The Great British Holiday

I can't tell you how busy I've been today.  It was my first day back at work after a week's holiday and there was so much to catch up on.  I was working from home, which I'm grateful for, but as I sit here in my stained sweatshirt (coconut yogurt, hastily wolfed down in my 'lunch break' and too busy to change) with mad lady hair (no time to blowdry after my shower this morning - frizz city) it feels like I may have dreamt my holiday last week.

We did have the most dreamy time... (What a link! Sorry).  My parents bought a static caravan on the Norfolk coast a couple of years ago and we love it.  It is just kept for our family to use, we don't rent it out, so everything we could possibly need is kept there.  We have rules about maintaining a supply of 'essentials' at the caravan so there is always a cold bottle of wine to enjoy with our fish and chips when we first arrive!  

The dog went on her own little holiday last week, to stay with my MIL, so we had some freedom to go out exploring without worrying about getting back for the dog.  It was truly lovely. 

The weather wasn't great but it stayed warm and fine and we did get out and about.  As you will know, the Queen likes to get away to Norfolk every now and then too, so we popped over to Her Majesty's little holiday home a couple of times for tea and scones.  Unfortunately she wasn't in when we dropped by but we did get to have a poke around the house and grounds.  

I loved looking around the house.  I wish I could have taken some photos indoors but, understandably, cameras were not permitted.  The tour guides had fascinating little stories to tell both about the royal family's history but also about mundane little things like which chair the Queen favours for watching television (ha! I wonder if she likes Casualty on a Saturday night too?).  We had our fair share of cream teas last week but I can confirm that the cream teas at the Queen's house were the best.  So good we went back a second time, just for the tea room.  (Jeans are a little snug today.)

There were also National Trust properties to visit with beautiful gardens, pretty woodland walks and (again) great tea rooms.

We ate out every day and found a few nice pubs in the area.  This one, the Orange Tree in Thornham, was particularly good.  Great food and wine, pleasant staff and a lovely beer garden.  (We also discovered another pub which had good food but the most appalling service I have ever encountered.  That particular lunch trip was memorable simply because it was so farcical.)

We seemed to sleep a lot too (parents have said 'oooh, you must have needed it', as parents do).  We adopted our usual holiday nap culture and would have an hour's snooze mid-afternoon every day!  Such a pair of old biddies.  

We were sure to fit in a daily stroll along the beach.  I especially liked our evening walks; hand in hand, chatting about nothing in particular and people-watching whilst eating rum and raisin ice cream cones.

Things I didn't get photos of included a fish and chip supper with wine in tin mugs (classy) by the beach.  The chip shop we go to in Wells-next-the-Sea is well-known as the best in the area and the queues always snake right down the road.  We went to Pensthorpe nature reserve where Springwatch is filmed and, of course, there was plenty of time to wander around the local shops.  I bought loads of bits and pieces and would have bought more if there had been room in the car (we took loads of beach gubbins) but I'll do a post on my purchases later in the week.  I think you will appreciate them more than my husband does!  I also went to a lovely vintage fair on the Saturday before we went on holiday where I picked up some other little goodies.

I remembered to take my crochet bag away with me.  (What did I do before crochet?!)  I stuffed my bag with a load of cheap yarn just in case I was gripped by the desire to make something.  The caravan was pretty cold in the evenings and there were no blankets there so I decided to make a giant granny square.  I was hooking at every spare moment:

Addicted, I tell you, addicted!  As you know, I'm making loads of squares for a blanket for my sister and niece but it is taking quite a long time and I just love how quickly this giant granny square grows.  Loving how it drapes across my legs as I'm working on it!   I'm still at it now and it will be finished any day soon ready for us to take next time we go.  I'll show you properly when I've done the edging. 

I'm off now to catch up on all of the blogs I missed when I was away.  I did have access to the internet but was trying to have a proper break away from everything.  I couldn't resist sneakily reading a few, and putting some short comments here and there, but now's my chance to fully indulge myself!   I've found a few new blogs to read, a couple through new followers here (hello!).  Love it.

Nicki 

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