a perfect summer day

Current work: Venice book

Listening to: Vivaldi cello concerti (the kids are officially protesting now so I might have to put some contemporary stuff on in the car for a day or so)

Reading: next on TBR (still too hot and sticky to concentrate and I could really do with a proper night’s sleep now)

Yesterday was the perfect summer day. Did a bit of admin in the morning, then off to the coast where I had a very writerly afternoon with my friend Kate (who sold a story that morning, so that was definitely worth celebrating!).

Started with lunch at the Priory (no, NOT the rehab place. This is a very nice café in Beeston right behind the old priory ruins). The food is excellent (and decent portions) and the staff are lovely. I opted for Bumbleberry juice (well, how can you resist a name like that? Dark purple, and you could definitely taste the blackberries and raspberries) and a grilled halloumi salad. (And, yes, I was bad and ate the bread. The carb police, aka son, asked me and I had to confess. It was very nice - still warm - and worth being bad for.)

We had a really interesting discussion about editing and structure (I am a planner and I am NOT ashamed of it – I don’t expect the rest of the world to be planners, but it works for me. Thing about planners and pantsters – they have the same aim, i.e. to write a book their readers will enjoy. They just have a different way of going about it. Doesn’t mean it’s wrong, just different, and I say vive la difference). We talked about books. And had a lovely, lovely time.

And then, because it was such a nice day and we were a couple of minutes from the sea…

Actually, I must confess that we went via the ice cream shop. Ronaldo’s does fabulous ice cream, and there were about thirty flavours to choose from. Tough decision but I opted for Norfolk lavender ice cream (it was lovely – intense lavender flavour but not soapy) and Kate opted for damson (which was nice, too – quite sharp). Of course, this was all research for my gelati book ;o)

The sea was beautifully clear.

And we discovered swirls of chalk on the sand on the way back. (Had to do an arty pic...)

Add in one of my favourite family coming for dinner (and the knitting lesson) and to play with my iPad, the fact that dinner was a barbecue so DH was in charge of cooking… and it was just a perfect day.

Same can’t be said of the night (DH had to give in, eventually, and let me have the fan on at 2.30 am as neither of us could sleep). If only perfect summer days could be followed by nice cool nights!