OLDER & WISER?

What's with celebrating birthdays anyway? When you're a kid it's fun - what will be under the wrapping? Will I feel more grown-up? Have I grown another cm? But past 40, you think: What do I give someone who has everything? Will I have time to get away to get that gift? As the birthday person, you'd say: How do I say I already have what you gave? I don't really like it but I don't want to offend you? Must I start crossing out the days to my retirement/funeral? More anxiety than anticipation.

Bah! I had fun anyway - more anticipation than anxiety. Just that between all that I had to work... But on THE day I woke up to the doorbell ringing and - voila!

A nice floral & vintage surprise from Ernest, all the way from Monterey! Made my day, even though I had to go to work.

And then there's dinner at Les Amis (Friends, lah!) cos HB says must try the small handful of local restos that made it to world's top 100.
We passed over the table d'hot (scallops on the list!) and picked-and-mixed. The pan-fried foie gras with caramelised crushed almonds was melt in the mouth. The white asparagus was crunchy. And Iberian ham! Main course was roasted suckling pig, different from the one we had in Segovia. No more room for dessert, but coffee came with petit fours. Didn't like the tough canele, though. Service was attentive and the waiter even tried to "pose" the dishes for us! Too bad all I had was my sucky Ixus i.

Just chocolate heaven by the river actually! Thick and bitter-sweet choc, the way we like 'em. (No pix allowed on the premises, alas) And that's my pink birthday tee!

I even had a birthday geocache and took a pink shower cap from the box! On Sunday, because I had to work (sigh...), HB retrieved a gift from the cache.

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And took a picture of the birthday card with greetings from the GC-ers who had found the cache so far.