Lunch at a French restaurant

 is on the menu today.

Middle Cat and I have been invited to join in celebrating cousin T...'s birthday today.  What is more it is his actual birthday - not just one of those "around about" celebrations but the actual day. He will be 62. 

His partner contacted us early last week and made the suggestion. "The weather is supposed to be much better. I can book a table outside." He told us. 

Obviously he had given this some thought. We are all still very Covid conscious. None of us want to be inside if we can avoid it. Somewhere under shade outside sounded good and we agreed.

"What can we get him?" I asked R...  His partner thought about this. What do you get the man who has everything he actually needs? 

"I know, a Porsche," R... laughingly told me. We then agreed it might be a bit out of our price range and settled on a book voucher.  I have acquired one from the local indie bookshop - a place I oh so like to visit. I have to restrain myself every time I go past - which is frequently. T... will enjoy wandering around that.

I looked the restaurant up on the local site which tells you about such things. It is, as I expected it would be, expensive sounding. T.... and R... spend half the year in London though and they think such places are "cheap" compared with London prices.  The food sounds very French (yes, escargots are available but I will avoid them). The place has stars, lots of them. No doubt we will all enjoy it but I know I will also feel guilty about the cost.

Eating out anywhere really nice is very expensive. I can understand why. I also know it is something which employs many people. It is a vital part of the economy. Covid showed us that as well as many other things. It isn't something we do very often...indeed the last time we did it was for the same reason last year. We went to another, for us, posh place.

"You had better think about what you want to do for your birthday," Middle Cat told me when we were discussing arrangements. My birthday is still some weeks away but I know what I want to do - nothing at all.  Once a year in a posh place is quite enough for me.