#oh just type /image — frankly it is not much more convenient that way

[softgrungeprophet]

tumblr new/current post editor text selection (and typing... and pasting... and text formatting... and image formatting... and—) is so fucking unwieldy for the love of god make this a little less clumsy

[chronotsr]

Pre-G1 Modules, part 6: Reflections

This isn't a full on post or anything, it really is just random thoughts. This blog has basically 3 goals, in no particular order:

Show off some weird interesting ideas from older modules. This is why the bullet-point sections exist.

Look at all the obscure modules no one's ever heard and don't get discussed so they can enjoy more awareness. This is why it's module to module and not lists of cool things I've found.

Look at how modules grew as an art-form. Their design, layout, styling, writing, et c. This is why it's in release order.

So I'm going to ramble about all 3 in turn.

1. Coolest ideas

So somehow the coolest idea I ran into in this roundup was keep on the borderlands ~in the desert~. The mental image is just stuck in my brain and if you're one of my fantasy age players, you've probably inhaled some spoilers accidentally now. It's gonna show up eventually.

I was also really fond of the really lateral use of animated objects in Tegel Manor, particularly the battlefield painting that spits arrows as the events on-canvas play out. It's very fun and very goofy and I regret the yearly Samhain one-shot being so far away. I will find an excuse to use that random magic statue table eventually.

Third place goes to the pet sea monster of the invincible overlord. It's just really stuck in my brain

2. Coolest Module You Haven't Heard Of

Oh that's easy. Tegel Manor. 100% Tegel Manor. That was easily the most fun I had writing this column so far, even as the pagecount sprawled and sprawled. I think the haunted house is the single best starting location for a new player, it's part of why I'm so ride or die for Ghosts of Saltmarsh (and I do specifically mean the 5e iteration, they did an excellent job realizing Saltmarsh as a location. It's a crying shame people hate because they expect pirates and get, not pirates).

Happily, I don't think the move is actually to just, buy modern Tegel Manor. In fact, a spiritual successor to Tegel Manor would be just what the doctor ordered.

3. The Growth of Module Design

I am telling on myself hard but my favorite part of watching this go on is to see the art of keying slowly evolve and standardize around the familiar model of today. We are far away from the, I know I will get crucified for this, frankly better keying of 5e. Or even the significantly improved keying of 4e. We are in crusty-ass 1970s keying, where if it was typed, it was professional. Honestly Temple of the Frog's keying is a shockingly good first attempt. The keying solution that Vampire Queen went for is, kind of novel in its own way. I kind of wish that this table-style keying had stuck around as a sort of summary page for quick reference, it's…honestly kind of convenient, especially for particularly hack and slashy campaigns.

Watching JG recover from their tailspin of excessive loot was really fascinating. I do keep in mind that weight was a big thing about loot recovery in early DND but what exactly was to stop a party from just going back in and looting the place over and over again, anyway? Sure the monsters could move around, the loot could move, but they still know the layout. I really feel like you have to simply not provide that much treasure, and I get the sense JG worked that out too.

Finally, I am just kind of happy to see the focus on creating dungeons, as in combat rectangles is already starting to be threatened as the status quo. Arneson obviously understood why this was bad, and you can see some designers working it out too. Holmes also had a very good grasp of pacing and dungeon layout that it would take others (including Gygax) a while to catch up to.

So anyway, see you at G1!

[radramblog]

VGC Series 10 Restricted Pokemon

So the new series of Pokemon Sword and Shield competitive is about to launch (as in, it starts on Sunday). The rules are pretty interesting, and as a result a lot of the metagame is being thrown on its head.

-Dynamax is off. They just up and got rid of the games’ gimmick. I’m sure Smogon DOU players will be right at home.

-Each team is permitted one Restricted Pokemon, as in Series 8.

There are 24 Pokemon listed as “Restricted”, just about all of them the intentionally overpowered “cover legendaries” the series has stuck with since Gold and Silver. Each of them is extremely powerful, and would be a worthwhile addition to any team.

But, which one should you run? Find out in this entirely serious guide.

