Day 2 - South Coast - Bournemouth - A bit of Estonian

Before I talk about how the chattiest, nicest girl in Bournemouth is actually from Estonia, let me tell you about the Print Room restaurant, where Liina Pakkats works.

It's an old printing works that used to belong to The Daily Echo, Bournemouth's daily newspaper. The paper is still published, but the printing works building is now a high-ceilinged, airy, art-deco (that word again!), spacious restaurant that holds about a hundred people. You wouldn't know it though, as the restaurant is partitioned off into separate sections. On a Monday night it's almost empty, but on weekends its jammed apparently.

Okay, so back to Liina. She'll tell you everything you need to know about the menu, but also about Bournemouth and what to do. The Bournemouth Eye, a tethered hot-air balloon that rises from the town's gardens when the weather is good. The Oceanarium near the Pier is small but interesting, with a walk-through tunnel with sandsharks, turtles and rays flying over head. Very cool - when I went there, every kid I saw there was going bananas with excitement. Then further out of town, Corfe Castle (west of Bournemouth on the road to Swannage) is a must, Liina says.


The meal at The Print Room...olives that taste like olives (soft, non-salty, big - £2), terrine (mushroom, liver, pork, garlic - £6) and fillet of sea bream (about £13). The sister restaurant is Aruba, on the seafront, which Liina says is Ar-uber cool.