NORFOLK - Part 3

I've condensed the last two days of the holiday into one blog posting as to be quite honest the weather was that awful that we didn't exactly do a lot! In fact, during the four days away I took less photos than I normally take on a day out!

Saturday was absolutely freezing with a bitingly cold wind and heavy rain followed by heavy sleet. We visited a Craft Fair/Farmer's Market/Book Fayre in Blakeney in the morning which was very impressive. There were lots of food "goodies" and I spent a fortune on some delicious handmade cheeses from Lymn Bank Farm. The craft stalls were excellent with items ranging from paintings and prints, bird sculptures made from driftwood, handmade soaps, corn dollies to love spoons. The Book Fayre had its own hall and had a very good selection of second hand books. Books on Natural History included some rather nice Collins New Naturalist, Wayside and Woodland, Observer series and some signed Richard Mabey books. If I could have found a Mabey book I hadn't already got I would have tried to buy one of these when the family were looking the other way :)

In the afternoon Brian and I went to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Reserve at Cley. There's a huge viewing window that overlooks the marshes so we spent half an hour looking at the birds from there. We did drive along the road to the side of the Reserve to the Beach. But believe me the wind was that strong and cold that I just managed to climb up the shingle bank and look at the waves crashing on the shore before making a run back to the car. Sorry no photos I didn't even bother taking the camera out with me.

In the evening we went for a meal and it was a bit like a scene from "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" - some of the family are really rather fussy :) The first pub was too packed, the second too expensive, the 3rd too small and cramped. Finally we found a pub in Stiffkey called the Red Lion which seemed "just right" !The food was very good and I've made a mental note that they also offer accommodation as I am not sure I could persuade David and Emily to return and if Brian and I went for a weekend it could be the ideal place to stay. Brian was rather impressed with the huge choice of mussel dishes (yuk!) they offered when mussels are in season.

On Sunday the weather was, if possible, even colder with an even stronger cold wind accompanied by snow flurries.

Here's a photo of the house we stayed in at Blakeney (taken on the day we arrived)



It was lovely to see violets and daffodils in bloom as neither are flowering yet in our garden.





We stopped off at Blakeney Quay for a few minutes so I could try and take some photos. The light was dreadful and I was in and out of the car very quickly so not the best of pictures which is a shame as the place is so photogenic. The highlight for me was the sight of a couple of Turnstones.











Every village has a different sign. I would have liked to have taken photos of many more of these.



We stopped off briefly at Wells-next-the-Sea and then I persuaded Brian to drive up Lady Ann;s Drive to Holkham Gap as I had read so much about these places over the years. Again a very brief walk before dashing back to the car. A real shame about the weather as we could have had a lovely woodland and beach walk with the added bonus that I might have seen some birds!

We had all gone prepared for some cold weather but hadn't really taken the sort of clothes needed for "Arctic" type conditions!

Have to say that, despite, the weather, I really did like Norfolk and just hope we can visit again one day.