Newcastle was bathed in sunshine today, for the fourth day running. It's a bit weird, to be honest - we're not used to this in the frozen north. Usually you can't take your vest off until ooh, at least August, especially if you're a southerner like me. My grandad was a Geordie, but obviously the Bigg Market genes that allow you to go out in nothing but a boob tube dress and a pair of sandals in January got a bit diluted somewhere along the line.
We headed down to the Quayside, seeing as how it felt continental enough to sit outside and have lunch. Most of Newcastle seemed to be out there as well, parading around in their finery and watching the bizarre sight of an enormous stretch Hummer ploughing up and down the side of the river while about 20 six-year-olds dressed in pink party dresses hung out of the windows, frantically waving. It probably made some hungover stag parties do a double take, especially as the shrieking was a little on the loud side.
We ended up at
Est, Est, Est which has a nice decked area outside and pretty good food considering it's a chain. The menu changes every couple of months, and they do a mean pizza fiorentina, which is more than enough in my book. And actually, the caesar salad was good today too - it was definitely lettuce at some point in the past, which is more than you can say at some places.
And, best of all, you get crayons and pictures to colour in if you're small. For once we let M play with them, rather than nicking them all and colouring in the (paper) tablecloth. Yes, I know we're mean. But there have to be some advantages to taking small child out to lunch, surely?
