Another Day Out in Cambridge

An eccentric busker in Cambridge - even his dog sang!

On Saturday we spent the day in Cambridge to celebrate Joe's birthday.

We go to Cambridge a lot and even though I work there, I never get tired of it.

It's such a beautiful city and there's always something new to see - including some very colourful characters, like this busker and his singing dog!

Coffee and Croissants
We started our day with a trip to Gros Franck, my all time favourite cafe.

Everything is delicious and served with a certain 'je ne sais quoi' by the predominantly French staff.

We had coffees and hot chocolate, plus the obligatory almond croissants, the best I've eaten outside of France.

When they arrived, they looked so decorative, I simply had to take a picture, much to the children's annoyance.

Coffee and hot chocolate - Gros Franck style!

In fact, I annoyed them all day by taking pictures.

But they're teenagers, so they're used to complaining - they'll get over it, eventually ...

The whole day seemed to revolve around eating and shopping, two of my favourite pastimes.

So we hit the shops and, amazingly, Joe actually bought something (if I'm not there he just looks and then goes away to 'think about it'), not a problem Lola and I share.

Lola's motto is 'see it, want it, buy it' which I can definitely relate to.

Lunch at Da Luca's
However, all that shopping made us hungry so we went to Da Luca's for delicious homemade pasta and risotto - and some very smooth red wine.

And more photos, of course.

Me and Joe in Da Luca's

Calum and Lola being camera shy in Da Luca's

Smile for the camera!

Time to Ourselves
Afterwards we had an hour or so to ourselves while the children went over the The Grafton Centre and, of course, Forbidden Planet.

We went to the CCA Gallery and admired the beautiful original art and visited the arts and craft market.

Joe at the arts and crafts market

A Cup of Tea and a Sit Down
When we met up again with Calum and Lola, they were very tired and in need of a sit down and a cup of tea.

So we went to the Michaelhouse Cafe, a hidden treasure in the city centre which is a converted church and still boasts a chapel, complete with a gorgeous stained glass window.

The stained glass window at the Michaelhouse Cafe

We sat upstairs to get a better view.

It's a stunning location with original art on the walls and the most fantastic light - the perfect place to relax after a hard day's shopping.

The Michaelhouse Cafe

Afterwards we had a slow stroll back to the station and a taxi ride home.

It was another wonderful day in Cambridge and I'm sure there'll be many more.

Mark Millar Comes to Forbidden Planet

Calum and Mark Millar at Forbidden Planet

If you're a comic book fan, then you'll know who Mark Millar is.

If you're not, all you need to know is that he's a Scottish graphic novelist who has won lots of awards.

So, when he made an appearance at Forbidden Planet in Covent Garden (probably Calum's favourite shop) for a book signing, Calum decided to go.

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The window of Forbidden Planet

It was the second time Calum had been to London to see him, so that shows how much he rates him.

He certainly confirmed Calum's impression that he is an all round nice guy, as well as being very knowledgeable.

He took time to chat to Calum, in spite of the hue queues, and sign several of his comics and graphic novels.

Calum agreed it was definitely worth making the trip to London and, of course, Forbidden Planet is always worth a visit.

So many comics, so little time ...

Things In Glasgow That Made Me Smile

Mine's a vindaloo!

Calum would love this shop.

A better class of graffiti

Weird and wonderful art.

Lola would love this shop.

Elvis is in the building.

Gorgeous Glasgow

Kelvingrove Galleries

The Armadillo

City Hall

Busking - Glaswegian style

I'm a big fan of Glasgow, not just because it's Joe's home town but because as a city, it rocks.

The people there are trendier (and friendlier) than in London.

The shops are uber cool.

The art galleries and museums are amazing.

And the Glaswegian sense of humour is second to none.

The downside?

It's a long way away and the weather's awful.

Well, I suppose you can't have everything ...