(I was going to attach funny meme images to this like but I ran out of time sorry just imagine doge memes next to Zacian and stuff you get the idea i might edit this later)

Mewtwo

There are two types of people running Mewtwo. People with nostalgia, whether it be just because it’s one of their favourite mons or because the infamy of it being the “ultimate Pokemon” stuck in their heads too long, or because they know how good it actually is but they want to try it anyway.

I mean, it’s not bad? Obviously that Sp.A don’t quit, and Terrain-boosted Expanding Force is kinda nutty. Plenty of coverage, too. But without the Megas, Mewtwo just isn’t good enough anymore, I think. And unfortunately, there’s another thing on this list that kinda just does the same thing, but better.

 Lugia

While Mewtwo is unquestionably a fast offensive threat, Lugia represents the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s faster than I had assumed, actually, but most of why you run it is for that sweet sweet chonk.

I understand wanting to use Lugia. The second movie is my favourite too. But 90/90 offenses don’t cut it these days, you don’t want your Uber/Restricted to be a supportive mon, and setup strategies are both risky and done better by other things. Sorry? Aeroblast is a lot cooler when you can turn it into Max Flying, I’m afraid.

 Ho-Oh

I actually don’t have anything bad to say about Ho-oh. It’s actually kind of great, and possibly underrated- it is able to check some of the biggest threats in the meta, and is dummy thick enough to take hits and clear out the remainder.

It is in the 90 Speed group, which a surprising number of these Restricteds are, so you might suffer from speed creeping issues. Or just run bulk, because Regenerator and Recover make it nigh-unkillable if you invest hard enough.

Look I’m biased I just built a Ho-oh team what do you want from me?

 Kyogre

One of the two Weather restricted things. Just about everyone running Rain is going to want one of these, and it’s one of the most popular mons in the format as a result. It’s not quite meta-defining, but it’s the first of what I reckon are going to be the Big Four of the format.

Water Spout and Origin Pulse hit like an absolute tank off this thing. It doesn’t need much else. This is why you run Wide Guard, people.

Kyogre is very good, which is what makes it very boring. We will be returning to this concept.

 Groudon

The Other Weather Setter, and inexplicably a way less popular one. It might be that Eruption isn’t STAB and doesn’t come off it’s superior Physical Attack- Fire Punch doesn’t quite hit as hard.

That, and there actually is another solid Sun setter in Torkoal. But why not both, though?

I ran Groudon in Series 8 and I was pretty impressed by its performance. I mean, it’s Kyogre but awkward and Physical. You could do a lot worse.

 Rayquaza

I love Rayquaza a lot, as a result of both Emerald and the anime, so it’s with a heavy heart that I must say that Rayquaza is, like, not good in this format.

The key issue Rayq faces is that it’s statline is really awkwardly distributed. It has 150 in both offenses, but that leaves it’s other stats somewhat lacking compared to the other restricteds on the list. That and it’s ability, Air Lock, implies it’d be good at beating Groudon/Kyogre, but it kind of just loses to them 1v1. They’re bulky enough to live a hit, and don’t have to go out of their way to clonk it for SE damage. And what the fuck, it only has 95 speed? It feels like it should have much more.

 Dialga

I haven’t seen much buzz about Dialga, which is actually kind of surprising. Like, Steel/Dragon is a great typing, it’s a Dragon that isn’t weak to Fairy or Ice or Dragon, and it’s statline is pretty solid- 150 Sp.A and 100/120/100 defenses. What’s not to love?

Oh it probably just dies to Zacian doesn’t it. Or Landorus, of whom both forms are super popular right now. Sigh. One day.

 Palkia

Looking at the Pikalytics data, apparently a bunch of people are running Trick Room Palkia? Which makes zero sense to me, seeing as it’s actually a bit faster than a bunch of these mons.

It’s relatively less bulky, but BEEG DRACOVISH here is probably pretty decent. I’ve heard, however, that calling something decent basically just means it’s bad. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Two of the Big Four just lay this fucker flat out, so.

 Giratina

Despite being bulkier than Palkia, it’s weaker to an additional member of the Big Four, which probably just makes it unusable. Whoops.

