Another grey morning in the North (and they say Wales is always cold and wet!), but after a hearty breakfast of bacon butties, we were keen to do some more exploring. To make sure we were heading in the right direction, we decided to take a day trip to Chester, somewhere neither Mr. O or I had ever been. Packing our bags and setting off in convoy, we slowly made our way south in the Sunday traffic.
Well, Chester was a real surprise! Shamefully, the only thing I knew about the city before our visit was that it's where Hollyoaks is set...funnily enough, there's quite a bit more too it than that! We started off looking around the amphitheatre and Roman Gardens, a really well thought out area, and then I totally geeked out over the city walls, which form a 3km circumference around the old centre of Chester, so off we set. Unlike somewhere like Dubrovnik, where the city walls remain intact, Chester's walls aren't complete and several sections no longer exist, though the circular route of the path does. It meant for a strange walk, where one moment we were above the city, looking out over the river in one direction and into quaint little shops and tea rooms built into the walls in the other and then the next, we were on a freshly tarmacked pavement, waiting for the green man at a pedestrian crossing. It's a tricky one, history in action I suppose, but I found it a strange mixture of incredible character and...no character at all. And I feel horrible writing that, because the original sections really are both fascinating and beautiful.
After our stroll, we headed into Chester and had a look around the shops (Space NK? Yes please!), before stopping in at The Weighing Room for lunch. I think it's primarily a tapas restaurant, only doing full plates on a Sunday, so I can't comment on most of their food, but the roast beef that Mr. O and I had, plus Jayne's salmon, were delicious, served with really flavourful, fresh vegetables and plenty of gravy (I'm a gravy fiend - I always end up having to ask for more). Service was also great - very friendly and it felt like they were going above and beyond to make us feel welcome - heck, we even got samples of their newest cocktail!
A quick stop at Patisserie Valerie for dessert and all too soon it was time to hit the road. It's always hard saying goodbye to my lovely friend, but we had another great weekend and I'll keep great memories of exploring Crosby and Chester together. Love you Jayne!
Highlight of the weekend: Other than seeing my friend, getting up close and personal with the iron men at Crosby.
Chester Amphitheatre and Roman Gardens, Vicar's Lane, Chester CH1 2HS
The Weighing Room, 10 Commonhall Street, Chester CH1 2BJ
Patisserie Valerie, 31 Bridge Street, Chester CH1 1NG
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