A visit to the Victoria Inn

We rewarded ourselves with a visit to the Victoria inn in Perranuthnoe last night. Why? Well two afternoons of bathroom showrooms, clasping my trusty tape measure, wasn't the best was to spend a sunny afternoon. It's the Apricot rooms turn for my scrutiny and the time for procrastination is soon passing with the approach of the Spring.
We eventually struck gold at Bathroom Solutions, an enormous show room in Pool Near Redruth http://www.bathroomsolutionscornwall.co.uk/main.htm

They were recommended by our plumber and had a super selection of funky through to traditional china ware but we were restrained by my tape measure and perhaps the AA inspectors insistence that an en suite sink should be reasonably practical! We eventually hit on a sleek modern design and we are going to try to modify the wall to fit - watch this space for mortified wailing.

So with bathroom suite and wall paper (another story!) secured we felt ready for a bit of pampering at the Victoria Inn that evening. Glittering and welcoming with the log burning stove and chic reserved signs sailing reassuringly over the waiting tables. A smiling Anna soon had us comfortably ensconced in the snug with nothing more worrying than choosing from the well considered "House" menu or the short flamboyant Specials board over a pre dinner drink. My all time favourite starter of prawn tempura didn't feature last night so I had to branch out and eventually settled on Potatoe and Artichoke soup, drizzled with truffle oil and cream followed bu Cod in a wine and cream sauce. Charles went for the Chicken Liver Pate served unusually with raisin toast i think and followed by Steak and kidney Pudding.

Order taken, we settled to wait and nibble the warm seeded bread brought by a waitress and admire the witty selection of pictures on the old stone walls, of impossibly plump boats decked in bright red fenders.

My soup was extraordinary the smoked chiritzio sausage infusing the liquid with an intense dreamy flavour offset by tiny slivers of potatoes at its heart. Charles, a pate aficionado munched his pate happily and found a small nest of delicious chutney artfully concealed under his pear. My Cod was cooked to perfection and retained a freshness of flavour difficult to achieved in a creamy dish and Charles reports his suet pudding was "to die for" Sadly, no room for pudding I'm afraid - or coffee but we lingered over our bottle of wine with all thought of bathrooms forgotten before heading for home and settling the horses to late night stables.

This morning is bright and sunny again but with a wicked breeze gusting from the sea, sending Ollie racing in circles tail kinked over his back, in pursuit of leafs and games of his imagination. We dressed the Thoroughbred brood mares in their light weigh rugs as their short glossy coats were no match for the chilly wind and they sauntered off this morning looking ladies twitching their cashmere cardies tighter around their shoulders. But with the white horse already flecking the sea this morning I wonder where the week will lead us?