13th October, 2021

Misa’s birthday dinner yesterday was roast replete with Australian Topside, cauliflower cheese, roast tatties, vegetables and a thick gravy.  Very tasty, and with nothing left apart from two small slices of the beef.

Emi wished for an Italian meal as you have read in her post, so at about 5:15pm we set off to Dolce Italia and the most authentic Italian environment you are going to find in Colombo.  We also set off straight in to grid lock.  With the lockdown now finished the rush hour traffic is straight back to the polluting chaotic bedlam that we haven’t had since March last year.  No taxis were available so we squeezed in to a tuk tuk and breathed the horrible air for the journey to the restaurant.

It was actually quicker to travel this way than by taxi, our driver expertly threading the needle to make walking pace progress instead of being stationary – although he nearly came unstuck just a hundred metres from our destination when his exit strategy from being the wrong side of a solid white line was closed off and we ended up parked whilst oncoming traffic bumped up the kerb to get round us.

Dinner was lovely and included the children each opening their birthday cards from grandma and Grandad, with perfect timing these being given to me by the concierge on alighting from the elevator to leave for the meal!

Now for Emi to enjoy her birthday celebration with friends coming round on Friday after school and weather permitting, horse riding on Saturday; according to my photographs, lockdown means the last time was eight months ago and the birthday of Emi’s favourite horse Valentina – 14th February. 

Steve