Onward! To Monksilver

Had a great weekend staying in the tiny village of Monksilver in Somerset. Its a part of the country I've never been to before. Very nice it was too, rolling hills, sweeping valleys, endless fields. Nothing big or dramatic but all picturesque and english down to its tea-cosey underwear. The best part of the trip was the house and I debated about whether or not I was going to write about it - the more people who know about it the less avaliable it will be. For the sake of providing saintly friends with work distraction I knew I had to write. Its the old Post Office in the village, the living room and dining room dated from the mid-1400s:


I know, what a dump. Just to put it in perspective, I spent the weekend in a couple of rooms where someone would've anxiously awaited news from the battle of Agincourt. Crazy. The bedrooms were much newer, practically a Barratt home:

I mean that's what? 17th century? It was easily one of the nicest houses I've ever been in, great old features sensitively restored and put together with tasteful, modern conveniences. I spent virtually my entire time there working out how I could get enough money to buy the place outright and never leave. Went with seven other people who are all really good friends and basically had the time of our lives. Pub dinner on friday night, walk in the countryside on Saturday morning, watched rugby in the afternoon, then had wine tasting and dinner to celebrate Amy's birthday. Sunday I was extremely hungover and didn't venture much further than the couch. Managed to get to the dinner table about 7 for the worlds largest roast dinner (lamb, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, roast carrots, roast parsnips, cauliflower cheese, savoy cabbage, mashed carrot and swede ... if we'd cooked it on Friday night there was so much food we wouldn't have needed to cook again). Plus breakfast everday was a full english offering of beans, hashbrowns, bacon, sausages, eggs and toast.

Highlight of the weekend was Saturday night when Henry and Amy cooked an amazing dinner - the Cepe risotto with truffle oil and roasted cubes of celeriac (starter) was the best risotto I've ever had and it wouldn't surprise me if it's the best I'll ever have. The food over the whole weekend was amazing (Henry bought a bucket of crostini with him, a bucket, of crostini, bucket, crostini, crostini, bucket. A bucket of crostini. I think you get the idea) and even better, I didn't cook any of it nor did I even shop for it. I was pretty nifty with the corkscrew though. There was heavy drinking on every night/day and the neighbours HATED us by the time we left and complained on both nights I was there. After the drunken revelry of Friday night there was much discussion on Saturday morning that we may have gone a bit crazy on the alcohol as we had 28 bottles of wine, two bottles of vodka, a bottle of gin, 7 bottles of champagne, 8 Guiness and a case of Magners to get through. On Sunday morning there were 4 bottles of wine and some of the Magners left. Good times.