A Visit from Kevin, and Jen

Better weather today. We went for a short walk on the beach after breakfast and then did even more relaxing until Jen and Kevin arrived – separately, but within minutes of each other. We went for a very nice hike in Oswald West, making use of having two cars. We did this hike a few years ago with Josh and Jen and Sam, and it’s a nice hike of just under 3 miles. Kevin brought his little dog Rusty, who was very fun and a good trail companion. Lunch at Bill’s, where I apparently made the server’s day during the second round of beers by ordering root beer. Rusty was well behaved at Bill’s also, and Kevin did not feed him a hamburger at the table (or anywhere).

After lunch we went to Bruce’s, then Kevin took off and Jen and I went to the Emporium, which is where Maggie & Henry’s used to be and is Not As Good. Jen came back to the hotel and we did the puzzle together and found the treasure, although mostly by guessing. After we’d solved it we looked at the hints, which were things like count the numbers of the four types of things, then plot them on this grid and see what shape they make, or notice what shape all the bats with red eyes make… well, we think it was rather advanced for a 9 year old, but we had fun doing it.

After the puzzling Jen headed home and it was time for – wait for it – more relaxing. Dave took a nap and I did some knitting. Then suddenly it was late, so we went for a short beach walk and then got ready to go to the Stephanie Inn for dinner. Last week at the Flaneur Supper Club dinner we’d sat with Ed, a former co-workor of Dave’s, and his wife Elaine, and they told us that the Stephanie Inn had been renovated. We can’t speak to the rooms, but the dining room certainly has been – the old oversized chairs have been replaced with shorter ones and the color scheme has been changed to blue and white, and they have an interesting modern glass light fixture. It now seems more like a nice restaurant and less like your stuffy grandmother’s dining room.

The food has pretty much always been good at the Stephanie Inn, but they flip flop between a prix fixe and an a la carte menu; we’re in a prix fixe period now which is fine. The amuse-bouche of asparagus with a grape reduction was spectacular, the scallop appetizer and potato-leek soup (it’s a high end restaurant so they’ve figured out how to keep it in the bowl) also excellent, but the entrees, while very good, suffered from boring entrée syndrome. Last night at Bistro we skipped dessert, but their special was a pecan-crust pie with Swedish cream filling, prompting me to tell Dave I had never had a Swedish cream that I liked. Well, tonight I did – it was delicious, and the black currant compote on top was outstanding.

We were home in time for the sunset, but I missed it – Dave says there was a small green flash. Another evening of watching it get dark, listening to the waves and the seagulls, and having a (gas) fire cheerily burning in the fireplace. We both brought leisure pants, and we’re having a lovely time.