Birthday treat

My birthday celebrations commenced yesterday evening with a family meal of Wild Venison Haunch with Blackberry Jus, Potato and Celeriac Boulangere and Kalettes, followed by a Cranberry, Mandarin and Amaretti Semifreddo - all very delicious.

Today Pete and I went to Cambridge. We spent the morning in the Botanic Gardens, where we were sad to see many of the semi-hardy plants looking on the brink of death. One of the gardeners told us that they feared there would be many losses as a result of the cold snap, which had followed on so quickly from a mild period.

Nevertheless there was still plenty to see both in the glasshouses and outside. I always enjoy the spiral symmetry of this Aloe, which appears to be one of the survivors and I had a very happy time appreciating the wonderful colours and textures of bark in the Arboretum. Although most of the alpines were not quite in flower we were wowed by the colour of Turquoise Hyacinth (see extras).

The afternoon was spent at the Zoology Museum, the first time I've visited since its major refurbishment. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the new layout, though our minds were blown by the taxonomic changes, particularly among the mammals. Clearly many Cambridge schoolchildren were still on holiday, but it was great to see them enjoying the exhibits, just as our children did when they were young. 

We had intended to go home after the Zoology Museum but found ourselves next to John Lewis and couldn't resist a wander round. The Peterborough store never re-opened after the pandemic, and I still miss it - now I rarely feel the need to go into town. As we hadn't planned to visit we didn't buy much - just a vivid yellow-green Moleskine notebook for my 2023 botanical records.

We arrived home after six, and enjoyed venison leftovers that Alex had made into a tasty stew - an ideal end to a very happy birthday!