30 Nov 2022
Trying The Famous Fitzbillies Chelsea Buns & Visiting King's College Chapel, Cambridge
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the closer you live to a tourist destination, the less likely you are to have visited the tourist spots. I don’t know why it is, it just is. So, yes, it has taken us three and a half years, but we have finally ticked off some of the key sights of Cambridge, a city just 12 miles down the road from us that we have wandered in and out of several times. Such is life.
There is more to see but over the course of two weekends (nothing like having guests to force you into researching your local area more), we ticked off the Mathematical Bridge, the Corpus Clock and The Backs in between having brunch at The Old Bicycle Shop and having incredible hot chocolate at Cenu Cacao (highly recommend both). But the two main destinations that have been on the top of my list for a while now are Fitzbillies to try their famous Chelsea buns and seeing the wonder that is King’s College Chapel.
King’s College Chapel really was worth the wait. Perhaps the most iconic building in Cambridge, the internal architecture genuinely took my breath away. The vast vaulted ceiling with the sun shining through the ornate stained-glass windows was utterly stunning. It’s worth going for the chapel alone but your ticket also gets you access to the grounds behind the chapel, and King’s College bridge. You feel distinctly separated from this when walking through The Backs so it’s nice to get the full effect. Cambridge really shines in the autumn I think, and the punts going up and down the river lined with golden leaves is lovely.
SO, about those Chelsea buns. Fitzbillies started in Cambridge in the 1920s and apparently has been the shop of choice for university scholars and townsfolk ever since. They claim to do the best ever Chelsea buns which is a bold claim, but they sell an awful lot of them so something must be going right. I have always been a bit unbothered by Chelsea buns but the marketing and the appealing sticky, golden buns sat in the window of the shop persuaded me to give them a go (along with my go-to hot chocolate order – excellent hot chocolate made with leftover chocolate ganache from the bakery). And well, yeah, it was the best Chelsea bun I’ve ever had. I don’t know what is in that ultra-sticky syrup pooling over the soft dough and juicy currents but man it was delicious. Really, really delicious.
If you’re planning a trip to Cambridge, I would highly recommend a visit to the King’s College Chapel and sinking your teeth into a Fitzbillies sticky bun.
22 Nov 2022
On Being Pleasantly Surprised By The Yorkshire Coast
Reader: I was wrong.
We ended up heading up that way because my aunt has recently finished renovating a (now) beautiful house in Scarborough and we went to see family and have a week by the sea. We had such a good time that we stayed an extra night.
Sure, Scarborough does have bits that are exactly like I imagined. There’s a whole section of loud arcades, cheap donuts and donkey beach rides (and none of this in a cute ‘vintage’ way in my opinion) but if this isn’t your cup of tea, it can easily be avoided and instead you can find yourself walking along spectacular wild coastline, looking around a church decorated by William Morris, visiting Anne Brontë’s grave and eating in cute brunch spots.
A little down the road is Robin Hood’s Bay, a gorgeous smuggler’s village, set in the hill with a beautiful bay and photogenic little alleys. If you weren’t accompanied by a 9 month old, you could easily spend a lovely, slow day (or week) here, hopping between the sprawling, rocky bay, seaside pub, cute gift and chocolate shops and cosy little restaurants. As a tourist destination, there's not a lot to do but if you wanted to hide away from the world a while, it would be a great place to do so.
And then just a little more down the coastline is Whitby, perhaps the place that surprised me the most. With the gothic abbey on top of the cliff, sweeping beach, cobbled streets and stunning views at every turn, it was a million miles away from the unloved seaside town I'd been made to believe it could be.
My recommendations:
Scarborough - head to The Hideout for tasty brunch and quirky decor and to The Clock Cafe for cheap food and the best views of Scarborough.
Robin Hood's Bay - find the ice cream van on the beach, check out The Higgledy Pig for craft beer, local gin and eco-friendly candles that smell delightful.
Whitby - oh too many! Check out my blog post here for all my Whitby recommendations.
17 Nov 2022
The Weekend | Pubs, Sleep Deprivation & Back To The Old Hall For Sunday Roast
We went to a pub called Five Miles From Anywhere which is close to our nearest (and one of our favourite) National Trust Places, Wicken Fen. The pub is a bit unassuming on the outside but it is located right on the river, so the garden is a gorgeous spot to sit for some lunch. And yes, we were sat outside which is weird in November, but I’m casually brushing over that alarming fact because this is a nice weekend recap and not an insight into my existential terror over climate change.
Once I had a belly full of pie and chips, we made our way into the Wicken Fen nature reserve which was absolutely stunning with the big skies and low sun. There were so many gorgeous views, our little boy giggling on daddy’s shoulders, a hazelnut hot chocolate that tasted like Ferrero Rocher chocolates and a stunning sunset.
On Sunday, after – you guessed it – another shit night’s sleep, we woke up again with no energy but this time, we did have pre-arranged plans. Pre-arranged plans that even severe sleep deprivation wasn’t going to deter me from. Sunday roast!
After such a lovely anniversary dinner at The Old Hall back in June, we were easily persuaded to go back when we saw that they were offering Sunday roasts. We’ve still not really mastered the organisation required post-baby to have regular date nights yet (working on it) so heck, call this a few months’ worth of date nights. We even managed to talk about things other than our baby which I’d say is a win.
Can confirm that a roast lunch at The Old Hall was just as good an experience as dinner, and the views particularly beautiful with added autumnal colours. I started with the mushroom tagliatelle (I usually avoid mushrooms, but I just knew this would be good), then moved onto the roast beef, complete with roasties, yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese, and finished with the chocolate & hazelnut sponge with mocha anglaise. It. Was. So. Bloody. Good. Also had a gorgeous glass of wine which I sipped very slowly, partly to savour because I could not justify the cost of another and partly because after nearly two years of minimal drinking, I am the world’s biggest light weight these days. We finished with hot chocolate by the open fire which was so cosy and calming.
When we went back to my parents to pick up our bubba, we found they were still out for a walk, so the weekend ended with us both taking an unexpected nap in my parents’ living room which was a glorious treat.
Hey there!
