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Over the weekend, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shep_shepherd come to stay at Chateau Lupestripe in the glistening snow. The weather outside was frightful but the sheppage was so delightful as we had a great 48 hours drinking, chilling, eating and going on a tea shoppe crawl. It was truly magnificent - in a refined and dignified kinda way.
Doggage came over on Friday night, during which we headed to Bradford to sample one of their world-famous curries. There are three top-notch restaurants in the city (and many other pretty good ones) and as Shep had tried two of them already (the International and the Karachi), we decided to head to the Kashmir to complete the set. Here, we had a chicken makhani, a tandorri-based creamy curry that is low on spice but very high on taste. It was excellent food and although there was only one sauce on the pickle tray, we felt fully satisfied once finished. We had decided to sit in the basement, where all the local Muslims go, rather than the main restaurant as the food down here is far more authentic and the experience far more friendly. It was also the place where Wolfie, aged one, lost his curry virginity. It didn't disappoint. The rest of the evening was given over to eating Pringles, drinking beer and watching Seth McFarlane comedies. Relaxing is the word.
On Saturday, we got up and took Mister Sheppage to a local shopping centre so he could build his own German Shepherd from Build-A-Bear. He took the roadkill-style casing and pumped his dog full of stuff, before inserting a heart and shouting his love for his new toy at the top of his voice (he was made to do this by the nice man). He then made a birth certificate for the dog which he named Falco, before buying him some sunglasses. He was very pleased with his new purchase. All the while, the staff were singing weird songs in unison but no one else was joining in, despite the shop being full of squealing little kids. I spoke to the shop about Bondowuff and the Husky I bought in Denmark. I may buy Fudge Pup at some point too although the name sounds a little rude. We then left the shop with a very happy Shep and enjoyed a bagel at Bagel Nash.
A trip to Beer-Ritz saw us buy some top quality beer, including the peerless Trois Monts, before we headed back to watch some more cartoons. It was snowing pretty heavily by this point and we gambled that there could be a lot of cancellations at the local gastronomies so, feeling hungry, we ventured outside into a groupie's wonderland. We decided to go to Diva, the first-rate pizza restaurant we had tried back in October. Walking through the snow was a magical experience, if not cold on the footpaws. The snow falling on our heads was like the most delicate cocaine for the soul while we enjoyed watching the terrifyingly poor driving on display from the local drivers. Upon arriving at Diva, we discovered there had been 29 cancellations and they were greatful for our custom. We had a mascapone and ham pizza, with thin slivers of the meat across the entire base, and one of the most delightful wines I have ever tasted, made from the Veneto grape. We also had some pate too - I am nothing if not cultured. Filthy, but cultured. An enigma.
Sunday saw us embark on our Fourth Annual Tea Shoppe Crawl, admittedly postponed from October 2011 due to me having too much shit to do back then. We met up with Patter at Leeds Station, Entei-rah on the train and Oracle at York Station before we embarked on our caffeine-based oddesy. The first tea shoppe, Circles on Lendal Bridge, questioned the insanity of going on such an endeavour. The second tea shoppe, the one opposite York Minster, concurred. I didn't care. I was asking for cheese with my teacake and I was getting it every time - at a ridiculous premium though - and this made me very happy. Different cheeses too - a cheddar and an Emmental! By the time we got to tea shoppe number four though, we were all teed out. And visiting the bathroom quite frequently. The poor service lady in tea shoppe number three couldn't do that as she had a broken leg. She nearly broke her china.
Shep had never been to York before so we showed him the main sights on our adventure, including York Minster, The Shambles, Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, Clifford's Tower, some tourists and a lot of Conservative voters. We also called in at some local off-licences which serve some of the greatest selections of beer I know. Typically, I bought loads more beer my belly doesn't particularly need as well as some Henderson's Flavoured Crisps, a local speciality which tastes like potatoes dipped in pickled onion brine. We had an average meal at The Graduate before trying the fantastic new York Taps bar at the station, full of real ale and high-strength continental beer.
