Love, Literature and Lunch

Ladies Who Lunch
I am very fond of lunch. It is my favourite way of meeting up with female friends (and sometimes male ones) and catching up on all the latest gossip - enjoying good food and good company. In Cambridge we're spoiled for places to eat. There's a thriving cafe society which feels very continental (probably because of the huge number of foreign tourists and students!) and that's a good thing. It gives Cambridge a unique atmosphere and a vibrant, cosmopolitan feel.

I've had lots of lovely lunches just recently (plus a wonderful dinner) and, in the simple fact of sharing food and exchanging news, have had a fantastic time. A lunch hour is never really long enough for a detailed gossip, so if I'm meeting a special friend I haven't seen for ages, then I'll take the afternoon off, so that I don't have to rush back to work. My longest lunch to date, has been five and a half hours and that only ended because I had to catch my train home. However, it was with a friend I've known for 30 years (just saying that makes me feel old) and we hadn't seen each other for several months so there was plenty to talk about.

Fine Food at Big Franks
Big Frank's or 'Gros Franck' to give it its proper name is my favourite eaterie in Cambridge. It's a French cafe which turns into a little bistro on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. It serves delicious, home-cooked food that is out of this world. Everything is fresh (and French, of course) and the staff are all polite, young, attractive and charming (and French, of course).

I've been to Big Frank's so often and taken so many friends there, I should really start charging commission! However, my heart never fails to lift when I walk through the door and feel the warm sense of comfort and familiarity that comes with being in a much-loved place.

Lunch with Yvonne
I met my friend Yvonne in Big Frank's and we both drooled over the spinach and ricotta lasagne, which turned out to be a good choice. While I was paying for our food at the till, the customer next to me said they wish they'd chosen the same as it looked so good - it tasted good, too.

Yvonne and I both turned up wearing black and white outfits which made us smile and we carried on smiling throughout lunch as we told each other about our plans for the future and enthused about the opportunities ahead of us. We've both been through some difficult times, so it was wonderful to feel that life had turned the corner and that we were both now looking to the future with a renewed sense of confidence and optimism.

Dinner with Robin
Robin and I met at Big Frank's as it's near the station and we both travel by train. We also know that every time we meet, we talk so much that the hours fly by and suddenly it's time to go and we end up making a mad dash for the train. Last time, though, I mis-read the time on my watch and we ended up leaving an hour early, which made us feel very silly, but was also very funny.

Robin and I are obsessed with writing and literature and our dinner included a 'book swap' as we get through them so quickly. I've become adept at scouring charity shops for well-preserved copies of books on my list of 'Novels I Must Read'. Last week I found Arundhati Roy's 'The God of Small Things' in near perfect condition for £1.50 and read it in a matter of days. I found it funny, moving and beautiful and it opened my eyes to a whole new culture. I was sorry when I finished it, but, thanks to Robin, I've now moved on to some short stories by Alice Munro which she's recommended very highly and the ones I've read so far are truly wonderful. I'm already greedy for more.

Robin and I discussed life, love and literature, hardly pausing for breath, at the same time as enjoying an exquisite dinner and some lovely white wine. I had sea bass, followed by the most delicious pudding I've ever eaten - a 'light as air' crepe, filled with rich chocolate and Grand Marnier sauce and served with an hand-baked almond biscuit and raspberry ice cream. It makes me feel hungry just thinking about it!