And as cool as noodle Giratina is, it dies to even more things, isn’t any faster, and means you don’t get to run a funky item to make it runnable. Prooobably just stick to Dragapult?

 Reshiram

Reshiram presents an interesting question, because it’s typing and moveset are kinda great for the format. It’s another Fairy-neutral Dragon, which is nice and good, and Blue Flare hits like an absolute truck.

I’m convinced Reshiram has a place in the meta. I just don’t quite know what it is yet.

 Zekrom

Zekrom strikes me as like, Reshiram but it’s worse against Zacian and better against Kyogre. It’s interesting, because Fire is a type you kinda want right now, but Electric is pretty good as well? Like, Regieleki cannot fucking touch this thing.

Zekrom also has a kind of insane moveset to work with, and if you want to try a Dragon Dance set, it’s a great spot for it. So, basically, maybe?

 Kyurem

I guess you could technically run Base Kyurem as your Restricted. I don’t know why you would, it’s kind of awful. Typing sucks, moves suck, stats don’t make up for it.

 Kyurem-Black

Kyurem-Black was given it’s greatest gift since its release- actually getting Physical Ice STAB off it’s ludicrous 170 Attack. Unfortunately, this alone does not a playable mon make, and it’s still weak to frankly too many types. Ice is just so completely awful defensively! Please fix this, Game Freak.

35% of people trying this format out early are running Power Herb Freeze Shock, and I salute you crazy, crazy bastards. But also that sounds awful tbh.

 Kyurem-White

Reshiram, but you trade a great defensive type for a bad one, and gain monstrous stats in return. If you can find a way to stop Zacian from hitting it, it probably one-shots it back. Also, it gets Freeze-Dry for Kyogre, though even with 170 Sp.A I don’t know if you one-shot that thing.

 Xerneas

 We’re finally getting to member two of the Big Four. Xerneas is an old standby of restricted VGC formats, and kind of a one trick pony. Er, deer. But that one trick is very solid, so fair enough.

If I’m honest, I think that One Trick is going to make Xerneas take a hit in usability, because the moment it gets good, people instantly know how to counter it and add that into their teams. The thing barely ever runs non-Fairy attacking moves, for fuck’s sake! Put a Steel in front of it and it just cries.

 Yveltal

 Yveltal is awkward, because it’s fighting for a spot with the Very Good Moltres-Galar, which doesn’t take up the restricted slot. But Yveltal does have a space to work within, I think.

It’s got an absolutely phenomenal support moveset, which again isn’t really want you want on your Restricted, but it’s natural offenses are good enough that you can probably just get away with it. STAB Oblivion Wing and STAB/Dark Aura Snarl are incredible for bulkier builds, and it even has incredible damage with a priority Sucker Punch. Basically, it’s got some things going on.

 Zygarde

Zygarde is the most awkward ‘mon on this list, methinks. It’s entire bit is trying to get to low HP in order to trigger Power Construct and get into it’s super mode, but the statgain…isn’t incredible? It’s HP doubles and it trades 10 Speed for Special Attack. Which you might not even be using? And this is all predicated on it getting to particular HP values, which is a lot harder now that you can’t Dynamax it.

This thing is scary as hell in the Max Lair, but not so much here. Signature moves are fucking wild though.

 Cosmog/Cosmoem

I know they’re preevolutions of two restricted species, but why are these restricted? Was Z-Teleport really that good?

You have to be a serious memelord to play one of these, and a very good player to actually win with them. In other words, if I see one of these on ladder or in a tournament, I’m going to start sweating.

 Solgaleo

Solgaleo has the same problem as Yveltal, but moreso. Because just about anything it can do, Metagross can do just about as well and without taking up a restricted spot. Sure, Meteor Mash is a bit worse than Sunsteel Strike, and technically Full Metal Body and Clear Body aren’t identical (FMB is immune to ability-nullifying effects, apparently), but come onnnn. Are you really running Sun Dog when you can run funy robot man and also your choice of restricted beastie? Come on now.

 Lunala

 As much as I love Lunala’s design, it’s not particularly good. It has the same typing as Caly-Ghost, and significantly worse stats, ability, and movepool. And conveniently, due to that shared typing, Caly-Ghost just lays this fucker to waste. A shame, for such a cool design.

