End of the pier show

When walking, walk. When eating, eat.
Zen proverb

K1's birthday today so we're off to the seaside, Porthcawl here we come. We've never actually been there for the day, the only other time I can remember us going there was when we stopped off, on a cloudy, drizzly day, when we were returning home from Swansea. So today we head for The Rest in our shiny new toy, determined to give the SatNav an airing. When it takes us through single track country lanes I know it's time to follow the road signs and instinct instead - we made it there in spite of the SatNav. It's undergoing conversion at the moment, the rest not the SatNav, and been gutted to form new seaside apartments. I was interested in seeing it because I have a few old photos from when my grandfather, and an uncle, went to stay there. Sick and injured miners were sent to the Rest to convalesce for a week or two. We walked along the beach as far as we could, then followed the coast path into town and around the harbour. Major building work going on to remove the 'tarmac beach' and create a larger promenade as part of the sea defences was an interesting diversion, watching the JCB's traipsing bucketloads of concrete along the 'beach'. Coffee and cake on the prom set us up for the return walk, then we headed off to an old favourite, Penarth, to make the most of the warm weather. An ice-cream on the pier then we watched the sun go down while we killed time before our 7.30pm appointment at the incredible James Sommerin's Michelin-star restaurant on the esplanade (sounds so much better than promenade).  K2 visited here over 18 months ago for business and was suitably impressed, so what better way to celebrate K1's birthday. From the word go it was something very special, and now I know what it's like to be a judge on Masterchef. The appetisers were incredible and works of art in themselves - this really was food raised to a level I've only ever experienced through watching on TV before. The whole evening from start to finish was so well choreographed by the chefs and staff  it was just superb, a brilliant climax to the day and one which I really think cannot be beaten, a real peak experience in dining.