm sitting beside a piano, how I wish I'd had more than one solitary piano lesson.  I really think I'd like to return here.