 Necrozma

Similar to Kyurem, you could run this, if you wanted a worse Mewtwo. I guess it is better than the Ice Dragon, but like, don’t bother.

 Necrozma-Dusk-Mane

The other reason not to run Solgaleo is because this exists. Just, the same, but way better. It’s a lot slower, but that just makes it playable in Trick Room, so.

NDM over here is competing with Zacian for the throne of Nuts Steel/X Physical Dog. Unfortunately, because Zacian is, frankly, completely fuckbusted insane, and doesn’t require setup like NDM does, it’s not going to win that fight.

 Necrozma-Dawn-Wings

Again, Lunala but slower and bulkier and hits harder. If you can get a Troom up, it’s probably kinda nuts, since then it actually can just cap Calyrex in its dressage-looking ass. Plus, you’re probably already running Indeedee, so Psychic Terrain goes off.

I wanna see someone kill things with Meteor Beam/Power Herb on this. It’s probably pretty decent. But it’s still a lot of work, and I’m not convinced the payoff is worth it.

 Zacian

 I’m not even going to bother writing about uncrowned Zacian, even if it probably will see more play than some of the other things on this list.

Let’s run it down. Patently absurd stats- 92/115/115 are average defenses for a Restricted (maybe a bit above average?) but it has 170 Attack, and unlike the Kyurems it actually has the speed to back it up at 148. To be clear, that’s the second fastest Restricted, and only 3 other Pokemon in the game (Regieleki, Ninjask, Pheromosa- Deoxys, Electrode, and some Megas are faster but aren’t in Gen 8) outspeed it. It’s got fucking bonkers typing, arguably the best two in the game, along with an ability that effectively pumps that Attack to 255. Oh, also very good STAB and coverage moves.

Zacian is almost certainly the most important Pokemon in the entire format. It’s that good. You don’t have to be smart to use it, especially as you don’t actually get the choice of item. It’s an idiot beatstick, and that’s kind of all there is to it. Every team needs to have an answer to it, and since it gets Imprison, you can even just run it as an answer to itself. What a fucking joke of a mon.

 Zamazenta

And then there’s The Other One. Zamazenta is significantly more balanced than Zacian, being surprisingly bulky even without that +1 Defense, and having solid Attack and Speed to boot. Also, Wide Guard.

I’m going to be honest, I think Zamazenta basically only takes on a supportive role. The moveset is fine, Wide Guard and Coaching and Snarl, no Body Press though for some fucking reason. It’s probably a Pretty Okay mon. But I don’t know why you’d run it over another support mon like Hitmontop, which gets similar moves and a better ability.

 Eternatus

Like Zacian and Zamazenta, Eternatus technically got worse with the Dynamax ban, seeing as their signature moves effectively ignore the HP-doubling effect. The thing is, Zacian is still insane anyway, and Zamazenta doesn’t really care, so Eternatus is really the main thing getting hit by this “nerf”.

It’s still solid, though. Good HP, Special Attack, and Speed, functional other stats, and it’s a Dragon that can kill the shit out of Xerneas. I think Eternatus is just on the cusp of being good- maybe if they gave it an actual ability instead of Pressure.

Or just release Eternamax, because fuck it, why not.

 Calyrex

It’s Kyurem and Necrozma again but somehow worse, next.

 Calyrex-Shadow

The final member of the Big Four. It actually kinda looks a lot like Zacian- slightly faster, a fair chunk weaker, but the ability lets it snowball hard and it gets incredible spread moves in Astral Barrage and Expanding Force. Because the only thing worse than them beating the shit out of your Pokemon is them doing it to both at once.

The key difference between Caly-Shadow and Zacian is it’s less immediate threat. For one, it doesn’t have that immediate +1 that Zacian does, and it has two x4 weaknesses to exploit. And since it usually is running spread moves, it can have a harder time dropping a specific counter, let alone its weakness to Wide Guard.

But it’s still fucking nuts. So.

 Calyrex-Ice

 We took the Shadow one, put all it’s speed into bulk, and made it Physical. Oh, and it hits a bit harder typically, since Ice is better offensively than Ghost. Sure?

