Menoffagainorrhoea; Suffolk Sojourn Day 7.2

After the lunch at Ludham and a visit to the wonderful church of St Catherine, Aitch suggested a walk around the ruins of St Benet's abbey. (That's a lovely interactive website, do visit it!) Although very little remains of the original buildings, there is definitely an atmosphere of calm and tranquillity here.

As the 1000th anniversary was being celebrated this year, some large willow and hessian sculptures have been installed to give a sense of the monks walking the land. There are services still held at the large oak cross and the diocese falls under the protection of the Bishop of Norwich. Many coins had been pressed (hammered - something Aitch and I debated) into the wood. This practice likely harks back, we discovered, to Welsh/Celtic practices for protection from ills. I guess now, it is in the form prayer ritual. We both did find that the sound of the two ladies banging a coin into the cross was a tad disturbing - given the symbolism.

The oak came from the Sandringham Estate - gifted by The Queen.

It was a sublime spot and we sat for some time just enjoying the ambience. Then, all too soon, it was time to make our way to the airport. We were there with a full hour available to sit and have another cuppa together as we watched the planes landing from Malaga, Amsterdam and other European places. Including the Edinburgh run!

I mentioned previously how much I enjoyed my Loganair flight. The return journey confirmed my first impressions. I wrote about it for The Mile High Club.

That was it. Quite possibly that was my very last trip to East Anglia, as Aitch is due to move to Northumbria in October. Another chapter.

Me-Now-Views; Less Speak More Peek

Menoffagainorrhoea; Suffolk Sojourn Day 6 + 7.1

Wednesday 28th August was day six of this short trip south of the border. Aitch and I had been much more sensible than the previous year in pacing our activities. This last full day with her was to be kept low-key.

Aitch's buddleia attracted a great many butterflies. Photographing them was quite the challenge!

The plan was to mow the grass and do a wee bit garden tidy. This was stymied somewhat by a sudden change in weather and lower temperatures with rain. It was most refreshing, and it permitted us to sit in and cover some reminiscence territory. True to local weather reports, though, the sun returned mid-morning and we got busy outside. An hour was all it took, sharing the work, to have the yard looking very smart indeed. Then it was time to wash, dress, eat lunch and await collection by Cx to go to the cinema.

Angel Has Fallen kept us well entertained and somewhat on the edges of our seats!

Back at Baylham, Cx got Aitch on the go with some more tipping of stuff into the skip. Quite a bit, in fact. Aitch shared some of her thoughts on what she will do with things in the new place and it was, altogether, a rather pleasant final evening together.

Thursday dawned, and the YAMster packed her bag. My flight from Norwich wasn't until the evening, so we decided to use the day for a little more exploration as we made our way to the more northerly county. Aitch suggested a couple of spots, and I decided on Ludham, as she said the church was worth a visit and there was a good little tea room there. Both proved to be true!

We learned from the owner that this was originally the saddlery of the village.
The horse-bridle you can just about make out on the down-beam the was not made here,
but another on the wall was. Our lunch was yummy!

Thought you'd like that last one!
Back on Thursday with the last for this trip.

Menoffagainorrhoea; Suffolk Sojourn Day 5

Tuesday 27th August dawned as it had for all the previous days. Very warm and dry. We had already arranged to meet up with Cx and take off for the coast to a town called Dunwich.

It is rather famous. 

Long-termers among readers here will know that once a year, the YAMster breaks her sattvika diet and partakes of some 'fush and chips'. This was the trigger for the trip. Aitch recommended the fish cafe on Dunwich beach. It proved to be exactly as stated, and I was impressed with the quick service. I opted for whitebait with salad and chips. In the end, I only managed the whitebait because the plate was enough for three people! It was hot, fresh, and delicious. Aitch had battered haddock with her chips and Cx had the cod. We were more than satisfied. However, we didn't linger long at the table because, having sat inside to avoid the direct sun, it proved to be extremely 'fuggy' due to no airflow inside.

The other principal purpose of our trip that day was to find some geocaches. I love these outings, not that I am necessarily all that good in the treasure hunt side (Cx and Aitch are ACES at it), but because they are always in such interesting places - a lot of the time, churchyards, and I do love a good church and yard!

The things we do for 'treasure'

Polish Konik horses (feral/wild) are used for managing the marshes.

Sibton St Peter's church.

Dennington St Mary the Virgin