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Saturday 18 March 2017

Birthday Break at Portmeirion

It was my dad's 80th birthday on 15th March so myself, David and my sister decided it would be lovely if we took him away to Portmeirion for a short break. I booked a suite in the village rooms (more about the fabulous accommodation in another post) for two nights and booked the hotel restaurants evening table d'hote meal for both nights too.

We had an absolutely wonderful time and we were so lucky with the weather. The sun shone the whole day on my dad's birthday so it was great to be able to walk around the village in the warmth of the Spring sunshine. Portmeirion is such a beautiful little village to meander around with views out over the estuary and the surrounding woodland.

We had set off from home at 9.30am on Tuesday 14th and headed to Criccieth so that we could have lunch at Dylan's restaurant on the front overlooking the sea. It was delicious as usual. I ordered my favourite lunch time drink (just on holidays) of a Bloody Mary and my sister being the driver ordered a hot chocolate. The guys had beers and we all ordered different lunches of calzone pizza, burger and chips and my dad and I shared a platter of cooked Italian meats, salami and cheeses with salad and pickles. not a scrap was left on any of our plates.



We set off to Portmeirion after lunch and arrived just before check in time. Our suite overlooking the village was just perfect and the balcony was a great suntrap with a view over the main square and gardens. We had time to drink the complementary carafe of sherry before showering and changing for dinner in the hotel restaurant. We had drinks in the bar with free nibbles of thyme popcorn and sundried tomato biscotti. The meal was divine with an amuse bouche of buttermilk battered cockles on lava bread mayonnaise.




We chose different starters of oriental salmon with squid and breast of quail with duck leg confit and jasmine broth.



We all chose the same mains of sirloin of beef and the same dessert of Merlyn cream liqueur soufflé with fresh mint choc chip ice cream. The beef main came with ox cheek and a horseradish potato gratin in a cute copper saucepan.




It was back to our suite for coffees and hot chocolates before falling into soft beds with crisp white cotton bedding.

We woke the next day to a mist which slowly cleared into a gorgeous sunny day. My dad opened all his birthday presents, cards and and after a very filling cooked breakfast we walked around the village and sitting down on the numerous benches for a rest and a chat. We watched the film all about William Clough-Ellis who built the village and then headed into Porthmadog for a look around the shops. I did my usual and called into the charity shops finding a pair of barely worn Paul Smith black leather trainers for David at £5.49 (they are £140 brand new), a couple of £1 DVDs and an Emma Bridgewater hessian tote shopping bag for £1.





We headed back to a lazy afternoon of reading the papers, watching the newly bought DVDs and drinking copious amounts of tea. I had paid for a birthday cake to be made for my dad by a colleague who also runs her own confectionary and cake business called Feather Cupcakes. The cake was cut into and devoured as it was so tasty and as light as a feather.



Back down to the restaurant for our evening meal again and more nibbles with drinks, an amuse bouche of ham with marmite lentils in a cute egg shell dish and differing starters of scallops and goat cheese profiteroles. We all ordered lamb for mains and a warm carrot cake with custard cream for dessert.







The next day after breakfast we checked out and headed home at a leisurely pace. We pulled off the main A56 road at Conwy and ambled through Degangwy, Llandudno, Rhos on Sea and on to Colwyn Bay where we stopped at the Bryn Williams restaurant on the front. It was hot chocolate again for my sister and Dad with lemon drizzle cake and I had a latte. David went for his usual beer.  After feeling fortified we got back onto the A56 and headed home.




It was a lovely relaxing three daybreak and now we just have to wait until our next holiday which luckily is in just two weeks time to Tenerife. I can't wait.....

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