In all seriousness, Caly-Ice is a brutal threat…under Trick Room and only there. If you can set it up, it’s a nigh-unkillable threat that steadily bulldozes through the opposition, and doesn’t have to rely on Spreads like Shadow does. Ironically, the worse defensive typing is better here, because it’s less likely to get OHKO’d without a x4 weakness. And if you get TR up, they aren’t getting a second attack.

 And that’s the lot of them. So, which one should you choose? One of the Big Four? A spicy meme pick? An underrated champion?

None of them. Play none of them, coward, you won’t.

Okay but seriously just about all of them are playable on the right team so dw about it

[tripstations]

Bath holidays: Where are the best hotels in Bath? Top accommodation revealed | Short & City breaks | Travel

Bath is the World Heritage Site mainly built from gorgeous local, golden-coloured Bath Stone (Image: Getty Images/The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa/ The Queensbury)

Bath is a city where I have decided I could quite easily live. For starters, it’s beautiful. Not only is the World Heritage Site mainly built from gorgeous local, golden-coloured Bath Stone, it’s also surrounded by rolling green hills which are visible from the town as you look up. It’s also easily walkable yet crammed with culture and, importantly for me, easy to get to from neighbouring Bristol, London, and Birmingham. This makes it an ideal choice for a weekend break. If you’re after an indulgent UK holiday and looking to treat yourself, these are three of the top hotels to stay in – The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, The Queensbury and No.15 Great Pulteney.

Bath holidays: Where are the best hotels in Bath? Top accommodation revealed

Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa

The problem with staying at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is that you may never want to actually leave it. A wall of elegance practically smashes into you as you walk in and there’s an instant feeling you’ll get looked after.

Located in the middle of the famous and iconic Royal Crescent, the hotel actually stretches far beyond the buildings you see on entrance. An acre of stunning gardens lies behind, offering an oasis of tranquillity after a day of sightseeing. Further accommodation and the restaurant as well as the spa are found at the other end of the garden making for a very quiet night’s sleep indeed.

Our room is the Lord Nelson Suite – the famous military figure once stayed in Bath – and busts and paintings of the great man adorn the room as a nod to the theme amid the grey neutral tones. Ornate lamps and colourful cushions add a pop of colour.

In the spacious living room area – separated off from the bedroom with a curtain – is a fireplace and a bookcase filled with a variety of interesting tomes, creating a homely touch amid the luxury. French windows open out onto a spacious balcony which looks over the garden and the odd guest below. One can feel very regal from such a position – although no Romeo (or Knightley, Darcy or Tilney for that matter) came a-calling, alas (remember, there’s always the Jane Austen Centre…)

When we are first shown to our room there’s a brief moment when we think we’re told there’s complimentary cheese which would make it officially the world’s best establishment, but it transpires the lady actually said complimentary teas which, for a Briton, is still pretty exciting. We order one immediately. It’s only a few moments we realise one explanation for our sense of peace – Classic FM is playing from bedside speakers and it’s the addition I never realised I needed – my life finally has a soundtrack.

The little touches don’t stop there, pillow spray is provided with the turndown service, newspapers are offered and there’s an umbrella in the wardrobe complete with a tag letting you know what you can do in Bath in the rain. Furthermore, there’s also a car parking spot for every room should you need it.

Bath holidays: The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is in in the middle of the iconic Royal Crescent (Image: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the stylish bathroom provides his n’ her sinks, sumptuous products by British perfumer Floris plus a bath and shower – the controls for which are conveniently placed the opposite side from the water flow which means never getting wet until you’ve got in, which is a surprising bonus.

We dine in the hotel’s Dower House Restaurant and our table benefits from a view of the secluded garden as the spring evening draws in. The friendly and knowledgeable waiters prove invaluable in helping me decide on my order (it all looks so good) and the sommelier suggests a delightful Sauvignon Blanc.

Turmeric and black pepper bread sets a promising tone for the meal before I tuck into my starter of slow cooked duck egg. It’s huge, rich and creamy and pairs well with the salty Morteau sausage, and crunchy leeks and chicken crisp – all in all, superb.

