A quiet Saturday

Saturday was quiet, David took Rosemarie and I up to the Northern beaches so that Zoe could stay home and clean and tidy. She wanted to get the tree down and the decorations away. It was a hot morning and all the beaches were packed to capacity. This was after all a Saturday in the middle of the school holidays and all those fathers who had been working all week suddenly found themselves charged with looking after the children as a kind of penance.
We went to Newport beach, where a pod of dolphins had been spotted the day before, but unfortunately they had decided to absent themselves whilst we were there. It is hard to describe how beautiful some of these Northern beaches are and to realise that they are part of a sprawling metropolis.
We also looked at Mona Vale Beach and Curl Curl both of which were wonderful. By this time it was clear that we had allowed Zoe the necessary time she needed and we got the all clear by text.
In the afternoon we took the dogs to the beach and it he evening we treated David and Zoe to a meal in a local Thai restaurant, with the very Thai sounding name of the Mortar and Pestle.
We took a taxi down to Manly so no one had to drive and went for a pre dinner drink at the Manly wine bar.
This was clearly a young persons' place, and several young ladies appear not to have got properly dressed for an evening out. Even David at one time exclaimed "Christ, did you see that skirt?" Personally I thought skirt was rather a strong description of what the young lady was trying to wear.
A party of young ladies sitting to our right seemed determined to advertise their wares in brazen way and it was interesting to hear two thirty year olds criticising them.
Mark arrived a little late and I went back in to get him a beer , I followed into the bar a very attractive young lady, slim, good figure , obviously someone who worked out, but whose right arm and left leg were covered in tattoos. Whilst I don't like tattoos personally, I do not object to the odd discreet one, but his was altogether to much and I had to stop my lips from curling.
The restaurant was jam  packed and we were sat on a table for six with two complete strangers on the inner side against a wall. Mark who came with us was given a chair on the end which stuck out into the aisle.
The food was excellent and the wine which we had purchased in Mudgee went well with it. We had a great evening. We returned home for another bottle of wine and talked. il the early hours of the evening.
How we wish we could the same in Cornwall.