Cherwell Boathouse, Oxford

So this week seems to have been all over the place.

I've had a lot of important problems to consider and not a lot of the usual things are managing to take my mind off of it all.

Hopefully some sort of solution can come about soon, it's sort of just a waiting game really.

Other than that, my manager came back to work this week and all seems back to normal on that front.

We've even come up with a movie club sort of thing between the three of us. 

We each take it in turns on a Friday to select a film we absolutely love on Netflix and then the other two have to watch it over the weekend and on the following Monday we discuss it.

I think it'll be a nice way to introduce new films to one another as well as getting to know each other better I guess.

There's a bit of an age difference between myself and the both of them so I guarantee they probably won't enjoy the films I pick as much, but it will definitely be interesting.

Anyways, I wanted to write this post about my most recent trip to Oxford (birthday weekend in March posts still to come 'cause I'm mega useless).

I think I wrote briefly before how I headed out of work slightly early a couple of Friday's ago and hopped on a train from Paddington to Oxford.

I had everything all meticulously planned out as per usual (it's me of course, I plan everything down to a T).

Everything was going swimmingly - no problems with the underground to Paddington (or nothing I couldn't handle), no problems at Paddington or with my tickets, and no problems finding the bus stop just outside of Oxford station.

But then came the part I was nervous about. The part where I had to get on a bus I didn't know, state where I was going which I did mention to someone who asked where I was going and he'd never heard of it (promising) and then figure out where to get off in a place I didn't know, once I'd eventually gotten on the bus.

None of this happened though as said bus never actually turned up.

My planning would have had me turn up ten minutes before seven, the time when we would all sit down to dinner, but, alas, they were in tatters as I hastily texted Adeel multiple times to come and get me instead, swanning in later than I had planned.

Great start.

Once we had arrived at the boathouse, however, I was in awe in all honesty.

It was such a beautiful location (plus the group we were eating with was a lot larger than I had anticipated).

Cherwell Boathouse (next to River Cherwell) is a beautiful Oxford location primarily known for its wonderful punting spot, the restaurant a clear bonus.

http://www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk/

With the hasty introductions out of the way, we sat down to our chosen starters already at our places (fancy name cards and everything) - we'd previously selected from a menu what each of us would like for starter, main and dessert - and tucked in.

I had chosen a smoked salmon mousse with pickled vegetables, rocket and lemon dressing for my starter and Adeel chose to go with a gazpacho with red onion, sans olives.

I have to say, out of the three courses I was looking forward to the starter the least as I didn't know what it would be like. I'm happy to say it was amazing. Plus the sweet pickled vegetables and lemon dressing really accompanied it well.

Unfortunately Adeel didn't like the gazpacho that much, in fact not at all, but I suppose you can't win them all.

For mains we both chose pan seared rump of lamb with buttered Jersey Royals, Chantenay carrots, summer greens and salsa verde. This was reallyyy something. The meat wasn't chewy like I've found most lamb to be and the rest of the flavours were just perfect. 

I ended up enjoying this more than the dessert and I am definitely more of a sweet person than a savoury!

And finally, for dessert I chose the orange cheesecake with orange gel and pomegranate sorbet and Adeel had the chocolate fondant with raspberry ice cream.

I know when I considered the menu I almost went for the staples I always seem to pick, but I went out of my comfort zone instead as it was an out-of-the-ordinary dinner with good company and a new hope blossoming.

All of the dishes were served beautifully, the portions weren't massive which was perfect for me who has never gotten through a three course meal before (and was worrying all day about how I was going to eat so much!) and the surroundings were stunning, peaceful and definitely a nice way to relax after a long week at work.

I couldn't recommend this place more. It's a bit off the beaten track - at least for me - but I would definitely go again. In fact, I am hellbent on going back and trying the punting at least!

I wish I had taken more pictures (okay, I only took one, I'm really awful at this!) but I just can't bring myself to take pictures of my food, especially as it was quite a nice place and I didn't want all those older people to look down at me.

Oh well, if you would like to see any more pictures their website is here: www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk

This post is not sponsored, all opinions are my own.



☽

Black-Eyed Susan's

By Julia Heaberlin

I know this is another review and I promised other content on Sunday's but they're all still a work in progress. This week's just been kinda hectic and I find reviews easier to whip up than the others which tend to need a tiny bit of planning. 

Sorry!

[I am the star of screaming tabloid headlines and campfire ghost stories. I am one of the four Black-Eyed Susan's. The lucky one. 

Left with three other girls in a grave shrouded by black-eyed Susan's, Tessa alone survived, her testimony helping to put a killer behind bars. 

Now, sixteen years later, he is about to be executed. But Tessa feels no relief. Because someone is planting black-eyed Susan's outside her window. Someone is sending her daughter sinister messages. And there's a lawyer telling her the man about to be put to death is innocent. 

Which can mean only one thing: the wrong man has been sentenced, the real killer is still out there and Tessa might not be the last Black-Eyed Susan...]

I was recommended this book by a colleague at work as I was looking for something that wasn't my usual YA or fantasy fiction and a murder mystery was definitely something I needed.

It kept me hooked all the way through. At one point, I thought it would even be one of those books where you didn't find out who the real killer was, which would have been really frustrating- that's how close to the end they left the reveal!

But, the main thing, the thing I am really happy about is that I actually guessed who the murderer was, a few chapters before the end too, and I was right! I'm never right, I always get so absorbed in the story that I never like to jump to conclusions about who it might be (in films anyway), but for some reason in this, I just knew.

Dramatic. Beautiful imagery. Great characters with lots of flaws and depth to them. Told very well, flipping back and forth between past and present (got a little confusing at times), but it really came into its own at the end, letting us - and Tessa - find out who the murderer was simultaneously, but through different methods.

Brilliant.

The only thing is, it never really explained how the serial killer came to pick Tessa or why he did it. The bits afterwards make sense with them hiding in plain sight and the whole deal with Lydia, but it never really covered the whole before bit which left a few questions pinging in my head that are never going to be answered.

Oh well, I guess you can't win them all! Still a great read.



✌