Norfolk: beach huts, woods and windmills

Thanks for your lovely comments on my last post. I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the photos of Norfolk and I have a few more from the second half of our week here. Some other highlights.....

:: Wells Next The Sea, where it was warm enough to buy fish and chips and eat them outside on the edge of the harbour. We watched people crabbing and strolling around eating ice creams. It all felt very summery, considering it was October. 

After lunch, we walked away from the town in the direction of the beach. At the end of a long, long path, with fields on the left and the harbour on the right, we turned a corner and were greeted by this sight:

A huge, wide expanse of sandy beach, full of families picnicking and relaxing in the sun.

And the beach huts. Oh, these beach huts. I wandered up and down for as long as I could, taking them all in, the different colours and styles.

Something about them reminded me of beach houses you see in Maine or New England, and also of those famous San Francisco houses called the Painted Ladies, all matching pastel shades and painted woodwork, very smart and in their Sunday best.

I was in heaven here, and if it wasn't for the soon to expire car parking ticket, we'd have spent all afternoon on this glorious beach.

:: Bewilderwood, a themed outdoor adventure area. We packed a picnic, put on our wellies and spent a day in the woods, climbing in tree trails, getting lost in the Sky Maze (it's very good!), exploring, getting muddy and generally having a good time. Bella and Angus, predictably, loved it there, especially the zip wires and slides.

I didn't want to carry my big camera around all day so took these photos on my phone. 

:: Cley Next The Sea, a little village with a big windmill and some lovely shops, including Made In Cley, which sells some beautiful pottery among other things, and another gem of a second hand bookshop. It's also the place to go if you're interested in bird watching, with the miles of marshes between land and sea. We saw a lot of people carrying cameras with long range lenses and big binoculars, and wearing those hats that birdwatchers always seem to wear.

:: Blakeney, where we had a delicious pub lunch and I wanted to go crabbing but everyone else said it was a bit too cold to stand on the quayside dangling a fishing line into the water.

::  West Runton Beach

Another wild and windy beach, known for it's fossils. 

We hunted. One of us hunted for quite a long time. He thinks he has found some amazing discoveries, and we're not going to tell him that they're just interesting shaped stones. He had so many in his pockets that they were pulling his coat off him, totally distorting the shape of it. I had to make him put some of them back. I mean, one "fossil" was the size of a large baked potato. 

So, there you have it. No theme parks, cinema, bowling or other exciting things. Just lots of beaches, walks, eating, pottering and enjoying being together as a family. No rushing around, and lots of time to crochet. I made myself a pair of socks - I'll show them to you soon. 

I treated myself to this mug from the pottery shop in Cley, and a bag of locally roasted and ground coffee. I'm in love with the mug - the colour, the smoothness of the curves, the comfortable handle. I'm very particular about mugs; they can't be too big or too small, too chunky or too thin, and I can't bear a tiny handle. I have favourites at home and in the staff room at work. I realise this is madness, but something tells me that a lot of you share my passion.

I mean, think about it - a mug is probably one of our most frequently used household items, one we touch with our hands, one we associate with something good, a hot cup of tea or coffee. I think It's ok to be a bit fanatical about them.