This is followed by roasted seabass, served with two perky scallops prettily presented with beetroot, tasty morsels of smoked eel, hay baked potato, smoked roe cream and horseradish. The portions may seem small at first but I soon have “elegant sufficiency” as my grandmother used to say and decide on a brief hiatus ahead of dessert.

This is wise and dessert is, unsurprisingly, also delicious. I opt for rhubarb and orange tart with ginger ice cream, the tangy favours of which all perfectly complement each other. My friend goes for the cheese board – well there had to be cheese somewhere didn’t there? This is presented by a rather handsome waiter who informs us he is responsible for buying the cheeses in, and his enthusiasm is palpable as he explains each one to us. One nugget we learn is that the ash in the rind of goat’s cheese is supposed to aid digestion – but after the feast we’ve had I’m not sure there’s much hope for us.

We heave ourselves up and take a turn around the garden before retiring for the night, thoroughly pampered and satisfied.

The next morning we make the most of The Spa & Bath House. I do a few lengths in the 12m heated pool (where the glistening blue tiles shimmer like a mermaid’s tail), try out the Vitality Pool and sauna before heading for a massage.

The spa’s primary partner brand is Elemental Herbology whose products are based around the Five Element theory from traditional Chinese medicine. My therapist considers my skin type, lifestyle, environment and season and opts for Earth for balance. I have chosen a Deep Muscle Melt full-body massage which uses the oils as well as hot stones – although the spa menu offers so many other wonderful-looking options it is hard to decide. My therapist’s small hands dig deep into my muscles and work through knots on my back in what makes for a very stress-relieving and relaxing hour before I return to my room, take tea on the balcony and prepare to leave this haven of luxury.

Double Deluxe rooms at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa start from £330 on a B&B basis. To book, please email info@royalcrescent.co.uk or call Spa Reception on 01225 823333

Bath holidays: An acre of stunning gardens lies behind the facade of The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa (Image: The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa)

The Queensbury

The Queensberry Hotel may not have the grand scale decadence of The Royal Crescent but this boutique hotel is every bit as lovely and is right the heart of the city, making it perfect for exploring Bath on your doorstep.

The hotel is both chic and trendy but not in a threatening way; the interior design is particularly exciting. The bathroom in our room boasts a wall decorated entirely with goldfish-covered wallpaper, the orange and blue tones of which inject a quirky edge into the accommodation as does the gold grouting between the white tiles. There’s also a free standing bath in there and fabulous White Company products. It’s all rather like staying at the house of a particularly fashionable friend.

One little touch I particularly like is the little, dim bathroom lights that automatically come on into dark should you need to make your way to the toilet in the night. All hotels please take heed of this! A marvellous concept and a rousing thumbs up to whoever’s idea it was. What’s more, Classic FM is also playing when we enter here, too which is proving a charming theme of my stay so far.

It’s the Michelin-starred restaurant in this delightful townhouse which is the true gem of the establishment, however. If you’re after an excellent meal, the 3 AA Rosette Olive Tree restaurant is the ideal spot – it’s certainly the best one I’ve had in a long time.

I go all out and order the larger of the two tasting menus, otherwise known as the ‘Chris Cleghorn Seven’, with paired wines. Things start exceedingly well with a cheese-filled profiterole appetiser – an ingenious morsel of pleasure – before a raw Orkney scallop is presented in its pretty shell for a starter. It’s succulent and juicy thanks to the tangy pink grapefruit granita along with a kick from the horseradish. This is paired with a Galician Rías Baixas white wine before I’m served a Lebanese rosé with my second course of burrata – not that this is the Italian cheese as I’ve ever known it. This is burrata ice cream, churned and frozen but still creamy with the saltiness of green olives with tomatoes and a basil sauce.

Bath holidays: The Queensberry Hotel is both chic and trendy but not in a threatening way (Image: The Queensberry )

Onto the first of the mains – Turbot on the bone which is like consuming a cloud it’s so soft and tender, pairing perfectly with the crunch of asparagus and buttery sauce, along with shrimp, salted lemon and sherry. To go with this is is the best Chardonnay I’ve ever tasted – an Astrolabe Province Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 which knocked my socks off; both nutty and creamy it went hand in hand with the turbot perfectly.