All the while I kept singing "I have some gifts for you, they're up in my bum" to the queer looks of passers-by as if I had come from rugged Northern land to break their middle-class idyll. In reality, it was from Family Guy. As we headed home, we regailed each other with more convivial conversation, akin to the discussions we had had previously throughout the day and weekend. I learned I had friends who generally concorded with my views and understood from where I was coming. This was most reassuring and it was great spending time with some fantastic and true friends. As we headed home and then said goodbye to Shep, we reflected on this, safe in the knowledge that his marvellous visit will be repeated come April. Wolfie and I are looking forwoof to it already, to coin a Shep term.
shep_shepherd come to stay at Chateau Lupestripe in the glistening snow. The weather outside was frightful but the sheppage was so delightful as we had a great 48 hours drinking, chilling, eating and going on a tea shoppe crawl. It was truly magnificent - in a refined and dignified kinda way.Doggage came over on Friday night, during which we headed to Bradford to sample one of their world-famous curries. There are three top-notch restaurants in the city (and many other pretty good ones) and as Shep had tried two of them already (the International and the Karachi), we decided to head to the Kashmir to complete the set. Here, we had a chicken makhani, a tandorri-based creamy curry that is low on spice but very high on taste. It was excellent food and although there was only one sauce on the pickle tray, we felt fully satisfied once finished. We had decided to sit in the basement, where all the local Muslims go, rather than the main restaurant as the food down here is far more authentic and the experience far more friendly. It was also the place where Wolfie, aged one, lost his curry virginity. It didn't disappoint. The rest of the evening was given over to eating Pringles, drinking beer and watching Seth McFarlane comedies. Relaxing is the word.
On Saturday, we got up and took Mister Sheppage to a local shopping centre so he could build his own German Shepherd from Build-A-Bear. He took the roadkill-style casing and pumped his dog full of stuff, before inserting a heart and shouting his love for his new toy at the top of his voice (he was made to do this by the nice man). He then made a birth certificate for the dog which he named Falco, before buying him some sunglasses. He was very pleased with his new purchase. All the while, the staff were singing weird songs in unison but no one else was joining in, despite the shop being full of squealing little kids. I spoke to the shop about Bondowuff and the Husky I bought in Denmark. I may buy Fudge Pup at some point too although the name sounds a little rude. We then left the shop with a very happy Shep and enjoyed a bagel at Bagel Nash.
A trip to Beer-Ritz saw us buy some top quality beer, including the peerless Trois Monts, before we headed back to watch some more cartoons. It was snowing pretty heavily by this point and we gambled that there could be a lot of cancellations at the local gastronomies so, feeling hungry, we ventured outside into a groupie's wonderland. We decided to go to Diva, the first-rate pizza restaurant we had tried back in October. Walking through the snow was a magical experience, if not cold on the footpaws. The snow falling on our heads was like the most delicate cocaine for the soul while we enjoyed watching the terrifyingly poor driving on display from the local drivers. Upon arriving at Diva, we discovered there had been 29 cancellations and they were greatful for our custom. We had a mascapone and ham pizza, with thin slivers of the meat across the entire base, and one of the most delightful wines I have ever tasted, made from the Veneto grape. We also had some pate too - I am nothing if not cultured. Filthy, but cultured. An enigma.
Sunday saw us embark on our Fourth Annual Tea Shoppe Crawl, admittedly postponed from October 2011 due to me having too much shit to do back then. We met up with Patter at Leeds Station, Entei-rah on the train and Oracle at York Station before we embarked on our caffeine-based oddesy. The first tea shoppe, Circles on Lendal Bridge, questioned the insanity of going on such an endeavour. The second tea shoppe, the one opposite York Minster, concurred. I didn't care. I was asking for cheese with my teacake and I was getting it every time - at a ridiculous premium though - and this made me very happy. Different cheeses too - a cheddar and an Emmental! By the time we got to tea shoppe number four though, we were all teed out. And visiting the bathroom quite frequently. The poor service lady in tea shoppe number three couldn't do that as she had a broken leg. She nearly broke her china.
Shep had never been to York before so we showed him the main sights on our adventure, including York Minster, The Shambles, Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, Clifford's Tower, some tourists and a lot of Conservative voters. We also called in at some local off-licences which serve some of the greatest selections of beer I know. Typically, I bought loads more beer my belly doesn't particularly need as well as some Henderson's Flavoured Crisps, a local speciality which tastes like potatoes dipped in pickled onion brine. We had an average meal at The Graduate before trying the fantastic new York Taps bar at the station, full of real ale and high-strength continental beer.
All the while I kept singing "I have some gifts for you, they're up in my bum" to the queer looks of passers-by as if I had come from rugged Northern land to break their middle-class idyll. In reality, it was from Family Guy. As we headed home, we regailed each other with more convivial conversation, akin to the discussions we had had previously throughout the day and weekend. I learned I had friends who generally concorded with my views and understood from where I was coming. This was most reassuring and it was great spending time with some fantastic and true friends. As we headed home and then said goodbye to Shep, we reflected on this, safe in the knowledge that his marvellous visit will be repeated come April. Wolfie and I are looking forwoof to it already, to coin a Shep term.
