If Carlsberg made nachos ......

they would probably look something like this.

Had lunch at the Pea Hen in St Albans today and kicked things off with a plate of nachos to share. I was expecting the usual effort, i.e. open a bag of nachos, grate some cheese over, blast them in a microwave for 30 seconds and serve with a blob of guacamole, a blob of sour creme and a splash of salsa.

Needless to say I was quite taken aback when the waitress plonked this on the table. Not only does it look different to the usual tired offering, but it also tasted refreshingly different. There was a bean chilli in the bowl covered in a layer of melted cheese and those nachos were crisp and tasty. I shall be going back there some time soon to sample those nachos again.

Actually, as I write this, I'm getting a bit worried. I appear to be obsessing about food lately. I blame it on my son of course. With his 2 week visit, we are taking him out often and going out tends to mean eating out and so food is a big part of my life right now. All will return to normal when he goes back to China next week.

It was cold in St Albans today, but we still had a nice time. Its a nice city with a good selection of shops and unlike some places (my home town amongst them), it has managed to blend the new with the old discreetly. Property prices there never fail to amaze me. I only glanced in an estate agents window once, but saw an ordinary looking 3 bed semi little different to my own. The asking price was £575,000! I can remember when that sort of money used to be called a jackpot win on the pools and it would probably have set you up for life. Now it will only buy you an unexeptional 3 bed semi in St Albans. It won't even cover the bills. How on earth do young people ever get on the property ladder in a place like that?