We move onto the second main of oh-so-succulent Woolley Park Farm duck served with duck liver on a tiny sliver of toast along with barbecued beetroot, sea beet, hazelnut and blackcurrant – all paired with a rich South African merlot.

The first dessert is a soft Tor cheese with soaked golden raisins and chicory with a Jurançon 2016 rosé before moving onto a (highly unusual but incredibly delicious) tobacco-flavoured ice cream which comes with chunks of aero-style chocolate and a chocolate parfait – rounded off with a divine Graham’s 2013 port.

By this point, I’m frankly sozzled and stuffed. I squeeze in a yummy raspberry and ice cream concoction before I throw in the towel. No way can I face the proffered coffee and petit fours although I have no doubt they’re just as delectable as everything else in the feast. We began our meal at 8.15pm and it is now 12.30pm. It’s definitely time to leave. Any plans we have of going out are shattered – as are we.

Our waiter throughout the evening has been the charming Jake who we find out is a mere 22. This appears to be a theme of the restaurant – most of the servers look as though they could be about to sit their A-Levels – but this doesn’t seem to affect the running of the place. Jake himself is incredibly knowledgeable and seems to know all there is to know about the wines he studiously explains to us. I also overhear him taking care to find out the needs and desires of the couple next to us so he can advise them suitably.

The restaurant appears to be doing a roaring trade and is filled with customers, creating a buzzy atmosphere for the Saturday night. This is particularly impressive given how unassuming The Olive Tree is from the outside – but it really is a true gem worth checking out. Not to be missed!

Hotel prices start from £145 for a classic double room. To book go to https://ift.tt/1pEhACZ

Bath holidays: The Michelin-starred Olive Tree is a true gem worth checking out. Not to be missed! (Image: The Queensbury)

No 15 Great Pulteney

Great Pulteney Street is the widest and grandest in the city of Bath so it stands to reason that No 15 Great Pulteney is also rather grand. It is also, however, completely bonkers.

This eccentric hotel –  self-proclaimedly “luxury for the curious” – is packed full of character which one might never guess judging from its chic Georgian townhouse exterior in complete uniformity with the entire street. Inside, the decor is so quirky it leaves your scratching your head. There’s a collection of kaleidoscopes in the hallway, a bizarre selection of dog figurines on one stairway and military memorabilia crowding the bottom of a staircase. The latter even features a soldier mannequin which, when first I spot it out of the corner of my eye, nearly makes me jump out of my skin. You have been warned!

In fact, no staircase in the same here: one has models of anthropomorphised pigs, another old cameras and a third huge perfume bottles. The thought that must have gone into the design is mind-boggling.

Our room on the top floor is lovely and while not so ostensibly idiosyncratic as the communal areas, there’s still something undeniably Bohemian. Our lamp shade drips in beads, mirrors with weaved frames sit above the bed’s headboard and a large, black sheep serves as a chair. These quirks don’t stop the hotel form providing all the mod cons, however, judging by the Dyson hairdryer and fan plus enormous TV with Sky.

From our window, we can see the roofs of all the stunning Georgian houses on the streets, the famous rugby grounds and even the abbey if I crane my head – all backed by the glorious Somerset countryside.

Bath holidays: No 15 Great Pulteney is an eccentric hotel – “luxury for the curious” (Image: No 15 Great Pulteney)

Bath holidays: The Dispensary comes complete with extensive wooden drawers labelled for herbs (Image: No 15 Great Pulteney)

An inventive addition to the hotel’s set-up is The Larder which peckish guests can raid whenever they want. While I am there it stocks help-yourself supplies of milk, ice cream, yoghurts, water, cans of fizzy drinks, old fashioned sweets plus flapjacks and brownies. It’s gloriously like a tuck shop and my inner schoolgirl lights up with the glee at the idea of plundering it for free (before my adult self remembers my straining jeans).

