a break from studies ...

the other day i went into the city centre ("into town") to have a mooch round with my boyfriend. he had just got paid his wages, and he was determined to buy some bits for himself. i love this because, not only do i love shopping, but i always want him to spoil himself - because he never, ever does!!!!

he bought sports stuff - blah ...

i found this AMAZING faux-Royal Engagement Ring in Peacocks for a stupendously cheap £4 - and i am buying it :)

we had lunch in BarBurrito (or just Burrito, as we call it ... :)) - and this is our usual lunchtime hot-spot:

unfortunately, i only think that there are 3 (yes, THREE!!!) in the whole of England (Liverpool, Trafford Centre in Manchester, and somewhere down south ...) so not a lot of people will get to experience the burrito way way it should be eaten - with your hands, not on a plate covered in crap! they are the most delicious - and healthy! - wraps i`ve ever had :) (oh, and the drinks are re-fills!)

i tried on these wedges in Urban Outfitters:

they were the most comfortable pair of heels i`d ever tried on!!! i need to buy them when i get my student loan next month - but i fear they`ll be sold by then :( (they`re reduced from £85 to £60 at the minute ...)

and before we came home we went to Patisserie Valerie in the Met Quarter; it`s a new coffee shop that`s recently opened, and it looks very French ... (it`s Belgian, though) i had a berry smoothie and a strawberry tart, and my boyfriend had a hot chocolate and a slice of tiramisu:

i mean, it was ok ... the array of cakes and baguettes and bagels adorned in the window really did get our mouths watering - but then ... it kinda just felt ... rubbish, i suppose. 

to start, we went to the counter and till at the front of the shop (as you would expect to do ...) when half way through our order, the woman was like "oh, you`re sitting in? go and take a seat and we`ll bring it over ..." i suppose that`s nice - but you`d have thought that would be her first question, not her last! 

then we waited at the table - and re-ordered. you`d have thought that the other woman would have told her ... but, never mind. then our order came in dribs and drabs - and we couldn`t really start until it was all together (it`s nice to eat and drink once every one has got their bits, as opposed to starting early and them finishing later ... you know?) 

my strawberry tart was lovely - it really was. the pastry was moist, the strawberries were plump and juicy, the custard was subtle ... the only thing i didn't like (but it`s just my preference) is the gelatin on top; i prefer the juice f the strawberry. my smoothie was nice (i felt healthy drinking it because it had, like, five different fruit in it!) but the tumbler they presented it in was ... very ... pub-ish, you know?

one surprise we got was the bill: they bring it over once your food has arrived, and then you can pay it once you`ve finished ... but they fail to mention that eating in costs and extra pound to everything that you want! Starbucks only adds a few pence! i mean, in this economy, we have a right to get a teensy bit furious about it, right?! and as a student, i am even more so allowed to be mad ... it was annoying to find that out once we sat down, but we paid - and didn`t leave a tip (which is unusual for us because i have a generous boyfriend and, because i work behind a bar, i understand the importance of a tip!)