Beach day

Being an island, Great Britain has lots of coastline. Most of it is beach. And if the weather were like today's more often, I'm sure Britain would be known for its beaches. It was such a hot day, the beach beckoned. So Gavin and I set out with friends for Wells-next-the-Sea, a village along the Norfolk coast.

Gavin is very fond of Myla (left) and Hazel (right).

Who wouldn't be fond of these sweet, adorable girls?

 Gavin did enjoy playing in the water and the sand, but he mostly tried to eat the sand. Repeatedly. Despite not being impressed with the first (and each consecutive) bite. I promise I even provided lunch for him, but the sand was his heart's desire.

 I loved all the colourful beach huts that characterise British beaches, and it was cute to catch little glimpses inside some of them.

 We had a great day with great friends! Oh, and this is the smile Gavin now gives me when I ask for one.

Boating the Broads

Today we went boating in the Norfolk Broads, which is a network of canals. It was lots of fun and a GORGEOUS day. As you can see, we each took turns piloting the boat.

(Lest you think the above photo was staged, let me assure you we never turned the boat off or sat idle in the water. Gavin really was steering here. We were livin' on the edge--but not really because the speed limit was 5 miles per hour, sometimes 4.) The scenery was pretty, especially all the thatched-roof houses along the river. Such a beautiful day!

Fun in the east

We've had a fun few days touring mansion houses and eating fantastic food. Above, my parents are standing outside Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich. Below, Jacob and I are enjoying a fabulous carvery, complete with turkey, pork, beef, veggies galore, potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. All doused in gravy, of course.

This morning we went to the Bircham Windmill where they were having a bread festival. We sampled and purchased incredible baked goods, and we also sampled and purchased cheese made from the milk of sheep who live at the windmill. It was all wonderful!

Then we headed up to the Norfolk coast to Holkham Hall, a beautiful Palladian mansion house, still inhabited by the Earls of Leicester (but right now by the Viscount Coke, the seventh Earl's son, and his family). It's one of the rare houses that allows photography inside, so here are a few photos of both exterior and interior.

Then we had fish & chips, which we hear are better on the coast. Below my Mom is enjoying hers with mushy peas. Very delicious!

Northern Norfolk

Saturday we took a drive through the county to our north: Norfolk. We drove all the way up to the coast for fish & chips. We also toured two stately homes: Felbrigg Hall (below) and Blickling Hall (above). Felbrigg was dilapidated on the outside but beautiful on the inside. Blickling was just gorgeous overall, including a totally amazing library! It also has a connection to Anne Boleyn (she might even have been born there); her ghost is said to appear at Blickling Hall every year on the anniversary of her execution.