Before dinner, we head for a drink at the hotel’s Bar 15 which promises ‘creative liquid libations.’ I opt for a classic No 15 Champagne cocktail and settle back to see what eccentric delights reside in the bar. I am not disappointed. Our table is utterly bedecked with blue beads and jewellery and topped with glass, the huge paintings on the wall come to life with bizarre protrusions and little 3D editions of classic novels such as The Water Babies feature enchanting cut-outs of characters on the front covers.

I’m more taken with the restaurant, however. Aptly named The Dispensary, the room goes the whole hog with the theme, complete with extensive wooden drawers labelled for herbs, antiquated glass bottles of all colours lined again the wall and even old talcum powder containers.

There’s a nod to the actual function of the restaurant as well thanks to such features as a stove, complete with cast iron pots and a wall boasting every type of whisk you could possibly imagine.

The food is tasty too. I enjoy a starter of hake goujons – which are fresh and delicious – before a crispy duck salad washed down with a South African Cabernet Sauvignon. I finish with an utterly indulgent sticky toffee pudding (with top-notch fudge sauce) and a paired dessert wine.

Prices from £115 for a Cosy Double room. 01225 807015; https://ift.tt/32Cc7ce

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Day 30: Dissatisfied

               Yesterday morning was a difficult one. What started out as a simple disagreement about scheduling turned into a heated argument with my mom since she for some reason decided to get into all our baggage. Mentally I was already trying to avoid stress yesterday because of personal reasons but thanks to that argument with mom I ended up so pissed off that I was in tears. Eventually I’m going to get to the point where I’m just going to give up on driving completely and she can continue to act like my anxiety is not as big of a deal as I make it and act like my not wanting to drive is inconsiderate to others if she wants to but frankly if it continues to be this difficult with her she’ll just cause me to give up on the prospect of ever driving. At this point my mind feels it’s the safest route anyway. Avoiding driving is self-perseveration as far as my anxiety is concerned and she really hasn’t given me a satisfying reason to get my license.

               That’s what the argument started as but mom just loves to drag in all our problems past and present and make me feel like a wonderful person in the process. I do hope my sarcasm was picked up on there. I don’t think she realizes how much she hurts my self-esteem. I haven’t gotten to the point where I can disregard all her shit yet. It is much easier to blow off comments from strangers than it is your own parents who you were conditions to love and trust. It’s shit like this that just really makes me more eager to go to Japan and I’m not sure how I’m going to survive eight months of all this plus my long work days. I might have to go back to working 3 days a week even if it means sacrificing a bit of money. I guess I can try to sell some of my old things to make up for that.

               I’ll try not to dwell on it too much and just focus on work today. That’s easier said than done now that I’m doing computer work and since I’ve gotten the hang of how to do it it’s pretty second-nature at this point so my mind can wonder a little without it hurting the quality of my work. I’m not really trying to brag it’s just that the computer is basically where I do my best work since I’ve been typing from age 2. Crafty things, not so great, lifting heavy things, not great at all and organizing I can do but it’s pretty sub-par. Computer work? That’s where I really get my chance to shine. The only problem is I get bored and tired easily.

               My current dilemma is finding a way to make eight more months here work for me. I feel like my job is decent. My coworkers are the best coworkers anyone could ask for and getting there is convenient since my stepdad also works there however it’s not the job I want to do so every now and then my dissatisfaction kicks in.  I know that soon I’ll be able to work towards my dream job, that’s the point of studying Japanese in Japan but I think myself from 10 years ago would be angry if he found out I wasn’t an interpreter yet. I also am stuck between wanting to try to find love and knowing I should wait till I’m in Japan to try anything online or otherwise since I’d have to leave anyone I met to go to Japan. I guess I’m feeling the need for human touch, just cuddling really. I’m not talking about more sensual needs.

               Hopefully I’ll think of something. I’m still going to write these entries and every now and then draw but I guess I’m feeling inadequate again. Especially after drawing that request and not getting much more than one like and not even a thank you from the person who requested it. It’s hard to spend three hours drawing, inking, and coloring an image by hand and the person who requested it doesn’t even seem to care that much. Oh well, that’s just how it seems…perhaps I’m wrong. Anyway, my point was I need something more and hope I figure out what that is.