On one day we ventured out to Felbrigg Hall. This is another National Trust house (Read huge mansion) in amazing grounds. We walked through the woodland and along the Victory V made of trees planted in 1945 to commemorate WW2. There was an amazing walled garden and a walled vegetable garden and orchard. They were managed using organic methods and I have never seen so many insect flying about. The garden was beautiful but I probably looked like I had tourettes from all the flapping I was doing. I have never seen such huge rhubarb. The tomatoes on my balcony look a little sad in comparison....They also had a massive brick dove cote, built in 17something. They used the pigeons for a ready source of protein and fertiliser.
Another amazing NT property we went to was Oxburgh Hall. They were having a 17th century re-enactment of an event that happened there during the English civil war. There were muskets and cannons going off all around us, and people dressed up. The coolest thing about Oxburgh Hall was that it had a moat. The family who lived there (and in fact still do, in one wing of the house) were Catholic, and so they kept a moat full of fish to eat.) The house also had a priest hole - a hidden space in the garderobe (toilet) where the Catholic Priests could hide when the Protestant rulers came looking for them. It must have been a good hide out as the house was searched at least three times and it was never found. I guess you wouldn't want to look so closely down the toilet for a hidden priest.
We did loads of walks around the countryside and along the beaches while we were away. I was determined to swim in the North Sea but never quite got around to it! It was not quite warm enough.. but I am off to Cornwall in a weeks time so perhaps I can remedy that then.
The past week I have been hanging at home and in town, relaxing, seeing various teacher friends who are also about in London and last night we went to a 'prom' at the Royal Albert Hall with my aunt Val, who lives in London. The space is amazing and it was great to see a huge orchestra play. I was amazed at how hard out the musicians play, they really get into it.
The other night I was with my brother Alex, my cousin Bruce, Richie and Anne. We chilled in Bruce's garden with a few beers after work (well, me and Anne are on hol so we had spent the day at Camden Market)and then went to a random Vietnamese restaurant down the road. Alex and Bruce said it was like being in Vietnam, and the food was pretty delish.
I also spent the afternoon at the Natural History Museum with a friend and her 3 year old daughter. The place was PACKED - mental note - never go here during school hols again. There was a queue to get in and then a queue to see the dinosaurs. (They are great - skeletons and a life size animatronic t rex). But can you imagine a queue to get into Te Papa?
Anyway, we are off to Vienna tomorrow. I will have to see if I can still speak a word of German. We are staying there for 4 nights, then either catching the train or the boat up the Danube to Budapest for another 3 nights.
Straight after that I am going to Cornwall for 3 days for a girls holiday of seaside, charity shop bargains, Cornish pasties made by Flair's gran, and no doubt, knitting. Don't pretend otherwise, I know you are all really jealous!
Steph
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