I've been to the seaside again

Isn't this a great, windswept beach?



This is Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. We spent the Easter holiday at Southwold, and called here on the way home. One of those places, we think, where there is an older village out in the North Sea, eroded to a watery grave many years ago. Actually, Cromer is another one. The east coast is continually resisting efforts to be controlled and contained by humans, and does what it wants and should do, which is to let its basically sandy shores be washed away.

Anyhow, the weekend was by and large a great success. We had a wonderful day on Saturday visiting Minsmere, and saw lots of new and fascinating birds. Marsh harriers, a Cetti's warbler, a nightingale (I did try to persuade the DSM it was merely a dunnock, but I had to concede eventually....) Loads of avocets, ducks various, a ringed plover and very unexpectedly, a shore lark. What a super place - must definitely return.

Southwold was a delight, too, very unspoiled, unreconstructed. We had a couple of nice meals on Friday and Saturday evenings, the latter only marred by me embarrassing myself totally by waltzing out of the pub on Saturday and promptly falling over. I had not, repeat not had all that much alcohol, and I am quite sure that what I had consumed was what saved me from worse injury. I didn't see a (marked with white paint) shallow step, and went over on my left ankle, dammit - the right one is the usual one to go, now I have two dodgy ones. Fortunately, too, no-one actually saw me go crashing to the ground, so after I had collected myself and managed to clamber to my feet, we hobbled home through the dark and spooky churchyard.

The birthday lunch went very well. Something unspeakable happened at the far end of the table where the baby was, but her long-suffering parents dealt with matters briskly and unobtrusively, and all was well after that and she behaved impeccably thereafter. We all tramped back for tea, fizz and cake (well, hobbled in my case...) and then sat and embarrassed the younger members of the party - always fun - for the rest of the afternoon.

We had a bit of a grockle around Southwold itself, had visited Oxburgh Hall on the way down and then Framlingham Castle on the way home, with Snape Maltings in between times. Somewhere or other we found an alpaca farm, too - about the only fibrey thing I lighted on all weekend.

The B&B was...well, a triumph of style over content. A lovely Edwardian villa, beautifully decorated and furnished, but with the second most uncomfortable beds I have ever slept - or not- on in my entire life, and a cunningly economical notion of how to do a vegetarian breakfast - simply leave the bacon out. As for the bathroom....well, we won't go there, save to say that swinging the cat would not have been a possibility, and that the DSM and me couldn't have even attempted our usual mutual teeth-cleaning routine.

Still, very glad we went - have never visited this part of the east coast before, and it is lovely. More images:



Oxburgh Hall, an early tudor gem. I could live somewhere like this very happily!



I had wanted to see this for ages - the sculpture commemorating Benjamin Britten on Aldeburgh beach. Definitely cool.



And whilst being all historical, here is Framlingham Castle, once the stronghold of the Earls and Dukes of Norfolk (one of those families that managed against the odds to hang on to their influence and their heads, mostly but not entirely, through various reigns and regimes to the present day. Although this place was handed over to others centuries ago. H'mm. Maybe that's how - bribery....



Southwold - note the lighthouse in the town - from the pier.



And beach huts, one of which I would love, but would need apparently £20 - 30,000 for the privilege. I think not.



Lovely to get to the sea again.